IB 
Union Calendar No. 179 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 915 
[Report No. 112–268] 
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 
NOVEMBER 4, 2011 
Additional sponsors: Mr. FARENTHOLD and Mr. CLARKE of Michigan 
NOVEMBER 4, 2011 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 3, 2011] 
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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. 
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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 ‘‘Jaime Zapata Border 
Enforcement Security Task Force Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSES. 
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, includ-
ing 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. 
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(4) In response, DHS has partnered with Fed-
eral, State, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement 
counterparts to create the Border Enforcement Secu-
rity Task Force (BEST) initiative as a comprehen-
sive approach to addressing border security threats. 
These multi-agency teams are designed to increase in-
formation-sharing and collaboration among the par-
ticipating 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 Explo-
sives (ATFE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation 
(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 agen-
cies. 
(6) Foreign law enforcement agencies include 
Mexico’s Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP), the 
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Ontario 
Provincial Police (OPP), and the Royal Canadian 
Mounted Police (RCMP). 
SEC. 3. BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in United 
States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a 
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program known as a Border Enforcement Security Task 
Force (referred to as ‘‘BEST’’). 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the BEST program is 
to establish units to enhance border security by addressing 
and reducing border security threats and violence by— 
(1) facilitating collaboration among Federal, 
State, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement agen-
cies to execute coordinated activities in furtherance 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 Pro-
tection; 
(C) the United States Coast Guard; 
(D) other Federal agencies, as appropriate; 
(E) appropriate State law enforcement 
agencies; 
(F) foreign law enforcement agencies, as ap-
propriate; 
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(G) local law enforcement agencies from af-
fected border cities and communities; and 
(H) appropriate tribal law enforcement 
agencies. 
(2) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary of Homeland 
Security, acting through the Assistant Secretary for 
ICE, is authorized to establish BEST units in juris-
dictions where such units can contribute to the BEST 
program’s missions, as appropriate. Prior to estab-
lishing a BEST unit, the Assistant Secretary shall 
consider the following factors: 
(A) Whether the area where the BEST unit 
would be established is significantly impacted by 
cross-border threats. 
(B) The availability of Federal, State, local, 
tribal, and foreign law enforcement resources 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) Whether or not an Integrated Border 
Enforcement Team already exists in the area 
where the BEST unit would be established. 
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(d) OPERATION.—After making a designation under 
subsection (c)(2), and in order to provide Federal assistance 
to the area so designated, the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity may— 
(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, trib-
al, 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 subsection 
(a) and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity shall submit to Congress a report on the effectiveness 
of the BEST program in enhancing border security and re-
ducing the drug trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien 
trafficking and smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along 
and across the international borders of the United States 
as measured by crime statistics, including violent deaths, 
incidents of violence, and drug-related arrests. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland 
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Security $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 
2016 to— 
(1) establish and operate the BEST program, in-
cluding to provide for operational, administrative, 
and technological costs to Federal, State, local, tribal 
and foreign law enforcement agencies participating 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. 
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Union Calendar No. 179 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 915 
[Report No. 112–268] 
A BILL 
To establish a Border Enforcement Security Task 
Force program to enhance border security by fos-
tering coordinated efforts among Federal, State, 
and local border and law enforcement officials to 
protect United States border cities and commu-
nities from trans-national crime, including vio-
lence associated with drug trafficking, arms 
smuggling, illegal alien trafficking and smug-
gling, violence, and kidnapping along and across 
the international borders of the United States, 
and for other purposes. 
NOVEMBER 4, 2011 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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