NARCO Act of 2025

This bill, known as the "NARCO Act of 2025," amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to significantly modify the authorities and responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), establishing a direct reporting line to the Under Secretary for International Security Affairs. The legislation expands INL's core duties to include continuous observation and coordination of international narcotics, anti-crime, and law enforcement affairs, with a strong focus on combating transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) , cartels, and foreign terror organizations (FTOs) . It mandates strengthening foreign justice systems, including judicial and law enforcement agencies, while capping grant funding for these activities at 10 percent of the total. A key provision prioritizes and allocates substantial resources to the Narcotics Reward Program and the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, allowing up to $25,000,000 for information leading to captures or interdictions. The bill further requires that at least 20 percent of the Bureau's annual budget authority be dedicated to these reward programs, with a focus on TCOs and FTOs threatening U.S. homeland security, and mandates extensive interagency coordination. The Assistant Secretary is also tasked with combating a broad spectrum of transnational organized crimes, such as human trafficking and money laundering, prioritizing those that imperil U.S. citizens. The bill introduces requirements for developing robust monitoring and evaluation metrics for INL programs, creating a searchable database for program details, and ensuring annual congressional certification regarding U.S. enforcement personnel abroad.