[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 18 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 18

   To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those 
 responsible for trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance 
 into the United States or carrying out other related activities that 
       cause regional destabilization in the Western Hemisphere.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 12, 2023

Mr. Crenshaw (for himself and Mr. Waltz) submitted the following joint 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
   To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those 
 responsible for trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance 
 into the United States or carrying out other related activities that 
       cause regional destabilization in the Western Hemisphere.

Whereas armed cartels such as Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation 
        Cartel are responsible for trafficking fentanyl and fentanyl-related 
        substances into the United States;
Whereas fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances kill approximately 80,000 
        Americans every year and is the leading cause of death for American men 
        between the ages of 18 and 45;
Whereas the Sinaloa Cartel and the Los Zetas Cartel, among others, consistently 
        engage in violence against each other and other cartels, creating 
        instability mere miles from the border of the United States;
Whereas in 2015, the Sinaloa Cartel shot down a Mexican military helicopter with 
        a high powered weapon;
Whereas in 2019, when the Mexican National Guard arrested Ovidio Guzman, the son 
        of Joaquin ``el Chapo'' Guzman, the Sinaloa Cartel attacked Mexican 
        Government forces and forced them to release Ovidio Guzman;
Whereas in 2022, a battle between cartels along the United States-Mexico border 
        led to the closure of two ports of entry;
Whereas in 2022, a grenade attack against the United States consulate in Nuevo 
        Laredo, Mexico required employees to shelter in place;
Whereas Mexican cartels regularly intimidate, assault, kidnap, torture, and kill 
        Mexican law enforcement; and
Whereas Mexican cartels have repeatedly fired at law enforcement and national 
        guard posted along the United States-Mexico border: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This joint resolution may be cited as the ``Authorization for the 
Use of Military Force to Combat, Attack, Resist, Target, Eliminate, and 
Limit Influence Resolution'' or the ``AUMF CARTEL Influence 
Resolution''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

    (a) In General.--The President is authorized to use all necessary 
and appropriate force against those foreign nations, foreign 
organizations, or foreign persons affiliated with foreign organizations 
that the President determines--
            (1) have violated section 401(a)(1) of the Controlled 
        Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1)), or have attempted or 
        conspired to violate such section 401(a)(1) in violation of 
        section 406 of such Act (21 U.S.C. 846), with respect to 
        trafficking into the United States fentanyl or a fentanyl-
        related substance;
            (2) have trafficked fentanyl or a fentanyl-related 
        substance outside the United States with the intention of such 
        fentanyl or fentanyl-related substance being trafficked into 
        the United States in violation of section 401(a)(1) or 406 of 
        the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 846) as 
        described in paragraph (1);
            (3) have produced or trafficked a substance that is a 
        precursor to fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance with the 
        intention of such precursor, fentanyl, or fentanyl-related 
        substance being trafficked into the United States in violation 
        of section 401(a)(1) or 406 of the Controlled Substances Act 
        (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 846) as described in paragraph (1);
            (4) have engaged in kinetic actions against United States 
        Federal, State, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement 
        personnel operating in the territory of the United States or 
        abroad;
            (5) have engaged in kinetic actions against law 
        enforcement, military, or other governmental personnel of a 
        country with a common border with the United States or any 
        other country in the Western Hemisphere; or
            (6) have used violence and intimidation for the purpose of 
        establishing and controlling territory to be used for illicit 
        means.
    (b) Deemed Organizations.--Effective on the date of the enactment 
of this joint resolution, the following foreign organizations, and 
their members, shall be deemed to have been determined by the President 
under subsection (a) to meet the criteria described in such subsection:
            (1) The Sinaloa Cartel.
            (2) The Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
            (3) The Gulf Cartel.
            (4) The Los Zetas Cartel.
            (5) The Northeast Cartel.
            (6) The Juarez Cartel.
            (7) The Tijuana Cartel.
            (8) The Beltran-Levya Cartel.
            (9) The La Familia Michoacana, also known as the Knight 
        Templar Cartel.
    (c) Limitation.--The authority to use all necessary and appropriate 
force pursuant to subsection (a) against foreign organizations and 
foreign persons affiliated with foreign organizations described in 
subsection (a) shall apply only with respect to those organizations and 
persons located outside of the territory of the United States.
    (d) Termination.--The authority to use all necessary and 
appropriate force pursuant to subsection (a) shall terminate on the 
date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this joint 
resolution.
    (e) War Powers Resolution Requirements.--
            (1) Specific statutory authorization.--Consistent with 
        section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, Congress declares 
        that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory 
        authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War 
        Powers Resolution.
            (2) Applicability of other requirements.--Nothing in this 
        joint resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers 
        Resolution.
    (f) Definition.--In this section, the term ``fentanyl-related 
substance'' means a fentanyl-related substance as described in section 
1308.11(h)(30) of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
regulations).
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