[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2715 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2715
To authorize the Secretary of Defense to conduct detection, monitoring,
and other operations in cyberspace to counter Mexican transnational
criminal organizations that are engaged in certain activities that
cross the southern border of the United States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 27, 2023
Mr. Rounds (for himself and Mr. Manchin) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Defense to conduct detection, monitoring,
and other operations in cyberspace to counter Mexican transnational
criminal organizations that are engaged in certain activities that
cross the southern border of the United States, and for other purposes.
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 ``Countering Mexican Transnational
Criminal Organizations in Cyberspace Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR COUNTERING ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING BY MEXICAN
TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS IN CYBERSPACE.
(a) Authority.--
(1) In general.--In accordance with sections 124 and 394 of
title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of Defense may, in
coordination with other relevant Federal departments and
agencies and in consultation with the Government of Mexico as
appropriate, conduct detection, monitoring, and other
operations in cyberspace to counter Mexican transnational
criminal organizations that are engaged in any of the following
activities that cross the southern border of the United States:
(A) Smuggling of illegal drugs, controlled
substances, or precursors thereof.
(B) Human trafficking.
(C) Weapons trafficking.
(D) Other illegal activities.
(2) Certain entities.--The authority provided by paragraph
(1) may be used to counter Mexican transnational criminal
organizations, including entities cited in the most recent
National Drug Threat Assessment published by the United States
Drug Enforcement Administration, that are engaged in the
activities described in (1).
(b) Cyber Strategy for Countering Illegal Trafficking by
Transnational Criminal Organizations Affecting the Security of United
States Southern Border.--
(1) Strategy required.--Not later than 60 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, in
consultation with the National Cyber Director and the heads of
such other Federal departments and agencies as the Secretary
considers appropriate, submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a strategy for conducting operations in cyberspace
under subsection (a).
(2) Elements.--The strategy submitted pursuant to paragraph
(1) shall include the following:
(A) A description of the cyberspace presence and
activities, including any information operations, of
the entities described under subsection (a)(2) pose to
the national security of the United States.
(B) A description of any previous actions taken by
the Department of Defense to conduct operations in
cyberspace to counter illegal activities by
transnational criminal organizations, and a description
of those actions.
(C) An assessment of the financial, technological,
and personnel resources that the Secretary can deploy
to exercise the authority provided in subsection (a) to
counter illegal trafficking by transnational criminal
organizations.
(D) Recommendations, if any, for additional
authorities as may be required to enhance the exercise
of the authority provided in subsection (a).
(E) A description of the extent to which the
Secretary has worked, or intends to work, with the
Government of Mexico, interagency partners, and the
private sector to enable operations in cyberspace
against illegal trafficking by transnational criminal
organizations.
(F) A description of the security cooperation
programs in effect on the day before the date of the
enactment of this Act that would enable the Secretary
to cooperate with Mexican defense partners against
illegal trafficking by transnational criminal
organizations in cyberspace.
(G) An assessment of the potential risks associated
with cooperating with Mexican counterparts against
transnational criminal organizations in cyberspace and
ways that those risks can be mitigated, including in
cooperation with Mexican partners.
(H) A description of any cooperation agreements or
initiatives in effect on the day before the date of the
enactment of this Act with interagency partners and the
government of Mexico to counter transnational criminal
organizations in cyberspace.
(c) Quarterly Monitoring Briefing.--The Secretary shall, on a
quarterly basis in conjunction with the briefings required by section
484 of title 10, United States Code, provide to the appropriate
congressional committees a briefing setting forth, for the preceding
calendar quarter, the following:
(1) Each country in which an operation was conducted under
subsection (a).
(2) The purpose and nature of each operation set forth
pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) The start date and end date or expected duration of
each operation set forth pursuant to paragraph (1).
(4) The elements of the Department of Defense down to O-6
command level who conducted or are conducting the operations
set forth pursuant to paragraph (1).
(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to supersede any standing prohibitions on collection of
information on United States persons.
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