A bipartisan effort led by Reps. Abigail Spanberger and Dan Crenshaw aims to address gun trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border. The proposed bill focuses on enhancing outbound inspections and increasing resources to combat illegal activities.
The bill mandates inspections for at least 10% of outbound transport from the U.S. to Mexico, with a possibility of raising the threshold to 15 or 20%. It also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to report on these inspections. Customs and Border Patrol would be directed to assign at least 500 officers to inspect goods and people heading into Mexico.
The legislation also seeks to bolster equipment resources, including 50 additional non-intrusive imaging systems for southern border inspections. Crenshaw highlighted the link between illegal currency and firearms trafficking and the cartel activities in Mexico, emphasizing the need to disrupt these operations.
Spanberger, drawing on her experience in tracking cartels, stressed the importance of cutting off the flow of contraband that fuels criminal operations. The bill, named the Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act, has a Senate companion bill led by Sens. Maggie Hassan and James Langford.
While the bill has bipartisan support, its passage in the House remains uncertain. Some Republicans argue that increased funding alone is not a solution to border issues, while Democrats accuse them of politicizing the border crisis. The bill's introduction reflects a broader shift in Democratic strategy on border security as the midterm elections approach.
