U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill along with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) introduced legislation to combat illegal tunnel activity on the Southwest border of the United States. The Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2011 would provide law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to locate tunnels, identify criminals and punish those involved in illegal activity.
“Last year, we passed legislation to help secure our Southwest border by increasing law enforcement and judicial resources and providing aerial surveillance drones. This legislation addresses those who have literally gone underground in an effort to bypass detection. This is a commonsense piece of legislation that will improve agency coordination and response when it comes to combating illegal tunneling and securing our border,” said Senator McCaskill.
The Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2011 will:
· Make the use, construction or financing of a border tunnel a conspiracy offense;
· Include illegal tunneling as an offense eligible for Title III wiretaps even when there are not drugs or other contraband to facilitate a wiretap;
· Specify border tunnel activity as unlawful under the existing forfeiture and money laundering provisions to allow authorities to seize assets in these cases.
Last year, McCaskill was successful in passing a law that provided $600 million in border security resources without adding to the country’s deficit. The bill was paid for by raising fees on companies that choose to outsource high-paying American jobs. The additional fees provided millions to fund an increased Border Patrol and National Guard presence, judicial resources, and unmanned aerial vehicles along the border.
Companion legislation will be introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas).
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