Tren De Aragua Border Security Threat Assessment Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4070) to require a homeland security border threat assessment on Tren de Aragua and associated strategic plan, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4070

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Tren de Aragua Border Security Threat Assessment Act''. SEC. 2. HOMELAND SECURITY BORDER THREAT ASSESSMENT ON TREN DE ARAGUA; STRATEGIC PLAN.

(a) Threat Assessment.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the intelligence community and the heads of other relevant Federal departments or agencies as the Secretary determines appropriate, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a border threat assessment regarding Tren de Aragua (in this section referred to as the ``threat assessment'').

(2) Elements.--The threat assessment shall include the following:

(A) An identification of current and potential criminal threats posed by members of Tren de Aragua and affiliates seeking to--

(i) unlawfully enter the United States through the southwest, northern, or maritime border; or

(ii) exploit any security vulnerabilities along the southwest, northern, or maritime border.

(B) Descriptions of the following with respect to Tren de Aragua:

(i) Origins.

(ii) Strategic aims.

(iii) Tactical methods.

(iv) Funding sources.

(v) Leadership structure.

(vi) Chronological growth and presence in the United States.

(C) Any other matters the Secretary of Homeland Security considers appropriate.

(3) Form.--The threat assessment shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

(b) Strategic Plan.--

(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the submission of the threat assessment under subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the heads of other relevant Federal departments or agencies as the Secretary determines appropriate, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategic plan (in this subsection referred to as the ``Strategic Plan'') relating to countering the threats identified in the threat assessment, in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) Contents.--The Strategic Plan shall include, at a minimum, a consideration of the following:

(A) The threat assessment, with an emphasis on efforts to mitigate the criminal threats from transnational criminal organizations, including the threats identified in the threat assessment in accordance with subsection (a)(2)(A).

(B) Efforts to analyze and disseminate border security and border threat information between Department of Homeland Security border security components with the following:

(i) Other appropriate Federal departments and agencies with missions associated with the southwest, northern, or maritime border.

(ii) State, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies with jurisdictions adjacent to the southwest, northern, or maritime border.

(C) Efforts to locate, detect, interdict, and disrupt transnational criminal organizations, including Tren de Aragua.

(D) Efforts to prevent transnational criminal organizations, including Tren de Aragua, from proliferating in the United States.

(c) Definitions.--In this section:

(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--

(A) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.

(2) Intelligence community.--The term ``intelligence community'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)).

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Mr. GUEST. 4070.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4070, the Tren de Aragua Border Security Threat Assessment Act.

Tren de Aragua, a gang formed in a Venezuelan prison, has expanded its reach throughout the United States. Designated by the Trump administration as a foreign terrorist organization, Tren de Aragua members have been responsible for kidnapping and extorting businesses throughout the United States.

This legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a border threat assessment on Tren de Aragua and develop a strategic plan to counter the threats identified in the assessment.

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, and I am grateful to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Knott) for bringing forth this important piece of legislation.

Mr. GOLDMAN of New York.

Mr. Speaker, conducting an assessment is an obvious and important first step in addressing any homeland security threat we face. This bill smartly and correctly requires a homeland security border threat assessment on Tren de Aragua followed by the creation of a strategic plan based on this assessment.

Unfortunately, this bill seems to be a little too late. The administration is already bombing boats in the Caribbean that they claim to be Tren de Aragua. I hope they have already done an assessment and have a plan. They certainly have not shared anything with Congress to that effect.

Mr. Speaker, it is very important for Congress to understand the threat that is leading to this administration's actions and that justifies this administration's actions. We have simply not been given enough information about the Trump administration's assessments, justification, and strategy for blowing up numerous boats off the coast of Venezuela. Members of Congress must have this information, and that is why I support this bill.

To be clear, we should have had this information long before the administration started bombing boats that they could have chosen to interdict or stop in other ways. This bill should not be necessary, but I do thank my friend from North Carolina for introducing it and recognizing that we should have a basic understanding of any organization that we are going to take military action against.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4070. This legislation is an important first step in combating an FTO, foreign terrorist organization, that has embedded itself in our community. We see firsthand stories of the violent crimes that these organizations are associated with: robbery, kidnapping, assault, and murder.

I thank Mr. Knott for introducing this legislation. I wholeheartedly support this legislation. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to please support this legislation.

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