I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1437 
To establish a Southern Border Security Task Force to coordinate the efforts 
of Federal, State, and local border and law enforcement officials and 
task forces to protect United States border cities and communities from 
violence associated with drug trafficking, gunrunning, illegal alien smug-
gling, violence, and kidnapping along and across the international border 
between the United States and Mexico. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2009 
Mr. CUELLAR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the 
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a Southern Border Security Task Force to 
coordinate the efforts of Federal, State, and local border 
and law enforcement officials and task forces to protect 
United States border cities and communities from vio-
lence associated with drug trafficking, gunrunning, illegal 
alien smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and 
across the international border between the United 
States and Mexico. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Southern Border Secu-
rity Task Force Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. SOUTHERN BORDER SECURITY TASK FORCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall establish a Southern Border Se-
curity Task Force (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Task 
Force’’) to coordinate the efforts of Federal, State, and 
local border and law enforcement officials and task forces 
to protect United States border cities and communities 
from 
violence 
associated 
with 
drug 
trafficking, 
gunrunning, illegal alien smuggling, violence, and kidnap-
ping along and across the international border between the 
United States and Mexico. 
(b) COMPOSITION AND DEPLOYMENT.— 
(1) COMPOSITION.—The Task Force shall be 
comprised of personnel from— 
(A) United States Customs and Border 
Protection; 
(B) United States Immigration and Cus-
toms Enforcement; 
(C) the Coast Guard; 
(D) other Federal agencies, as appropriate; 
(E) southern border State law enforcement 
agencies; and 
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(F) local law enforcement agencies from 
affected southern border cities and commu-
nities. 
(2) DEPLOYMENT.—The Secretary of Home-
land Security shall deploy the Task Force along the 
international border between the United States and 
Mexico in cities and communities most affected by 
violence, as determined by the Secretary. 
(c) DIRECTOR.—The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall appoint as a Director of the Task Force an individual 
who is experienced and knowledgeable in law enforcement 
generally and border security issues specifically. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the establishment of the Task Force under subsection 
(a) and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Se-
curity of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a report on the effectiveness of the Task Force 
in reducing the drug trafficking, gunrunning, illegal alien 
smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and across the 
international border between the United States and Mex-
ico as measured by crime statistics, including violent 
deaths, incidents of violence, and drug related arrests. 
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(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Home-
land Security $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 
through 2014— 
(1) to establish and operate the Task Force, in-
cluding to provide for operational, administrative, 
and technological costs to Federal, State, and local 
law enforcement agencies participating in the Task 
Force; and 
(2) to investigate, apprehend, and prosecute in-
dividuals engaged in drug trafficking, gunrunning, 
illegal alien smuggling, violence, and kidnapping 
along and across the international border between 
the United States and Mexico. 
Æ 
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