[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H8748-H8750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      BORDER TUNNEL TASK FORCE ACT

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6740) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
establish Border Tunnel Task Forces, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows

                               H.R. 6740

       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 ``Border Tunnel Task Force 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. BORDER TUNNEL DETECTION.

       (a) In General.--Subtitle B of title IV of the Homeland 
     Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211 et seq.) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section:

     ``SEC. 420. BORDER TUNNEL TASK FORCES.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish Border 
     Tunnel Task Forces in jurisdictions in which such Border 
     Tunnel Task Forces can contribute to border security missions 
     after evaluating--
       ``(1) whether the areas in which such Border Tunnel Task 
     Forces would be established are significantly impacted by 
     cross-border threats; and
       ``(2) the availability of Federal, State, local, and Tribal 
     law enforcement resources to participate in such Border 
     Tunnel Task Forces.
       ``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Border Tunnel Task 
     Forces under subsection (a) is to enhance and integrate 
     border security efforts by addressing and reducing cross-
     border tunnel related threats and violence by--
       ``(1) facilitating collaboration among Federal, State, 
     local, and Tribal 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 Establishment of Border Tunnel Task 
     Forces.--Border Tunnel Task Forces may be comprised of the 
     following:
       ``(1) Personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
     including the U.S. Border Patrol.
       ``(2) Personnel from U.S. Immigration and Customs 
     Enforcement, including Homeland Security Investigations.
       ``(3) Personnel from other Department components and 
     offices, as appropriate.
       ``(4) Personnel from other Federal, State, local, and 
     Tribal law enforcement agencies, as appropriate.
       ``(5) Other appropriate personnel at the discretion of the 
     Secretary.
       ``(d) Duplication of Efforts.--In determining whether to 
     establish a new Border Tunnel Task Force or to expand an 
     existing Border Tunnel Task Force in a given jurisdiction, 
     the Secretary shall ensure that the Border Tunnel Task Force 
     under consideration does not unnecessarily duplicate the 
     efforts of other existing interagency task forces or centers 
     within such jurisdiction.
       ``(e) Coordination Among Components.--The Secretary shall--
       ``(1) establish targets and performance measures for the 
     Border Tunnel Task Forces that include consideration of 
     whether border barriers impact cross-border tunnel threats;
       ``(2) direct leadership of each Border Tunnel Task Force to 
     monitor progress on such targets and performance measures for 
     each such task force; and
       ``(3) periodically report to the Committee on Homeland 
     Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 
     regarding progress on such targets and performance 
     measures.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 
     1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by 
     inserting after the item relating to section 419 the 
     following new item:

``Sec. 420. Border Tunnel Task Forces.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
any extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Border Tunnel Task Force 
Act.
  Mr. Speaker, some of the most dangerous threats to our homeland are 
coming across our southern border. Drug smugglers are bringing 
dangerous narcotics and fueling America's epidemic of opioids. Human 
traffickers and transnational gangs like MS-13 are infecting our 
neighborhoods and endangering our kids. Even potential known or 
suspected terrorists are trying to make their way into America by 
exploiting our weak borders.
  All of these groups are a serious national security concern. They are 
also very determined and creative, and one of the ways they avoid 
detection is by digging cross-border tunnels.
  In August, a tunnel the length of two football fields was discovered 
below a closed fast-food restaurant in Arizona. This pathway was used 
to smuggle cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamines.
  In 2016, 7 tons of marijuana and 1 ton of cocaine were found in a 
tunnel not far from San Diego. In my home State of Texas, a tunnel was 
discovered under the Rio Grande in El Paso back in 2010, also for 
smuggling drugs.
  Unfortunately, the problem is not new. Authorities have discovered 
nearly 200 cross-border tunnels since 1990. We must do more to shut 
these tunnels down. This legislation will establish Border Tunnel Task 
Forces to enhance the ability of DHS to detect these tunnels and 
identify criminal networks.
  These teams will be made up of ICE, CBP, and other Department 
personnel. They will be assisted by State, local, and Tribal law 
enforcement agencies. These teams will deploy to locations along the 
border where the greatest

[[Page H8749]]

risks to our national security exist. In working together, they will be 
able to better secure our border and protect Americans from a growing 
list of threats.
  This bill will minimize a unique, but serious, threat to our 
homeland. I want to thank my very dear friend and colleague, 
Congressman Sessions, for all of his hard work on this issue, and I 
urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task 
Force Act. H.R. 6740 formally authorizes the Department of Homeland 
Security's Border Tunnel Task Force.
  The first illicit cross-border tunnel under the United States-Mexico 
border was discovered in 1990. Since then, law enforcement has 
uncovered more than 200 tunnels, primarily in Arizona and California.
  Cross-border tunnels are exploited by smugglers to move all types of 
contraband, currency, and people into the United States without 
detection. Unearthed tunnels range from crudely formed, shallow 
tunnels, to elaborately constructed passages that include lighting or 
railways and emerge on the U.S. side in facilities large enough to 
accommodate deliveries by tractor-trailers.
  Incredibly, some tunnels are interconnected with municipal stormwater 
and sewer systems on both sides of the border. In one case, a 2016 law 
enforcement operation uncovered a tunnel half a mile inland with a ton 
of cocaine and 7 tons of marijuana in it.
  Just last month, about 200 yards from the border, there was a traffic 
stop arrest of an individual with more than 300 pounds of illegal 
drugs, which resulted in the execution of a search warrant on his 
property and the discovery of a tunnel that went from a long-abandoned 
Kentucky Fried Chicken that was on his property directly to a house in 
Mexico. Inside that 600-foot-long tunnel, Federal agents discovered $1 
million worth of hard drugs.
  These discoveries did not just happen. They were the result of 
collaborative, binational law enforcement operations under the auspices 
of the Border Tunnel Task Forces that the Department of Homeland 
Security maintains. H.R. 6740 seeks to authorize the task forces to 
ensure that this valuable work continues.
  I ask my House colleagues to join me in supporting DHS' efforts to 
head off smuggling through illicit cross-border tunnels and vote in 
favor of H.R. 6740.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), the distinguished chairman of the 
Rules Committee and the author of this bill.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate and thank the young chairman 
of the Homeland Security Committee, the gentleman from Austin, Texas, 
who has had the responsibility and the authority vested in him as 
chairman of the committee to make sure that we look at, approach, and 
correct the problems that we have at our borders. I want to thank the 
distinguished gentleman for his years of service not only to the 
Department of Justice, but to the American people and the rule of law.
  Mr. Speaker, every day we in Texas and around the United States deal 
with crime, drugs, and gangs that are streaming into the United States 
from our southern border. Both Chairman McCaul and I recognize that the 
challenge that we have ahead of us here in Washington is not only to 
support and defend our Constitution, but it is actually to defend 
people who live back home, wherever they might be in the United States.
  No part of the United States is safe if our southern border is not 
effectively taken care of. That is why we are here today with a bill 
that addresses this issue even further. That issue is that we must 
secure our borders to halt the flow of drugs that come into our 
country.

  We recognize that one of the most vulnerable piece parts that has 
been talked about today and that is known by law enforcement is that of 
the use of tunnels, which evade not only the sight of law enforcement, 
but take place under the secrecy of those who would intend to bring 
illegal drugs, narcotics, people, and other unspecified but dangerous 
items into this country.
  These tunnels are difficult to detect without sophisticated equipment 
or intelligence that advises law enforcement not only where they are, 
but how they might discover them. Said another way, cartels and 
criminals are one step ahead of the good guys, our law enforcement.
  Just last month, United States Homeland Security agents discovered a 
600-foot-long drug tunnel running between a private home in Mexico and 
an abandoned food restaurant in Arizona. Near the tunnel, they 
discovered--as has been talked about here today and it is worth 
repeating--261 pounds of methamphetamines, 14 pounds of cocaine, 45 
pounds of heroin, and almost 7 pounds of fentanyl. That is enough to 
have supplied over 3 million people with dosage units that could cause 
them not only harm, but also take their life.
  Working with Chairman Michael McCaul, our young chairman from Austin, 
Texas, I am pleased to inform you that earlier this month we introduced 
H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task Force Act. This bill will enhance not 
only law enforcement--Federal, State, and local law enforcement--but 
also Tribal law enforcement with the ability that they need to make 
sure that these cross-border-related threats are taken care of 
properly.
  First of all, the task force will look at the issue and understand 
how these cartels and drug gangs make these tunnels, where they make 
them, and when they make them.
  Secondly, the task force will ensure that they are looking out and 
working together.
  Specifically, this legislation requires the Department of Homeland 
Security to establish a Border Tunnel Task Force, which would be 
comprised of personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, known 
as CBP; U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 
known as ICE; and Homeland Security investigators. These groups would 
work together on border issues where enhanced information could be 
shared and law enforcement action would contribute to our border 
security missions.
  It is my hope that the establishment of these law enforcement groups 
will help facilitate not only teamwork among Federal, State, local, and 
Tribal officials, but they will also help execute coordinated 
activities to crack down on gangs that continue to seek ways to do 
their illegal trade and business along our border which places 
Americans at risk.
  In closing, I would like to once again thank Chairman McCaul and his 
Homeland Security Committee, its members on a bipartisan basis, and 
their staff for recognizing that this is a true threat against the 
United States of America, our citizens, and perhaps our most 
vulnerable, our children.
  Their work in protecting our country is paramount, and so I urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task Force Act, a 
bill that will encourage, help, and strengthen law enforcement in this 
activity. It will protect the United States of America and protect 
American families from drug cartels and drug trafficking.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the young chairman for his hard work and 
also the gentleman from Louisiana, who recognized, on a bipartisan 
basis, that we must protect our homeland.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. Speaker, DHS's Border Tunnel Task Forces have been effective at 
identifying and closing tunnels through which smugglers illicitly move 
drugs, launder money, and other contraband into the United States. As 
such, I support these task forces, but would note that there are two 
20-foot-high fences--or ``wall'' as the President likes to call them--
near the U.S.-Mexico border in San Luis, Arizona, the town where a 
tunnel was discovered under an abandoned restaurant last month.
  Logic tells you that when smugglers cannot easily move goods or 
people over or through physical barriers, they will tunnel underneath.
  Importantly, the measure under consideration today includes language 
offered by Representative Vela, the ranking member of the Border and

[[Page H8750]]

Maritime Security Subcommittee, to require DHS to determine whether 
border barriers impact the proliferation of cross-border tunnels.
  With DHS having dedicated nearly $9 million over the past decade to 
remediating and countering cross-border tunnel threats, DHS needs to 
know whether its wall agenda is driving more illicit cross-border 
tunnels.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6740, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, every day, we are seeing drugs coming in from Mexico, 
known or suspected terrorists, and dangerous opioids. We see fentanyl 
coming in from China into Mexico where they mix it with 
methamphetamines and heroin. It is really toxic, poisonous stuff. 
Fentanyl is so toxic that our canines die when they sniff it, yet that 
is being put into drugs coming across the U.S.-Mexico border into the 
United States to pollute and infect our children and our veterans. It 
is time for this to stop.
  I hope that we will be able to take up, perhaps in November, our 
border security bill, which I think would go a long ways to getting 
this job done. In the meantime, this bill, I think, will go a long ways 
to stopping a very organized, sophisticated route of drugs, bad people, 
and bad things into the United States, and that is shutting down these 
tunnels.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 6740, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________