IA 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. J. RES. 18 
To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible 
for trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance into the United 
States or carrying out other related activities that cause regional desta-
bilization in the Western Hemisphere. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 12, 2023 
Mr. CRENSHAW (for himself and Mr. WALTZ) submitted the following joint 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against 
those responsible for trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl- 
related substance into the United States or carrying out 
other related activities that cause regional destabilization 
in the Western Hemisphere. 
Whereas armed cartels such as Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco 
New Generation Cartel are responsible for trafficking 
fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances into the United 
States; 
Whereas fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances kill ap-
proximately 80,000 Americans every year and is the lead-
ing cause of death for American men between the ages 
of 18 and 45; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:57 Jan 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HJ18.IH
HJ18
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
•HJ 18 IH 
Whereas the Sinaloa Cartel and the Los Zetas Cartel, among 
others, consistently engage in violence against each other 
and other cartels, creating instability mere miles from the 
border of the United States; 
Whereas in 2015, the Sinaloa Cartel shot down a Mexican 
military helicopter with a high powered weapon; 
Whereas in 2019, when the Mexican National Guard arrested 
Ovidio Guzman, the son of Joaquin ‘‘el Chapo’’ Guzman, 
the Sinaloa Cartel attacked Mexican Government forces 
and forced them to release Ovidio Guzman; 
Whereas in 2022, a battle between cartels along the United 
States-Mexico border led to the closure of two ports of 
entry; 
Whereas in 2022, a grenade attack against the United States 
consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico required employees to 
shelter in place; 
Whereas Mexican cartels regularly intimidate, assault, kid-
nap, torture, and kill Mexican law enforcement; and 
Whereas Mexican cartels have repeatedly fired at law enforce-
ment and national guard posted along the United States- 
Mexico border: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This joint resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Authoriza-
tion for the Use of Military Force to Combat, Attack, Re-
sist, Target, Eliminate, and Limit Influence Resolution’’ 
or the ‘‘AUMF CARTEL Influence Resolution’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:57 Jan 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HJ18.IH
HJ18
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
•HJ 18 IH 
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES 
ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 
use all necessary and appropriate force against those for-
eign nations, foreign organizations, or foreign persons af-
filiated with foreign organizations that the President de-
termines— 
(1) have violated section 401(a)(1) of the Con-
trolled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1)), or 
have attempted or conspired to violate such section 
401(a)(1) in violation of section 406 of such Act (21 
U.S.C. 846), with respect to trafficking into the 
United States fentanyl or a fentanyl-related sub-
stance; 
(2) have trafficked fentanyl or a fentanyl-re-
lated substance outside the United States with the 
intention of such fentanyl or fentanyl-related sub-
stance being trafficked into the United States in vio-
lation of section 401(a)(1) or 406 of the Controlled 
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 846) as de-
scribed in paragraph (1); 
(3) have produced or trafficked a substance 
that is a precursor to fentanyl or a fentanyl-related 
substance with the intention of such precursor, 
fentanyl, or fentanyl-related substance being traf-
ficked into the United States in violation of section 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:57 Jan 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HJ18.IH
HJ18
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
•HJ 18 IH 
401(a)(1) or 406 of the Controlled Substances Act 
(21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 846) as described in para-
graph (1); 
(4) have engaged in kinetic actions against 
United States Federal, State, local, tribal, or terri-
torial law enforcement personnel operating in the 
territory of the United States or abroad; 
(5) have engaged in kinetic actions against law 
enforcement, military, or other governmental per-
sonnel of a country with a common border with the 
United States or any other country in the Western 
Hemisphere; or 
(6) have used violence and intimidation for the 
purpose of establishing and controlling territory to 
be used for illicit means. 
(b) DEEMED ORGANIZATIONS.—Effective on the date 
of the enactment of this joint resolution, the following for-
eign organizations, and their members, shall be deemed 
to have been determined by the President under sub-
section (a) to meet the criteria described in such sub-
section: 
(1) The Sinaloa Cartel. 
(2) The Jalisco New Generation Cartel. 
(3) The Gulf Cartel. 
(4) The Los Zetas Cartel. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:57 Jan 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HJ18.IH
HJ18
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
•HJ 18 IH 
(5) The Northeast Cartel. 
(6) The Juarez Cartel. 
(7) The Tijuana Cartel. 
(8) The Beltran-Levya Cartel. 
(9) The La Familia Michoacana, also known as 
the Knight Templar Cartel. 
(c) LIMITATION.—The authority to use all necessary 
and appropriate force pursuant to subsection (a) against 
foreign organizations and foreign persons affiliated with 
foreign organizations described in subsection (a) shall 
apply only with respect to those organizations and persons 
located outside of the territory of the United States. 
(d) TERMINATION.—The authority to use all nec-
essary and appropriate force pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date 
of the enactment of this joint resolution. 
(e) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) SPECIFIC
STATUTORY
AUTHORIZATION.— 
Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers 
Resolution, Congress declares that this section is in-
tended to constitute specific statutory authorization 
within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Pow-
ers Resolution. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:57 Jan 12, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HJ18.IH
HJ18
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB