Authorizing the use of military force against certain Mexican cartels.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 81 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 81

 Authorizing the use of military force against certain Mexican cartels.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 24, 2025

Mr. Steube submitted the following joint resolution; which was referred 
                  to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
 Authorizing the use of military force against certain Mexican cartels.

Whereas Tren de Aragua, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New 
        Generation Cartel, Northeast Cartel, Michoacan family, the United 
        cartels, Cartel del Golfo, and Clan del Golfo have engaged in and 
        permitted the occurrence of terrorism, outrages upon personal dignity, 
        and the extrajudicial execution of innocent peoples in the United 
        States;
Whereas such cartels have violated the territorial integrity of the United 
        States;
Whereas such cartels have enabled the entry of terrorists into the United 
        States, a serious violation upon the sovereignty of the American people;
Whereas such cartels have smuggled cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, 
        and other illicit drugs into the United States;
Whereas the opioid overdose epidemic has resulted in the deaths of millions of 
        Americans, including an average yearly death rate of more than 110,000 
        per year at the height of the Biden Administration;
Whereas such cartels have established human trafficking networks facilitating 
        the sexual exploitation of children and women;
Whereas the Government of Mexico has demonstrated an inability and negligible 
        willingness to dismantle such cartels that have committed the most 
        violent of atrocities upon the American people;
Whereas the presence of such cartels poses a clear and evident danger to the 
        United States;
Whereas, ensuring the territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and 
        protection of the American people against all enemies, foreign and 
        domestic, is of the utmost responsibilities entrusted upon the Armed 
        Forces;
Whereas such responsibilities necessitate the elimination of the aforementioned 
        cartels' operational capacity via the application of military force; and
Whereas Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution directs 
        Congress to provide for the common defense and general welfare of the 
        United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE.

    (a) Authorization for Use of Military Force.--The President is 
authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as the 
President determines necessary and appropriate against the covered 
cartels, any forces directly coordinated or affiliated with any covered 
cartel, and any successor organization or forces to any such covered 
cartel.
    (b) Covered Cartel Defined.--In this resolution, the term ``covered 
cartel'' means the following:
            (1) Tren de Aragua.
            (2) Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).
            (3) Sinaloa Cartel.
            (4) Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
            (5) Northeast Cartel.
            (6) Michoacan family.
            (7) The United cartels.
            (8) Cartel del Golfo.
            (9) Clan del Golfo.

SEC. 2. COMPLIANCE WITH WAR POWERS RESOLUTION.

    (a) Specific Statutory Authorization.--Consistent with section 
8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this 
section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization 
within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.
    (b) Applicability of Other Requirements.--Nothing in this joint 
resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.
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