Texas congressman introduces CARTEL Act to increase transparency around border threats
A cartel scout looks through binoculars on the US-Mexico border in Sunland Park, New Mexico, US, on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. The Pentagon is sending 1,500 troops to the US southwest border, and several military transport aircraft are already on their w
WASHINGTON - A Houston-area congressman has introduced legislation that would release more information publicly about who is crossing the border into the United States.
What we know:
Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas) introduced the CARTEL Act. The bill would mandate U.S. Customs and Border Protection to report if individuals listed in the Terrorist Screening Database were released into the United States.
Luttrell said the bill would increase transparency on "national security threats posed by terrorist organizations, including cartels, exploiting U.S. borders.
The legislation would require a comprehensive Congressional report about which terrorist organizations are trying to enter the country through the southern, northern or maritime border.
It would include more transparent tracking of cartel members attempting illegal crossings.
What they're saying:
"Thanks to the Biden Administration’s open-border policies, dangerous cartels have been running our borders and profiting from human and drug trafficking," Luttrell said. "Americans deserve to know exactly who is trying to enter our country. The CARTEL Act will provide critical transparency and accountability in the fight to secure our borders and protect our communities."
The backstory:
The move comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating cartels as terrorist organizations.
The order also included international gangs Tren de Aragua and La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).
Another Texas congressman, Chip Roy, introduced H.R. 885 on Jan. 31, which would require the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress on the designation of the Gulf Cartel, the Cartel Del Noreste, the Cartel de Sinaloa, and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion as foreign terrorist organizations.
The current text of the bill has not been published.
What we don't know:
Details of Luttrell's CARTEL Act have not been released. The bill's number and text have not been released, according to Congress.gov.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Rep. Luttrell's office, Congress.gov and Trump's executive order.