Border Tunnel Task Force Act

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate and thank the young chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, the gentleman from Austin, Texas, who has had the responsibility and the authority vested in him as chairman of the committee to make sure that we look at, approach, and correct the problems that we have at our borders. I want to thank the distinguished gentleman for his years of service not only to the Department of Justice, but to the American people and the rule of law.

Mr. Speaker, every day we in Texas and around the United States deal with crime, drugs, and gangs that are streaming into the United States from our southern border. Both Chairman McCaul and I recognize that the challenge that we have ahead of us here in Washington is not only to support and defend our Constitution, but it is actually to defend people who live back home, wherever they might be in the United States.

No part of the United States is safe if our southern border is not effectively taken care of. That is why we are here today with a bill that addresses this issue even further. That issue is that we must secure our borders to halt the flow of drugs that come into our country.

We recognize that one of the most vulnerable piece parts that has been talked about today and that is known by law enforcement is that of the use of tunnels, which evade not only the sight of law enforcement, but take place under the secrecy of those who would intend to bring illegal drugs, narcotics, people, and other unspecified but dangerous items into this country.

These tunnels are difficult to detect without sophisticated equipment or intelligence that advises law enforcement not only where they are, but how they might discover them. Said another way, cartels and criminals are one step ahead of the good guys, our law enforcement.

Just last month, United States Homeland Security agents discovered a 600-foot-long drug tunnel running between a private home in Mexico and an abandoned food restaurant in Arizona. Near the tunnel, they discovered--as has been talked about here today and it is worth repeating--261 pounds of methamphetamines, 14 pounds of cocaine, 45 pounds of heroin, and almost 7 pounds of fentanyl. That is enough to have supplied over 3 million people with dosage units that could cause them not only harm, but also take their life.

Working with Chairman Michael McCaul, our young chairman from Austin, Texas, I am pleased to inform you that earlier this month we introduced H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task Force Act. This bill will enhance not only law enforcement--Federal, State, and local law enforcement--but also Tribal law enforcement with the ability that they need to make sure that these cross-border-related threats are taken care of properly.

First of all, the task force will look at the issue and understand how these cartels and drug gangs make these tunnels, where they make them, and when they make them.

Secondly, the task force will ensure that they are looking out and working together.

Specifically, this legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security to establish a Border Tunnel Task Force, which would be comprised of personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, known as CBP; U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE; and Homeland Security investigators. These groups would work together on border issues where enhanced information could be shared and law enforcement action would contribute to our border security missions.

It is my hope that the establishment of these law enforcement groups will help facilitate not only teamwork among Federal, State, local, and Tribal officials, but they will also help execute coordinated activities to crack down on gangs that continue to seek ways to do their illegal trade and business along our border which places Americans at risk.

In closing, I would like to once again thank Chairman McCaul and his Homeland Security Committee, its members on a bipartisan basis, and their staff for recognizing that this is a true threat against the United States of America, our citizens, and perhaps our most vulnerable, our children.

Their work in protecting our country is paramount, and so I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task Force Act, a bill that will encourage, help, and strengthen law enforcement in this activity. It will protect the United States of America and protect American families from drug cartels and drug trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the young chairman for his hard work and also the gentleman from Louisiana, who recognized, on a bipartisan basis, that we must protect our homeland.

Mr. Speaker, DHS's Border Tunnel Task Forces have been effective at identifying and closing tunnels through which smugglers illicitly move drugs, launder money, and other contraband into the United States. As such, I support these task forces, but would note that there are two 20-foot-high fences--or ``wall'' as the President likes to call them-- near the U.S.-Mexico border in San Luis, Arizona, the town where a tunnel was discovered under an abandoned restaurant last month.

Logic tells you that when smugglers cannot easily move goods or people over or through physical barriers, they will tunnel underneath.

Importantly, the measure under consideration today includes language offered by Representative Vela, the ranking member of the Border and

Maritime Security Subcommittee, to require DHS to determine whether border barriers impact the proliferation of cross-border tunnels.

With DHS having dedicated nearly $9 million over the past decade to remediating and countering cross-border tunnel threats, DHS needs to know whether its wall agenda is driving more illicit cross-border tunnels.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6740, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6740) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish Border Tunnel Task Forces, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Border Tunnel Task Force Act.

Mr. Speaker, some of the most dangerous threats to our homeland are coming across our southern border. Drug smugglers are bringing dangerous narcotics and fueling America's epidemic of opioids. Human traffickers and transnational gangs like MS-13 are infecting our neighborhoods and endangering our kids. Even potential known or suspected terrorists are trying to make their way into America by exploiting our weak borders.

All of these groups are a serious national security concern. They are also very determined and creative, and one of the ways they avoid detection is by digging cross-border tunnels.

In August, a tunnel the length of two football fields was discovered below a closed fast-food restaurant in Arizona. This pathway was used to smuggle cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamines.

In 2016, 7 tons of marijuana and 1 ton of cocaine were found in a tunnel not far from San Diego. In my home State of Texas, a tunnel was discovered under the Rio Grande in El Paso back in 2010, also for smuggling drugs.

Unfortunately, the problem is not new. Authorities have discovered nearly 200 cross-border tunnels since 1990. We must do more to shut these tunnels down. This legislation will establish Border Tunnel Task Forces to enhance the ability of DHS to detect these tunnels and identify criminal networks.

These teams will be made up of ICE, CBP, and other Department personnel. They will be assisted by State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies. These teams will deploy to locations along the border where the greatest

risks to our national security exist. In working together, they will be able to better secure our border and protect Americans from a growing list of threats.

This bill will minimize a unique, but serious, threat to our homeland. I want to thank my very dear friend and colleague, Congressman Sessions, for all of his hard work on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), the distinguished chairman of the Rules Committee and the author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, every day, we are seeing drugs coming in from Mexico, known or suspected terrorists, and dangerous opioids. We see fentanyl coming in from China into Mexico where they mix it with methamphetamines and heroin. It is really toxic, poisonous stuff. Fentanyl is so toxic that our canines die when they sniff it, yet that is being put into drugs coming across the U.S.-Mexico border into the United States to pollute and infect our children and our veterans. It is time for this to stop.

I hope that we will be able to take up, perhaps in November, our border security bill, which I think would go a long ways to getting this job done. In the meantime, this bill, I think, will go a long ways to stopping a very organized, sophisticated route of drugs, bad people, and bad things into the United States, and that is shutting down these tunnels.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the following cost estimate for H.R. 6742, the Secure Border Communications Act prepared by the Congressional Budget Office was not available to the Committee at the time of filing of the legislative report.

Department of Homeland Security Legislation

As passed by the House of Representatives on September 25, 2018

On September 25, the House of Representatives passed the

following three pieces of legislation:

H.R. 6620, the Protecting Critical Infrastructure Against

Drones and Emerging Threats Act, which would require the

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prepare assessments

of the threats presented by unmanned aircraft systems (often

called drones) and other emerging threats associated with

such new technologies;

H.R. 6735, the Public-Private Cybersecurity Cooperation

Act, which would require DHS to establish procedures for

people or organizations to report vulnerabilities in the

department's information systems; and

H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task Force Act, which would

direct DHS to establish task forces to combat threats from

cross-border tunnels; the task forces could include personnel

from federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.

CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not

significantly affect spending by DHS in any fiscal year

because the department could largely implement each act with

existing personnel.

Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending

or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not

apply.

CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not

increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of

the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.

None of the acts contain intergovernmental or private-

sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform

Act.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz.

The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy

Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

U.S. Congress,

Congressional Budget Office,

Washington, DC, September 27, 2018.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6620, H.R. 6735,

and H.R. 6740, three bills concerning the Department of

Homeland Security that were ordered reported by the Committee

on Homeland Security on September 13, 2018.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark

Grabowicz.

Sincerely,

Keith Hall.

Enclosure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task Force Act. H.R. 6740 formally authorizes the Department of Homeland Security's Border Tunnel Task Force.

The first illicit cross-border tunnel under the United States-Mexico border was discovered in 1990. Since then, law enforcement has uncovered more than 200 tunnels, primarily in Arizona and California.

Cross-border tunnels are exploited by smugglers to move all types of contraband, currency, and people into the United States without detection. Unearthed tunnels range from crudely formed, shallow tunnels, to elaborately constructed passages that include lighting or railways and emerge on the U.S. side in facilities large enough to accommodate deliveries by tractor-trailers.

Incredibly, some tunnels are interconnected with municipal stormwater and sewer systems on both sides of the border. In one case, a 2016 law enforcement operation uncovered a tunnel half a mile inland with a ton of cocaine and 7 tons of marijuana in it.

Just last month, about 200 yards from the border, there was a traffic stop arrest of an individual with more than 300 pounds of illegal drugs, which resulted in the execution of a search warrant on his property and the discovery of a tunnel that went from a long-abandoned Kentucky Fried Chicken that was on his property directly to a house in Mexico. Inside that 600-foot-long tunnel, Federal agents discovered $1 million worth of hard drugs.

These discoveries did not just happen. They were the result of collaborative, binational law enforcement operations under the auspices of the Border Tunnel Task Forces that the Department of Homeland Security maintains. H.R. 6740 seeks to authorize the task forces to ensure that this valuable work continues.

I ask my House colleagues to join me in supporting DHS' efforts to head off smuggling through illicit cross-border tunnels and vote in favor of H.R. 6740.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.