Securing the Border and Making Drug Cartels Pay for it Act This bill establishes various ways for funding border security enhancements, and increases the government's burden of proof in civil forfeiture cases. The bill establishes the Secure America Financing Corporation, which shall be authorized to issue Secure America Bonds. The proceeds from such bonds shall be available to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol for security measures, including physical barriers, along the southwest border. Such funds may also be used for data analytics that may lead to increased drug seizures near the border. Forfeited funds related to a felony conviction for a continuing enterprise involved in the intentional distribution of an imported controlled substance shall be used for security measures, including physical barriers, along the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill also requires the government, when bringing an action for the civil forfeiture of property, to establish its case by clear and convincing evidence, where it is currently only required to meet the lower preponderance of the evidence standard. Seized property may be released pending trial in certain situations, but the bill establishes that currency or contraband likely to belong to or used to support a foreign illegal trafficking organization shall not be released.
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Timeline
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Immigration
Border security and unlawful immigrationComputers and information technologyCongressional oversightCriminal investigation, prosecution, interrogationDepartment of Homeland SecurityDrug trafficking and controlled substancesExecutive agency funding and structureFraud offenses and financial crimesGovernment corporations and government-sponsored enterprisesLatin AmericaMexicoOrganized crimePublic contracts and procurementSmuggling and trafficking
Securing the Border and Making Drug Cartels Pay for it Act
USA116th CongressS-293| Senate
| Updated: 1/31/2019
Securing the Border and Making Drug Cartels Pay for it Act This bill establishes various ways for funding border security enhancements, and increases the government's burden of proof in civil forfeiture cases. The bill establishes the Secure America Financing Corporation, which shall be authorized to issue Secure America Bonds. The proceeds from such bonds shall be available to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol for security measures, including physical barriers, along the southwest border. Such funds may also be used for data analytics that may lead to increased drug seizures near the border. Forfeited funds related to a felony conviction for a continuing enterprise involved in the intentional distribution of an imported controlled substance shall be used for security measures, including physical barriers, along the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill also requires the government, when bringing an action for the civil forfeiture of property, to establish its case by clear and convincing evidence, where it is currently only required to meet the lower preponderance of the evidence standard. Seized property may be released pending trial in certain situations, but the bill establishes that currency or contraband likely to belong to or used to support a foreign illegal trafficking organization shall not be released.
Border security and unlawful immigrationComputers and information technologyCongressional oversightCriminal investigation, prosecution, interrogationDepartment of Homeland SecurityDrug trafficking and controlled substancesExecutive agency funding and structureFraud offenses and financial crimesGovernment corporations and government-sponsored enterprisesLatin AmericaMexicoOrganized crimePublic contracts and procurementSmuggling and trafficking