Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act
Sponsored By: Representative Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
Introduced
Summary
Boost outbound inspections at the U.S.-Mexico southern land border to detect and stop firearms, currency, and contraband headed into Mexico.
Show full summary
This bill would fund extra imaging equipment, add investigators and support staff, set required southbound inspection rates, and demand regular seizure reporting.
- Travelers and carriers could face more checks. The Secretary must, to the extent practicable, inspect at least 10% of conveyances leaving the United States for Mexico by March 30, 2027.
- Border enforcement capacity would expand. The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection could purchase up to 50 additional non-intrusive imaging systems and the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would hire at least 200 Homeland Security Investigations special agents plus needed support staff.
- Oversight and data collection would increase. The Secretary must report within one year on resources and inspection cadence and CBP must provide seizure reports every 90 days for four years with counts and dollar amounts for currency and counts of firearms and ammunition seized at outbound ports.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Stronger inspections at southern border
If enacted, the bill would let U.S. Customs and Border Protection buy up to 50 non-intrusive imaging systems and related infrastructure to inspect people and vehicles leaving the United States for Mexico. Those procurement authorities would expire five years after enactment. If enacted, the bill would require ICE to hire, train, and assign at least 200 new Homeland Security Investigations special agents—100 to focus on currency and firearms smuggling to Mexico and 100 to focus on drugs, contraband, human trafficking, and unauthorized entry—and necessary support staff. If enacted, the bill would require the Department of Homeland Security, to the extent practicable, to inspect at least 10 percent of all vehicles and other transport leaving the United States for Mexico by March 30, 2027. The Secretary would also have to report by March 30, 2028 on what it would take to raise inspections to 15 percent and 20 percent.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
VA • D
Cosponsors
Crenshaw
TX • R
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov