[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5863 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5863

  To authorize additional resources to identify and eliminate illicit 
   sources of firearms smuggled into Mexico for use by violent drug 
           trafficking organizations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 2008

 Mr. Cuellar introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize additional resources to identify and eliminate illicit 
   sources of firearms smuggled into Mexico for use by violent drug 
           trafficking organizations, 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 ``Southwest Border Violence Reduction 
Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. PROJECT GUNRUNNER.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall dedicate and expand the 
resources provided for the Project Gunrunner initiative of the Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to identify, investigate, 
and prosecute individuals involved in the trafficking of firearms 
across the international border between the United States and Mexico.
    (b) Activities.--In carrying out this section, the Attorney General 
shall--
            (1) assign additional agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, 
        Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to the area of the United 
        States adjacent to the international border between the United 
        States and Mexico to support the expansion of Project Gunrunner 
        teams;
            (2) establish not fewer than 1 Project Gunrunner team in 
        each State along the international border between the United 
        States and Mexico; and
            (3) coordinate with the heads of other relevant Federal law 
        enforcement agencies and State and local law enforcement 
        agencies to address firearms trafficking in a comprehensive 
        manner.
    (c) Additional Staff.--The Attorney General may hire additional 
persons to be Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives 
agents for, and may use such other resources as may be necessary to 
adequately support, Project Gunrunner.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010 to 
carry out this section.

SEC. 3. ENHANCED INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General, in cooperation with the 
Secretary of State, shall--
            (1) assign agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 
        Firearms, and Explosives to the United States mission in 
        Mexico, to work with Mexican law enforcement agencies in 
        conducting investigations relating to firearms trafficking and 
        other criminal enterprises;
            (2) provide the equipment and technological resources 
        necessary to support investigations and to trace firearms 
        recovered in Mexico; and
            (3) support the training of vetted Mexican law enforcement 
        officers in serial number restoration techniques, canine 
        explosive detection, and antitrafficking tactics.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $9,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010 to carry 
out this section.
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