[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3720 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3720
To direct the Director of National Intelligence to make assessments
regarding Mexico and the Northern Triangle of Central America, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 11, 2019
Mr. Hurd of Texas (for himself and Ms. Spanberger) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Director of National Intelligence to make assessments
regarding Mexico and the Northern Triangle of Central America, 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 ``Trafficking and Smuggling
Intelligence Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. ASSESSMENT OF ACTIVITIES BY DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS IN
THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE AND MEXICO.
(a) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence, in coordination
with the Chief of Intelligence of the Drug Enforcement Administration
and the Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research,
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
containing an analytical assessment of the activities of drug
trafficking organizations in the Northern Triangle and Mexico. Such
assessment shall include, at a minimum--
(1) an assessment of the effect of drug trafficking
organizations on the security and economic situation in the
Northern Triangle;
(2) an assessment of the effect of the activities of drug
trafficking organizations on the migration of persons from the
Northern Triangle to the United States-Mexico border;
(3) a summary of any relevant activities by elements of the
intelligence community in relation to drug trafficking
organizations in the Northern Triangle and Mexico;
(4) a summary of key methods and routes used by drug
trafficking organizations in the Northern Triangle and Mexico
to the United States;
(5) an assessment of the intersection between the
activities of drug trafficking organizations, human traffickers
and human smugglers, and other organized criminal groups in the
Northern Triangle and Mexico; and
(6) an assessment of the illicit funds and financial
transactions that support the activities of drug trafficking
organizations and connected criminal enterprises in the
Northern Triangle and Mexico.
(b) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) may be submitted
in classified form, but if so submitted, shall contain an unclassified
summary.
(c) Availability.--The report under subsection (a), or the
unclassified summary of the report described in subsection (b), shall
be made publicly available.
SEC. 3. ASSESSMENT OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SMUGGLING FROM THE NORTHERN
TRIANGLE TO THE UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence, in
coordination with the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for
Intelligence and Analysis and the Assistant Secretary of State for
Intelligence and Research, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report containing an analytical assessment
of human trafficking and human smuggling by individuals and
organizations in the Northern Triangle and Mexico. Such assessment
shall include, at a minimum--
(1) an assessment of the effect of human trafficking and
human smuggling on the security and economic situation in the
Northern Triangle;
(2) a summary of any relevant activities by elements of the
intelligence community in relation to human trafficking and
human smuggling in the Northern Triangle and Mexico;
(3) an assessment of the methods and routes used by human
traffickers and human smuggler organizations to move persons
from the Northern Triangle to the United States-Mexico border;
(4) an assessment of the intersection between the
activities of human traffickers and human smugglers, drug
trafficking organizations, and other organized criminal groups
in the Northern Triangle and Mexico; and
(5) an assessment of the illicit funds and financial
transactions that support the activities of human traffickers
and human smugglers and connected criminal enterprises in the
Northern Triangle and Mexico.
(b) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) may be submitted
in classified form, but if so submitted, shall contain an unclassified
summary.
(c) Availability.--The report under subsection (a), or the
unclassified summary of the report described in subsection (b), shall
be made publicly available.
SEC. 4. PRIORITIZATION OF INTELLIGENCE RESOURCES FOR THE NORTHERN
TRIANGLE AND MEXICO.
(a) Review of Intelligence Community Efforts in Northern Triangle
and Mexico.--The Director of National Intelligence, in coordination
with the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and
Analysis, the Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and
Research, the Chief of Intelligence of the Drug Enforcement
Administration, and other appropriate officials in the intelligence
community, shall carry out a comprehensive review of the current
intelligence collection priorities of the intelligence community for
the Northern Triangle and Mexico in order to identify whether such
priorities are appropriate and sufficient in light of the threat posed
by the activities of drug trafficking organizations and human
traffickers and human smugglers to the security of the United States
and the Western Hemisphere.
(b) Reports.--
(1) Report on initial review.--Not later than 120 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of
National Intelligence shall submit to the congressional
intelligence committees a comprehensive description of the
results of the review required by subsection (a), including
whether the priorities described in that subsection are
appropriate and sufficient in light of the threat posed by the
activities of drug trafficking organizations and human
traffickers and human smugglers to the security of the United
States and the Western Hemisphere. If the report concludes that
such priorities are not so appropriate and sufficient, the
report shall also include a description of the actions to be
taken to modify such priorities in order to assure that such
priorities are so appropriate and sufficient.
(2) Quarterly reports.--Not later than 90 days after the
date on which the report under paragraph (1) is submitted, and
every 90 days thereafter for a 5-year period, the Director of
National Intelligence shall submit to the congressional
intelligence committees a report on the intelligence
community's collection priorities and activities in the
Northern Triangle and Mexico with a focus on the threat posed
by the activities of drug trafficking organizations and human
traffickers and human smugglers to the security of the United
States and the Western Hemisphere. The first report under this
paragraph shall also include a description of the amount of
funds expended by the intelligence community to the efforts
described in subsection (a) during each of fiscal years 2018
and 2019.
(c) Form.--The reports required by subsection (b) may be submitted
in classified form, but if so submitted, shall contain an unclassified
summary.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee
on Homeland Security, and the Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of
the Senate.
(2) Human trafficking.--The term ``human trafficking'' has
the meaning given the term ``severe forms of trafficking in
persons'' by section 103 of the Victims of Trafficking and
Violence Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).
(3) Intelligence community.--The term ``intelligence
community'' has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003).
(4) Northern triangle.--The term ``Northern Triangle''
means El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
<all>
Trafficking and Smuggling Intelligence Act of 2019
#3720 | HR Congress #116
Policy Area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Border security and unlawful immigrationCongressional oversightDrug trafficking and controlled substancesEconomic performance and conditionsEl SalvadorFraud offenses and financial crimesGovernment information and archivesGovernment studies and investigationsGuatemalaHondurasHuman traffickingIntelligence activities, surveillance, classified informationLatin AmericaMexicoOrganized crimeSmuggling and trafficking
Last Action: Referred to the House Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select). (7/11/2019)
Bill Text Source: Congress.gov
Summary and Impacts
Original Text