[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 18 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. J. RES. 18
To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those
responsible for trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance
into the United States or carrying out other related activities that
cause regional destabilization in the Western Hemisphere.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 12, 2023
Mr. Crenshaw (for himself and Mr. Waltz) submitted the following joint
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
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JOINT RESOLUTION
To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those
responsible for trafficking fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance
into the United States or carrying out other related activities that
cause regional destabilization in the Western Hemisphere.
Whereas armed cartels such as Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation
Cartel are responsible for trafficking fentanyl and fentanyl-related
substances into the United States;
Whereas fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances kill approximately 80,000
Americans every year and is the leading cause of death for American men
between the ages of 18 and 45;
Whereas the Sinaloa Cartel and the Los Zetas Cartel, among others, consistently
engage in violence against each other and other cartels, creating
instability mere miles from the border of the United States;
Whereas in 2015, the Sinaloa Cartel shot down a Mexican military helicopter with
a high powered weapon;
Whereas in 2019, when the Mexican National Guard arrested Ovidio Guzman, the son
of Joaquin ``el Chapo'' Guzman, the Sinaloa Cartel attacked Mexican
Government forces and forced them to release Ovidio Guzman;
Whereas in 2022, a battle between cartels along the United States-Mexico border
led to the closure of two ports of entry;
Whereas in 2022, a grenade attack against the United States consulate in Nuevo
Laredo, Mexico required employees to shelter in place;
Whereas Mexican cartels regularly intimidate, assault, kidnap, torture, and kill
Mexican law enforcement; and
Whereas Mexican cartels have repeatedly fired at law enforcement and national
guard posted along the United States-Mexico border: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This joint resolution may be cited as the ``Authorization for the
Use of Military Force to Combat, Attack, Resist, Target, Eliminate, and
Limit Influence Resolution'' or the ``AUMF CARTEL Influence
Resolution''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.
(a) In General.--The President is authorized to use all necessary
and appropriate force against those foreign nations, foreign
organizations, or foreign persons affiliated with foreign organizations
that the President determines--
(1) have violated section 401(a)(1) of the Controlled
Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1)), or have attempted or
conspired to violate such section 401(a)(1) in violation of
section 406 of such Act (21 U.S.C. 846), with respect to
trafficking into the United States fentanyl or a fentanyl-
related substance;
(2) have trafficked fentanyl or a fentanyl-related
substance outside the United States with the intention of such
fentanyl or fentanyl-related substance being trafficked into
the United States in violation of section 401(a)(1) or 406 of
the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 846) as
described in paragraph (1);
(3) have produced or trafficked a substance that is a
precursor to fentanyl or a fentanyl-related substance with the
intention of such precursor, fentanyl, or fentanyl-related
substance being trafficked into the United States in violation
of section 401(a)(1) or 406 of the Controlled Substances Act
(21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), 846) as described in paragraph (1);
(4) have engaged in kinetic actions against United States
Federal, State, local, tribal, or territorial law enforcement
personnel operating in the territory of the United States or
abroad;
(5) have engaged in kinetic actions against law
enforcement, military, or other governmental personnel of a
country with a common border with the United States or any
other country in the Western Hemisphere; or
(6) have used violence and intimidation for the purpose of
establishing and controlling territory to be used for illicit
means.
(b) Deemed Organizations.--Effective on the date of the enactment
of this joint resolution, the following foreign organizations, and
their members, shall be deemed to have been determined by the President
under subsection (a) to meet the criteria described in such subsection:
(1) The Sinaloa Cartel.
(2) The Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
(3) The Gulf Cartel.
(4) The Los Zetas Cartel.
(5) The Northeast Cartel.
(6) The Juarez Cartel.
(7) The Tijuana Cartel.
(8) The Beltran-Levya Cartel.
(9) The La Familia Michoacana, also known as the Knight
Templar Cartel.
(c) Limitation.--The authority to use all necessary and appropriate
force pursuant to subsection (a) against foreign organizations and
foreign persons affiliated with foreign organizations described in
subsection (a) shall apply only with respect to those organizations and
persons located outside of the territory of the United States.
(d) Termination.--The authority to use all necessary and
appropriate force pursuant to subsection (a) shall terminate on the
date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this joint
resolution.
(e) War Powers Resolution Requirements.--
(1) Specific statutory authorization.--Consistent with
section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, Congress declares
that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory
authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War
Powers Resolution.
(2) Applicability of other requirements.--Nothing in this
joint resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers
Resolution.
(f) Definition.--In this section, the term ``fentanyl-related
substance'' means a fentanyl-related substance as described in section
1308.11(h)(30) of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor
regulations).
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