[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3559-S3560]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6440. Ms. HASSAN (for herself and Mr. Lankford) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 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 other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of title X, add the following:
Subtitle H--Enhancing Southbound Inspections
SEC. 1094. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Enhancing Southbound
Inspections to Combat Cartels Act''.
SEC. 1094A. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
[[Page S3560]]
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives; and
(F) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives.
(2) United states land borders.--The term ``United States
land borders'' means--
(A) the international land border between the United States
and Mexico; and
(B) the international land border between the United States
and Canada.
SEC. 1094B. ADDITIONAL INSPECTION EQUIPMENT AND
INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Imaging Systems.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection is authorized to use previously
appropriated funds--
(1) to purchase up to 25 additional non-intrusive imaging
systems; and
(2) to procure additional associated supporting
infrastructure.
(b) Deployment.--The systems and infrastructure purchased
or otherwise procured pursuant to subsection (a) shall be
deployed along the United States land borders for the primary
purpose of inspecting any persons, conveyances, or modes of
transportation traveling--
(1) from the United States to Mexico or Canada; or
(2) from Canada or Mexico to the United States.
(c) Alternative Equipment.--The Commissioner of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection is authorized to use previously
appropriated funds to procure additional infrastructure or
alternative inspection equipment that the Commissioner deems
necessary for the purpose of inspecting any persons,
conveyances, or modes of transportation traveling--
(1) from the United States to Mexico or Canada; or
(2) from Canada or Mexico to the United States.
(d) Sunset.--Subsections (a) and (c) shall cease to have
any force and effect beginning on the date that is 3 years
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 1094C. ADDITIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS
PERSONNEL FOR INVESTIGATIONS OF SOUTHBOUND
SMUGGLING.
(a) HSI Special Agents.--The Director of U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement shall use previously appropriated
funds to hire, train, and assign--
(1) not fewer than 50 new Homeland Security Investigations
special agents to primarily assist with investigations
involving the smuggling of currency and firearms from the
United States to Mexico; and
(2) not fewer than 50 new Homeland Security Investigations
special agents to assist with investigations involving the
smuggling of contraband, human trafficking and smuggling
(including that of children), drug smuggling, and
unauthorized entry into the United States from Mexico.
(b) Support Staff.--The Director is authorized to use
previously appropriated funds to hire, train, and assign such
additional support staff as may be necessary to support the
functions carried out by the special agents hired pursuant to
subsection (a).
SEC. 1094D. REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security
shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional
committees that--
(1) identifies the resources provided, including equipment,
personnel, and infrastructure, and the annual budget to carry
out outbound and inbound inspections, including, to the
extent practicable, resources specifically used for
inspections of any individuals and modes of transportation--
(A) from the United States to Mexico or to Canada; and
(B) from Mexico or Canada into the United States.
(2) describes the operational cadence of all outbound and
inbound inspections of individuals and conveyances traveling
from the United States to Mexico or to Canada and from Mexico
or Canada into the United States, described as a percentage
of total encounters or as the total number of inspections
conducted;
(3) describes any plans that would allow for the use of
alternative inspection sites near a port of entry;
(4) includes an estimate of--
(A) the number of vehicles and conveyances that can be
inspected with up to 50 additional non-intrusive imaging
systems dedicated to southbound inspections; and
(B) the number of vehicles and conveyances that can be
inspected with up to 50 additional non-intrusive imaging
systems that may be additionally dedicated to inbound
inspections along the southwest border; and
(5) assesses the capability of inbound inspections by
authorities of the Government of Mexico, in cooperation with
United States law enforcement agencies, to detect and
interdict the flow of illicit weapons and currency being
smuggled--
(A) from the United States to Mexico; and
(B) from Mexico into the United States.
(b) Classification.--The report submitted pursuant to
subsection (a), or any part of such report, may be classified
or provided with other appropriate safeguards to prevent
public dissemination.
SEC. 1094E. MINIMUM MANDATORY SOUTHBOUND INSPECTION
REQUIREMENT.
(a) Requirement.--Not later than March 30, 2030, the
Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure, to the extent
practicable, that not fewer than 10 percent of all
conveyances and other modes of transportation traveling from
the United States to Mexico are inspected before leaving the
United States.
(b) Authorized Inspection Activities.--Inspections required
under subsection (a) may include non-intrusive imaging,
physical inspections by officers or canine units, or other
means authorized by the Secretary of Homeland Security if all
such inspections are completed in full compliance with the
Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
(c) Report on Additional Inspections Capabilities.--Not
later than March 30, 2031, the Secretary of Homeland Security
shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional
committees that assesses the Department of Homeland
Security's timeline and resource requirements for increasing
inspection rates to 15 and 20 percent, respectively, of all
conveyances and modes of transportation traveling from the
United States to Mexico.
SEC. 1094F. CURRENCY AND FIREARMS SEIZURES QUARTERLY REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter until
the date that is 3 years after such date of enactment, the
Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall
submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees
that describes the seizure of currency, firearms, and
ammunition attempted to be trafficked out of the United
States.
(b) Contents.--Each report submitted pursuant to subsection
(a) shall include, for the most recent 90-day period for
which such information is available--
(1) the total number of currency seizures that occurred
from outbound inspections at United States ports of entry;
(2) the total dollar amount associated with the currency
seizures referred to in paragraph (1);
(3) the total number of firearms seized from outbound
inspections at United States ports of entry;
(4) the total number of ammunition rounds seized from
outbound inspections at United States ports of entry; and
(5) the total number of incidents of firearm seizures and
ammunition seizures that occurred at United States ports of
entry.
SEC. 1094G. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDY AND
REPORT.
The Comptroller General of the United States shall--
(1) conduct a study to determine the number of new Homeland
Security Investigations agents and additional non-intrusive
imaging systems that are needed--
(A) to investigate the smuggling of currency and firearms
across the United States land borders; and
(B) to inspect persons, conveyances, and modes of
transportation traveling across such borders; and
(2) submit a report to Congress containing the results of
such study.
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