Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act
PL 112-205 (H.R.915), enacted 12/07/2012

126 STAT. 1487 
PUBLIC LAW 112–205—DEC. 7, 2012 
Public Law 112–205 
112th Congress 
An Act 
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 commu-
nities from trans-national crime, including violence associated with drug traf-
ficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien trafficking and smuggling, violence, 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 Representatives 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) over-
riding mission is to lead a unified national 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 criminal smuggling organizations that employ 
predatory tactics to realize their profits. 
(3) Law enforcement agencies at the United States northern 
border also face challenges from transnational smuggling 
organizations. 
(4) In response, DHS has partnered with Federal, State, 
local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement counterparts to create 
the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) initiative 
as a comprehensive 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 Enforce-
ment Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 
Firearms and Explosives (ATFE), the Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation (FBI), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and 
the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), along with other key Fed-
eral, State and local law enforcement agencies. 
6 USC 240 note. 
6 USC 101 note. 
Jaime Zapata 
Border 
Enforcement 
Security Task 
Force Act. 
Dec. 7, 2012 
[H.R. 915] 
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126 STAT. 1488 
PUBLIC LAW 112–205—DEC. 7, 2012 
(6) Foreign law enforcement agencies participating in BEST 
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) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle C of title IV of the Homeland Secu-
rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 432. BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within the Depart-
ment a program to be known as the Border Enforcement Security 
Task Force (referred to in this section as ‘BEST’). 
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of BEST 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 agencies to execute coordi-
nated activities in furtherance of border security, and homeland 
security; and 
‘‘(2) enhancing information-sharing, including the dissemi-
nation of homeland security information among such agencies. 
‘‘(c) COMPOSITION AND ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITS.— 
‘‘(1) COMPOSITION.—BEST units may be comprised of per-
sonnel from— 
‘‘(A) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; 
‘‘(B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 
‘‘(C) the United States Coast Guard; 
‘‘(D) other Department personnel, as appropriate 
‘‘(E) other Federal agencies, as appropriate; 
‘‘(F) appropriate State law enforcement agencies; 
‘‘(G) foreign law enforcement agencies, as appropriate; 
‘‘(H) local law enforcement agencies from affected 
border cities and communities; and 
‘‘(I) appropriate tribal law enforcement agencies. 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITS.—The Secretary is author-
ized to establish BEST units in jurisdictions in which such 
units can contribute to BEST missions, as appropriate. Before 
establishing a BEST unit, the Secretary shall consider— 
‘‘(A) whether the area in which 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 in the country; and 
‘‘(D) whether or not an Integrated Border Enforcement 
Team already exists in the area in which the BEST unit 
would be established. 
‘‘(3) DUPLICATION
OF
EFFORTS.—In determining whether 
to establish a new BEST unit or to expand an existing BEST 
unit in a given jurisdiction, the Secretary shall ensure that 
the BEST unit under consideration does not duplicate the 
6 USC 240 note. 
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126 STAT. 1489 
PUBLIC LAW 112–205—DEC. 7, 2012 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 915: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 112–268 (Comm. on Homeland Security). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 112–206 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 158 (2012): 
May 30, considered and passed House. 
Sept. 21, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Nov. 27, House concurred in Senate amendment. 
efforts of other existing interagency task forces or centers 
within that jurisdiction. 
‘‘(d) OPERATION.—After determining the jurisdictions in which 
to establish BEST units under subsection (c)(2), and in order to 
provide Federal assistance to such jurisdictions, the Secretary 
may— 
‘‘(1) direct the assignment of Federal personnel to BEST, 
subject to the approval of the head of the department or agency 
that employs such personnel; and 
‘‘(2) take other actions to assist Federal, State, local, and 
tribal entities to participate in BEST, including providing finan-
cial assistance, as appropriate, for operational, administrative, 
and technological costs associated with the participation of 
Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in 
BEST. 
‘‘(e) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which 
BEST is established under this section, and annually thereafter 
for the following 5 years, the Secretary shall submit a report to 
Congress that describes the effectiveness of BEST in enhancing 
border security and reducing 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.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents under section 
1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101(b)) is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 431 the 
following: 
‘‘Sec. 432. Border Enforcement Security Task Force.’’. 
Approved December 7, 2012. 
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