[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2725-S2726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 621. Mr. WICKER (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, and Ms. 
Ernst) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the 
bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for

[[Page S2726]]

other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle D of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1035. ESTABLISHING A COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERING MEXICO'S 
                   CRIMINAL CARTELS.

       (a) Sense of the Senate.-- It is the sense of the Senate 
     that--
       (1) countering Mexico's criminal cartels must be a top 
     national security priority of the United States; and
       (2) resources from across the United States Government must 
     be leveraged to end the devastation that those organizations 
     have inflicted on the people of the United States.
       (b) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the President, in consultation 
     with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the 
     Secretary of the Treasury, shall designate an existing 
     official within the executive branch to serve as senior-level 
     coordinator to coordinate, in conjunction with other relevant 
     agencies, all defense, diplomatic, intelligence, financial, 
     and legal efforts to counter the drug- and human-trafficking 
     activities of Mexico's criminal cartels.
       (c) Retention of Authority.--The designation of a 
     coordinator under subsection (b) shall not deprive any agency 
     of any authority to independently perform functions of that 
     agency.
       (d) Quarterly Reports.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter 
     through January 31, 2029, the coordinator designated under 
     subsection (b) shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a detailed report on the following:
       (A) Efforts taken during the previous quarter to bolster 
     defense cooperation with the Government of Mexico against 
     Mexico's criminal cartels, and any other activities of the 
     Department of Defense with respect to countering the cartels, 
     including in cooperation with the Government of Mexico or 
     interagency partners.
       (B) Diplomatic efforts, including numbers of demarches and 
     meetings, taken during the previous quarter to highlight and 
     counter the human rights abuses of Mexico's criminal cartels, 
     including human trafficking, sex trafficking, other 
     exploitation of migrants, endangerment of children, and other 
     abuses.
       (C) Diplomatic efforts taken during the previous quarter to 
     improve cooperation with the Government of Mexico in 
     countering Mexico's criminal cartels, and a detailed list and 
     assessment of any actions that the Government of Mexico has 
     taken during the previous quarter to counter the cartels.
       (D) Diplomatic efforts taken during the previous quarter to 
     improve cooperation with partners and allies in countering 
     Mexico's criminal cartels.
       (E) Efforts taken during the previous quarter to bolster 
     the screening process at ports of entry to prevent members 
     and associates of Mexico's criminal cartels, and individuals 
     who are working for the cartels, from entering or trafficking 
     drugs, humans, and contraband into the United States.
       (F) Efforts taken during the previous quarter to encourage 
     the Government of Mexico to improve its screening process 
     along its own ports of entry in order to prevent illicit 
     cash, weapons, and contraband that is destined for Mexico's 
     criminal cartels from entering Mexico.
       (G) Efforts taken during the previous quarter to 
     investigate and prosecute members and associates of Mexico's 
     criminal cartels, including members and associates operating 
     from within the United States.
       (H) Efforts taken during the previous quarter to encourage 
     the Government of Mexico to increase its investigation and 
     prosecution of leaders, members, and associates of Mexcio's 
     criminal cartels within Mexico.
       (I) Efforts taken during the previous quarter to initiate 
     or improve the sharing of intelligence with allies and 
     partners, including the Government of Mexico, for the purpose 
     of countering Mexico's criminal cartels.
       (J) Efforts taken during the previous quarter to impose 
     sanctions with respect to--
       (i) leaders, members, and associates of Mexico's criminal 
     cartels; and
       (ii) any companies, banks, or other institutions that 
     facilitate the cartels' human-trafficking, drug-trafficking, 
     and other criminal enterprises.
       (K) The total number of personnel and resources in the 
     Department of Defense, the Department of State, the 
     Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, 
     and the Department of the Treasury focused on countering 
     Mexico's criminal cartels.
       (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
     annex.
       (e) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations, the Committee on the Judiciary, the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and 
     the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
     Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs, the Committee on the Judiciary, the 
     Committee on Homeland Security, and the Committee on 
     Financial Services of the House of Representatives.
       (2) Mexico's criminal cartels.--The term ``Mexico's 
     criminal cartels'' means the following:
       (A) Criminal organizations the operations of which include 
     human-trafficking, drug-trafficking, and other types of 
     smuggling operations across the southwest border of the 
     United States and take place largely within Mexico, including 
     the following:
       (i) The Sinaloa Cartel.
       (ii) The Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
       (iii) The Gulf Cartel.
       (iv) The Los Zetas Cartel.
       (v) The Northeast Cartel.
       (vi) The Juarez Cartel.
       (vii) The Tijuana Cartel.
       (viii) The Beltran-Leyva Cartel.
       (ix) The La Familia Michoacana, also known as the Knights 
     Templar Cartel.
       (x) Las Moicas.
       (xi) La Empresa Nueva.
       (xii) MS-13.
       (xiii) The Medellin Cartel.
       (B) Any successor organization to an organization described 
     in subparagraph (A).
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