I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 915 
To establish a Border Enforcement Security Task Force program to enhance 
border security by fostering coordinated efforts among Federal, State, 
and local border and law enforcement officials to protect United States 
border cities and communities from trans-national crime, including vio-
lence associated with drug trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien traf-
ficking and smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and across the 
international borders of the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 3, 2011 
Mr. CUELLAR (for himself and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
A BILL 
To establish a Border Enforcement Security Task Force 
program to enhance border security by fostering coordi-
nated efforts among Federal, State, and local border 
and law enforcement officials to protect United States 
border cities and communities from trans-national crime, 
including violence associated with drug trafficking, arms 
smuggling, illegal alien trafficking and smuggling, vio-
lence, and kidnapping along and across the international 
borders of the United States, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Jaime Zapata Border 
Enforcement Security Task Force Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Department of Homeland Security’s 
(DHS) overriding mission is to lead a unified na-
tional effort to protect the United States. United 
States Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
(ICE) is the largest investigative agency within DHS 
and is charged with enforcing a wide array of laws, 
including laws related to securing the border and 
combating criminal smuggling. 
(2) Mexico’s northern border with the United 
States has experienced a dramatic surge in border 
crime and violence in recent years due to intense 
competition between Mexican drug cartels and crimi-
nal smuggling organizations that employ predatory 
tactics to realize their profits. 
(3) Law enforcement agencies at the United 
States northern border face similar challenges from 
transnational smuggling organizations. 
(4) In response, DHS has partnered with Fed-
eral, State, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement 
counterparts to create the Border Enforcement Se-
curity Task Force (BEST) initiative as a com-
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prehensive approach to addressing border security 
threats. These multi-agency teams are designed to 
increase 
information-sharing 
and 
collaboration 
among the participating law enforcement agencies. 
(5) BEST teams incorporate personnel from 
ICE, United States Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP), the Drug Enforcement Administration 
(DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms 
and Explosives (ATFE), the Federal Bureau of In-
vestigation (FBI), the United States Coast Guard 
(USCG), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), 
along with other key Federal, State and local law 
enforcement agencies. 
(6) Foreign law enforcement agencies include 
Mexico’s Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP), the 
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the On-
tario Provincial Police (OPP), and the Royal Cana-
dian Mounted Police (RCMP). 
SEC. 3. BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
(ICE) a program known as a Border Enforcement Secu-
rity Task Force (referred to as ‘‘BEST’’). 
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(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the BEST program 
is to establish units to enhance border security by address-
ing and reducing border security threats and violence by— 
(1) facilitating collaboration among Federal, 
State, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement 
agencies to execute coordinated activities in further-
ance of border security, and homeland security; and 
(2) enhancing information-sharing, including 
the dissemination of homeland security information 
among such agencies. 
(c) COMPOSITION AND DESIGNATION.— 
(1) COMPOSITION.—BEST units may be com-
prised of personnel from— 
(A) United States Immigration and Cus-
toms Enforcement; 
(B) United States Customs and Border 
Protection; 
(C) the United States Coast Guard; 
(D) other Federal agencies, as appropriate; 
(E) appropriate State law enforcement 
agencies; 
(F) foreign law enforcement agencies, as 
appropriate; 
(G) local law enforcement agencies from 
affected border cities and communities; and 
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(H) appropriate tribal law enforcement 
agencies. 
(2) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary of Home-
land Security, acting through the Assistant Sec-
retary for ICE, is authorized to establish BEST 
units in jurisdictions where such units can con-
tribute to the BEST program’s missions, as appro-
priate. Prior to establishing a BEST unit, the As-
sistant Secretary shall consider the following factors: 
(A) Whether the area where the BEST 
unit would be established is significantly im-
pacted by cross-border threats. 
(B) The availability of Federal, State, 
local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement re-
sources to participate in the BEST unit. 
(C) The extent to which border security 
threats are having a significant harmful impact 
in the jurisdiction in which the BEST unit is 
to be established, and other jurisdictions of the 
country. 
(d) OPERATION.—After making a designation under 
subsection (c)(2), and in order to provide Federal assist-
ance to the area so designated, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security may— 
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(1) obligate such sums as are appropriated for 
the BEST program; 
(2) direct the assignment of Federal personnel 
to the BEST program, subject to the approval of the 
head of the department or agency that employs such 
personnel; and 
(3) take other actions to assist State, local, 
tribal, and foreign jurisdictions to participate in the 
BEST program. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the establishment of the BEST program under sub-
section (a) and annually thereafter, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall submit to Congress a report on 
the effectiveness of the BEST program in enhancing bor-
der security and reducing the drug trafficking, arms 
smuggling, illegal alien trafficking and smuggling, vio-
lence, and kidnapping along and across the international 
borders of the United States as measured by crime statis-
tics, including violent deaths, incidents of violence, and 
drug-related arrests. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Home-
land Security such funds as may be necessary for each 
of fiscal years 2012 through 2016 to— 
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(1) establish and operate the BEST program, 
including to provide for operational, administrative, 
and technological costs to Federal, State, local, trib-
al and foreign law enforcement agencies partici-
pating in the BEST program; and 
(2) investigate, apprehend, and prosecute indi-
viduals engaged in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, 
illegal alien trafficking and smuggling, violence, and 
kidnapping along and across the international bor-
ders of the United States. 
Æ 
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