119-s1138

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1138 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1138

 To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities 
 for outbound inspections at the southern land border, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 26, 2025

 Ms. Hassan (for herself and Mr. Lankford) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland 
 Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to enhance capabilities 
 for outbound inspections at the southern land border, and for other 
 purposes.

 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 ``Enhancing Southbound Inspections to 
Combat Cartels Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (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) Southern border.--The term ``Southern Border'' means 
 the international land border between the United States and 
 Mexico.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL INSPECTION EQUIPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

    (a) Imaging Systems.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection is authorized--

    (1) to purchase up to 50 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 Southern Border for the primary purpose of inspecting any persons, 
conveyances, or modes of transportation traveling from the United 
States to Mexico.
            (c) Alternative Equipment.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection is authorized 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 from the United States to Mexico.
            (d) Sunset.--Subsections

    (a) and
            (c) shall cease to have force and 
effect beginning on the date that is 5 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS PERSONNEL FOR 
 INVESTIGATIONS OF SOUTHBOUND SMUGGLING.

    (a) HSI Special Agents.--The Director of U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement shall hire, train, and assign--

    (1) not fewer than 100 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 100 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 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. 5. 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. 6. MINIMUM MANDATORY SOUTHBOUND INSPECTION REQUIREMENT.

    (a) Requirement.--Not later than March 30, 2027, 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.
            (c) Report on Additional Inspections Capabilities.--Not later than 
March 30, 2028, 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. 7. 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 4 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.
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