This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to significantly enhance inspections of vehicles and goods traveling southbound from the United States to Mexico, primarily to combat drug trafficking and weapons smuggling. The legislation requires hiring at least 500 new U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and 200 additional special agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to conduct southbound inspections and investigate smuggling operations. The department is also authorized to purchase up to 50 advanced imaging systems and related equipment to inspect vehicles and cargo leaving the country, with these equipment provisions expiring after five years. By March 2027, the bill requires that at least 10 percent of all conveyances traveling from the United States to Mexico be inspected, and the department must report back to Congress by 2028 on the resources needed to increase inspection rates to 15 and 20 percent. Additionally, Customs and Border Protection must submit quarterly reports for four years detailing the seizures of currency, firearms, and ammunition at southbound ports of entry.
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