US Codex
Bill
Notes

Transnational Criminal Organization Threat Assessment Act

H.R. 5684 · 118th Congress · Sep 22, 2023 · Lineage

A BILL

To require the Director for Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to conduct annual assessments on threats posed to the United States by transnational criminal organizations, and for other purposes.

Section 1 Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Transnational Criminal Organization Threat Assessment Act”.

Sec. 2 Annual assessments on threats posed to the united states by transnational criminal organizations

(a)
Requirement— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Director for Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection of the Department, the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, and the heads of other relevant Federal departments or agencies the Director determines appropriate, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees assessments of threats posed to the United States by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).
(b)
Contents— Each assessment under subsection (a) shall address the following:
(1)
The most significant TCOs active in and outside of the United States, including along the southwest and northern borders, and including the organizational structure, characteristics, and areas of influence within the United States of each such TCO.
(2)
The drug smuggling trends used by TCOs to transport illicit drugs entering the United States, including information on seizures, investigations, and drug purity and potency levels.
(3)
The role organized violent gangs have working with TCOs in domestic drug trafficking.
(4)
The money laundering activities used by TCOs to generate proceeds through the sale of illicit drugs in the United States.
(5)
Information about the most widely trafficked drugs in the United States, including illicit opioids, heroin, methamphetamine, and new psychoactive substances, including regarding their availability, consumption, and overdose related deaths, production and cultivation, transportation, and distribution.
(6)
A predictive outlook regarding drug trafficking and drug-related trends and activities by TCOs.
(7)
Any other matters the Director for Homeland Security Investigations determines relevant.
(c)
Form— Each assessment under subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex only for the protection of intelligence sources and methods relating to the matters contained in each such assessment. The Director for Homeland Security Investigations shall post on a publicly available website of Homeland Security Investigations the unclassified portion of each such assessment.
(d)
Briefing—
(1)
Briefing— The Director for Homeland Security Investigations shall annually brief the appropriate congressional committees regarding each assessment under subsection (a). The head of any other relevant Federal department or agency shall accompany the Director for any such briefing if any such committee, in consultation with the Director, determines such is appropriate.
(e)
Appropriate congressional committees— In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.