I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3720 
To direct the Director of National Intelligence to make assessments regarding 
Mexico and the Northern Triangle of Central America, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 11, 2019 
Mr. HURD of Texas (for himself and Ms. SPANBERGER) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Permanent Select Committee on In-
telligence 
A BILL 
To direct the Director of National Intelligence to make as-
sessments regarding Mexico and the Northern Triangle 
of Central America, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Trafficking and Smug-
gling Intelligence Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVITIES BY DRUG TRAF-
FICKING ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NORTHERN 
TRIANGLE AND MEXICO. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Director of National In-
telligence, in coordination with the Chief of Intelligence 
of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Assist-
ant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a re-
port containing an analytical assessment of the activities 
of drug trafficking organizations in the Northern Triangle 
and Mexico. Such assessment shall include, at a min-
imum— 
(1) an assessment of the effect of drug traf-
ficking organizations on the security and economic 
situation in the Northern Triangle; 
(2) an assessment of the effect of the activities 
of drug trafficking organizations on the migration of 
persons from the Northern Triangle to the United 
States-Mexico border; 
(3) a summary of any relevant activities by ele-
ments of the intelligence community in relation to 
drug trafficking organizations in the Northern Tri-
angle and Mexico; 
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(4) a summary of key methods and routes used 
by drug trafficking organizations in the Northern 
Triangle and Mexico to the United States; 
(5) an assessment of the intersection between 
the activities of drug trafficking organizations, 
human traffickers and human smugglers, and other 
organized criminal groups in the Northern Triangle 
and Mexico; and 
(6) an assessment of the illicit funds and finan-
cial transactions that support the activities of drug 
trafficking organizations and connected criminal en-
terprises in the Northern Triangle and Mexico. 
(b) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a) 
may be submitted in classified form, but if so submitted, 
shall contain an unclassified summary. 
(c) AVAILABILITY.—The report under subsection (a), 
or the unclassified summary of the report described in 
subsection (b), shall be made publicly available. 
SEC. 3. ASSESSMENT OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SMUG-
GLING FROM THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE TO 
THE UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director 
of National Intelligence, in coordination with the Under 
Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Anal-
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ysis and the Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence 
and Research, shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a report containing an analytical assess-
ment of human trafficking and human smuggling by indi-
viduals and organizations in the Northern Triangle and 
Mexico. Such assessment shall include, at a minimum— 
(1) an assessment of the effect of human traf-
ficking and human smuggling on the security and 
economic situation in the Northern Triangle; 
(2) a summary of any relevant activities by ele-
ments of the intelligence community in relation to 
human trafficking and human smuggling in the 
Northern Triangle and Mexico; 
(3) an assessment of the methods and routes 
used by human traffickers and human smuggler or-
ganizations to move persons from the Northern Tri-
angle to the United States-Mexico border; 
(4) an assessment of the intersection between 
the activities of human traffickers and human smug-
glers, drug trafficking organizations, and other orga-
nized criminal groups in the Northern Triangle and 
Mexico; and 
(5) an assessment of the illicit funds and finan-
cial transactions that support the activities of 
human traffickers and human smugglers and con-
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nected criminal enterprises in the Northern Triangle 
and Mexico. 
(b) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a) 
may be submitted in classified form, but if so submitted, 
shall contain an unclassified summary. 
(c) AVAILABILITY.—The report under subsection (a), 
or the unclassified summary of the report described in 
subsection (b), shall be made publicly available. 
SEC. 4. PRIORITIZATION OF INTELLIGENCE RESOURCES 
FOR THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE AND MEXICO. 
(a) REVIEW
OF INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY EF-
FORTS IN NORTHERN TRIANGLE AND MEXICO.—The Di-
rector of National Intelligence, in coordination with the 
Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence 
and Analysis, the Assistant Secretary of State for Intel-
ligence and Research, the Chief of Intelligence of the Drug 
Enforcement Administration, and other appropriate offi-
cials in the intelligence community, shall carry out a com-
prehensive review of the current intelligence collection pri-
orities of the intelligence community for the Northern Tri-
angle and Mexico in order to identify whether such prior-
ities are appropriate and sufficient in light of the threat 
posed by the activities of drug trafficking organizations 
and human traffickers and human smugglers to the secu-
rity of the United States and the Western Hemisphere. 
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(b) REPORTS.— 
(1) REPORT
ON
INITIAL
REVIEW.—Not later 
than 120 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall 
submit to the congressional intelligence committees a 
comprehensive description of the results of the re-
view required by subsection (a), including whether 
the priorities described in that subsection are appro-
priate and sufficient in light of the threat posed by 
the activities of drug trafficking organizations and 
human traffickers and human smugglers to the secu-
rity of the United States and the Western Hemi-
sphere. If the report concludes that such priorities 
are not so appropriate and sufficient, the report 
shall also include a description of the actions to be 
taken to modify such priorities in order to assure 
that such priorities are so appropriate and sufficient. 
(2) QUARTERLY REPORTS.—Not later than 90 
days after the date on which the report under para-
graph (1) is submitted, and every 90 days thereafter 
for a 5-year period, the Director of National Intel-
ligence shall submit to the congressional intelligence 
committees a report on the intelligence community’s 
collection priorities and activities in the Northern 
Triangle and Mexico with a focus on the threat 
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posed by the activities of drug trafficking organiza-
tions and human traffickers and human smugglers 
to the security of the United States and the Western 
Hemisphere. The first report under this paragraph 
shall also include a description of the amount of 
funds expended by the intelligence community to the 
efforts described in subsection (a) during each of fis-
cal years 2018 and 2019. 
(c) FORM.—The reports required by subsection (b) 
may be submitted in classified form, but if so submitted, 
shall contain an unclassified summary. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
Committee on Homeland Security, and the Per-
manent Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs, and the Select Committee on 
Intelligence of the Senate. 
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(2) HUMAN TRAFFICKING.—The term ‘‘human 
trafficking’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘severe 
forms of trafficking in persons’’ by section 103 of 
the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection 
Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102). 
(3) INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY.—The term 
‘‘intelligence community’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 3 of the National Security Act 
of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003). 
(4) NORTHERN TRIANGLE.—The term ‘‘North-
ern Triangle’’ means El Salvador, Guatemala, and 
Honduras. 
Æ 
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