0
Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act
12/12/2023, 11:15 PM
Summary of Bill HR 1564
The bill aims to combat the growing threat of drug cartels, which are responsible for a significant amount of violence and crime in the United States and around the world. By designating these cartels as terrorist organizations, the government hopes to disrupt their operations and cut off their funding sources.
Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to take strong action against drug cartels, as they pose a serious threat to national security and public safety. They believe that designating these cartels as terrorist organizations will send a strong message that the US will not tolerate their criminal activities. Opponents of the bill, however, have raised concerns about the potential unintended consequences of designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations. They worry that this designation could lead to increased violence and instability in the regions where these cartels operate, as well as potential legal challenges. Overall, the Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act is a controversial piece of legislation that seeks to address the growing threat of drug cartels through the use of terrorist designations and sanctions. It remains to be seen how this bill will progress through Congress and what impact it will have on the fight against drug cartels.
Congressional Summary of HR 1564
Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act
This bill directs the Department of State to designate four specified drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. (Among other things, such a designation allows the Department of the Treasury to require financial institutions to block transactions involving the organization.)
The four specified cartels in the bill are the Gulf Cartel, the Cartel Del Noreste, the Cartel de Sinaloa, and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion.
The bill also requires the State Department to submit a detailed report on those four cartels and any other cartels it may identify. Based on this report, the State Department must designate as a foreign terrorist organization any such identified cartel (or faction thereof) that meets certain criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
The bill specifies that it may not be construed to expand eligibility for asylum.





