Sen. Ted Cruz proposes “El Chapo Act” to help pay for Border Wall
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R) Texas), introduced the Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order (EL CHAPO) Act Tuesday.
The bill would reserve any amounts forfeited to the U.S. Government as a result of the criminal prosecution of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and other drug lords for border security assets and the completion of the Border Wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Fourteen billion dollars will go a long way toward building a wall that will keep Americans safe and hinder the illegal flow of drugs, weapons, and individuals across our southern border,” said Sen. Cruz. “By leveraging any criminally forfeited assets of El Chapo and his ilk, we can offset the wall’s cost and make meaningful progress toward achieving President Trump’s stated border security objectives.”
FOR THE COMPLETE TEXT OF SENATOR CRUZ’S BILL, CLICK HERE.
According to a news release from Sen. Cruz’s Office, the U.S. Government is currently seeking the criminal forfeiture of more than $14 billion in drug proceeds and illicit profits from El Chapo, the former leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
Guzman was recently extradited to the U.S. to face criminal prosecution for numerous alleged drug-related crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder and money laundering.
A federal indictment alleges that between January 1989 and December 2014, El Chapo was responsible for importing massive amounts of illegal narcotics into the US.
