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U.S. Representatives Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-02) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), both members of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening inspections of outbound traffic from the U.S. to Mexico. The proposed bill seeks to provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with additional personnel and resources to target the flow of firearms, illegal money, and other contraband that fuel cartel operations, including fentanyl trafficking.
Cartels exploit gaps in outbound inspections to smuggle firearms, illicit cash from drug sales, and other contraband into Mexico, sustaining their drug trade, human trafficking, and criminal networks. These organizations rely on a continuous supply of firearms and cash to maintain their operations. Strengthening outbound inspections aims to cut off these vital resources and help curb cartel activity.
Between fiscal years 2018 and 2022, CBP seized over $58 million in currency and 2,306 firearms through outbound inspections. However, these inspections remain inconsistent along the southern border, allowing cartels to thrive.
The Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act intends to bolster outbound inspection efforts to effectively disrupt cartel operations. The bipartisan bill proposes increasing CBP staffing at outbound inspection points, expanding Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) personnel, and authorizing advanced screening technology to better detect smuggling attempts at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Southward bound guns and money fuel the cartel’s war in Mexico and the fentanyl crisis that is poisoning Americans. We have to stop the flow,” said Crenshaw. “As it stands, U.S. Customs and Border Protection do not have the resources to monitor southbound flows — but this bill helps fix that and serves as a good step in taking the fight to the cartels and disrupts their business operations.”
“As a former CIA case officer who tracked cartels, I understand how these criminals smuggle firearms and bulk currency across our southern border to move the illicit proceeds that continue to fuel their criminal operations," said Spanberger. "We must continue working to stem the flow of deadly fentanyl into our communities — and we can do so by working to cut off the steady supply of contraband that props up the drug trade." She added: "We must provide the men and women who secure our southern border with the resources necessary to cut off this supply and keep our communities safe. I’m grateful to my colleague, Representative Crenshaw, for working with me to disrupt the transnational organized crime that threatens U.S. security at and beyond our southern border.”
Specifically, the Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act would:
- Authorize at least 500 CBP officers for outbound inspections at the southern border.
- Authorize at least 500 HSI special agents focusing on investigations related to smuggling firearms and currency.
- Expand non-intrusive imaging systems by adding 50 more units along with other necessary equipment at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Mandate that at least 10% of outbound vehicles be inspected with a report required assessing feasibility for increasing that threshold.
Companion legislation is being led in the Senate by U.S. Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).
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