[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 30, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H3243-H3246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
JAIME ZAPATA BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE ACT
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 915) 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 violence associated with drug
trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien trafficking and smuggling,
violence, and kidnapping along and across the international borders of
the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 915
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:
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(1) The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) overriding
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 face similar 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
Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (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 agencies.
(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 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 agencies 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 comprised of personnel
from--
(A) United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
(B) United States Customs and Border Protection;
(C) the United States Coast Guard;
(D) other Federal agencies, as appropriate;
(E) appropriate State law enforcement agencies;
(F) foreign law enforcement agencies, as appropriate;
(G) local law enforcement agencies from affected 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 jurisdictions where such units can
contribute to the BEST program's missions, as appropriate.
Prior to establishing 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.
(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 Security 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, tribal, 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 Security shall
submit to Congress a report on the effectiveness of the BEST
program 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.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland Security
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016 to--
(1) establish and operate the BEST program, including 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 individuals
engaged in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien
trafficking and smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and
across the international borders of the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. King) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
There is probably no bill that is more meaningful to Members of
Congress, particularly the gentleman from Texas, my good friend, Mr.
Cuellar, than the Jaime Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force
Act. This would authorize for the first time a task force, led by
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, known as Border Enforcement
Security Task Force, or BEST teams. It is named after ICE Agent Jaime
Zapata, who was killed in the line of duty while serving on a BEST team
in Mexico in February 2011.
I want to thank the sponsors of the legislation, Mr. Cuellar, the
ranking member of the Border and Maritime Subcommittee, and Mr. McCaul
of Texas, the chairman of the Oversight, Investigations, and Management
Subcommittee, for their dedicated work on this bipartisan bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 915, the Jamie Zapata Border Enforcement Security
Task Force Act, would authorize for the first time a task force led by
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), known as Border Enforcement
Security Task Forces, or BEST Teams.
This legislation is named after the Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agent, Jamie Zapata, who was killed in the line of duty
while serving on a BEST team in Mexico in February 2011.
I would like to thank the sponsors of this legislation, Mr. Cuellar
of Texas, the Ranking Member of the Border and Maritime Subcommittee,
and Mr. McCaul of Texas, the Chairman of the Oversight, Investigations,
and Management Subcommittee, for their dedicated work on this
bipartisan bill.
The Department of Homeland Security's overriding mission is to lead a
unified national effort to protect the United States. 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.
BEST teams incorporate personnel from ICE, Customs and Border
Protection, DEA, ATF, FBI, U.S. Coast Guard, as well as other Federal,
state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies.
These task forces focus on the identification, prioritization, and
investigation of emerging and existing border security threats
including transnational crime, violence associated with drug
trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien trafficking, and kidnapping
along the international borders of the United States.
Since the inception of the BEST program, BEST teams have made over
8,000 criminal arrests and 5,000 administrative arrests resulting in
4,570 indictments and 3,936 convictions. BEST teams have also seized
over 69,000 pounds of cocaine, 752,000 pounds of marijuana, 3,800
pounds of methamphetamines, 3,000 vehicles, 13,000 weapons, and
approximately $97 million in U.S. currency and monetary instruments.
In addition, the bill includes language to address a potential
duplication identified by the Government Accountability Office in its
March 2011 report to ensure that BEST units do not overlap with other
Integrated Law Enforcement task forces along the Northern Border.
I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 915, the Jaime Zapata Border
Enforcement Security Task Force Act. H.R. 915 would, for the first
time, statutorily authorize an important border security program, the
BEST program.
Under BEST, ICE partners with Federal, State, local, and foreign law
enforcement counterparts to establish targeted, cross-agency teams to
identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal
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organizations posing significant threats to the border security.
Currently, the BEST programs has 31 teams located at our Nation's
northern and southern borders, as well as at seaports and places as
varied as Tucson, Arizona; Detroit, Michigan; the New York Seaport; and
Mexico City, Mexico.
To date, BEST units have initiated more than 6,800 cases, resulting
in criminal and administrative arrests and the seizure of significant
quantities of narcotics, weapons, ammunition, and currency.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the original
sponsor of the legislation under consideration, the ranking member of
the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Cuellar).
Mr. CUELLAR. I want to thank the ranking member for yielding this
time to me.
I'm pleased that the House is considering H.R. 915, the Jaime Zapata
Border Enforcement Security Task Force, or BEST Act, a bipartisan bill
by myself and Congressman Michael McCaul from Texas. I would like to
thank my friend, Chairman King; my good friend, Ranking Member
Thompson; and also Subcommittee Chairwoman Miller for their support of
this bill, as this bill was unanimously reported out of the House
Homeland Security Committee.
As many of you know, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE,
Homeland Security Investigations, in partnership with U.S. Customs and
Border Protection, as well as other Federal, State, local, and foreign
law enforcement counterparts created the BEST initiative--in fact, my
hometown of Laredo is the first one--which is a comprehensive approach
to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling criminal organizations
posing significant threats to border and maritime security.
H.R. 915 would codify the BEST program by authorizing the Secretary
of Homeland Security, acting through the director of ICE, to establish
the BEST units to make sure that everybody works together and
coordinates and communicates together to make sure that we fight crime.
This bill authorizes $10 million per year for the program. And this
bill, as the chairman said a few minutes ago, is named in the memory of
Jaime Zapata, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent and BEST
unit member who was killed in the line of duty in Mexico in February of
2011. We are grateful for Special Agent Zapata's service to our Nation
and for the exemplary work of his colleagues in support of homeland
security.
Currently, the BEST units are comprised of 750 members, representing
over 100 law enforcement agencies working together. These BEST units
are building an impressive record of success. And I'm asking now that
we all support this particular bill.
Again, I want to thank the chairman, the ranking member of the
subcommittee, my friend Michael McCaul, and urge all Members to support
this important bipartisan bill.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Coming from Texas, I want to thank the
gentleman from Texas, the ranking member of the subcommittee, for this
legislation.
I rise in support of H.R. 915. We have heard that there has been a
constant intrusion of activity over the border, specifically dealing
with drug cartels. We recognize that it is important to utilize the
combination of resources, and fusion centers represent an excellent
logistical use of that, as they have been in our urban centers. Let me
support and salute the utilization of fusion centers because it is
extremely important that we provide a safe and secure border in the
United States and on border States.
Mr. KING of New York. I have no further requests for time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask support of H.R. 915.
It's a good bill. I urge its adoption, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from
Laredo, Mr. Cuellar, for introducing this bill and for his outstanding
work on the committee, and also my good friend, Mr. McCaul, for their
cosponsorship of the legislation.
I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. McCaul. Mr. Speaker, as an original co-sponsor of the Jaime
Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act, I rise today in
favor of this important legislation. H.R. 915 strengthens our homeland
security by codifying the authority to create Border Enforcement
Security Task Force, BEST teams and giving the program the resources it
needs.
It is an unfortunate fact of life that for generations our border
communities have been subjected to crime and violence at the hands of
criminals, smugglers and drug cartels. Now with the terrible rise of
violence that has occurred in Mexico over the past few years, this
threat has never been greater. In response to these realities, the
Department of Homeland Security created the Border Enforcement Security
Task Force initiative as an innovative approach to combating the
increasing threat of transnational crime.
BEST operates by bringing together all of the federal, state and
local law enforcement agencies that share the responsibility of
securing our borders. Under the auspices of U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE), the BEST program enables the unique
capabilities and resources of each participating agency to combine into
a synergistic response to border crime and violence. BEST has also
expanded to include our seaports and other non-border ports of entry as
well. This has allowed the BEST program to evolve into a truly
comprehensive security countermeasure against transnational crime and
terrorist attack.
It is also altogether fitting and proper that this bill be named
after ICE Special Agent Jaime J. Zapata. On February 15, 2011, Special
Agent Zapata gave his life in support of the ideals that are engendered
in the BEST program. This legislation will stand as a testament to his
selfless sacrifice and steadfast devotion to his duty as an American
law enforcement officer.
As chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee for Oversight,
Investigations and Management, it is clear to me that the BEST program
has made our border communities and our Nation safer and more secure. I
urge my colleagues to pass this legislation so that we may continue its
success in protecting our Nation.
Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 915, the Jaime
Zapata Border Enforcement Security Task Force Act, which establishes a
Border Enforcement Security Task Force program to enhance cooperation
amongst border security forces.
This legislation is named in honor of Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) agent Jaime Zapata, who was killed in the line of the
duty while serving on a Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST)
team in Mexico. BEST teams incorporate personnel from ICE, Customs and
Border Protection (CBP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (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 agencies.
H.R. 915 establishes a BEST 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 transnational crime, including violence associated
with drug trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal alien trafficking and
smuggling, violence, and kidnapping along and across the international
borders of the United States.
Securing our borders from those who would harm Americans is my
highest priority as a Member of Congress. As a member of the Homeland
Security Committee I am committed to working with my colleagues and the
Administration to keep our borders secure from all those who threaten
our freedom and liberty. As the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on
Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications of the Committee
on Homeland Security, I have sponsored and co-sponsored legislation
that improves our Nation's ability to secure the Nation's borders. I
support H.R. 915 because it is a positive step in the right direction
and I strongly urge my colleagues to do so as well.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. King) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 915, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas
and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
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