Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries Act 2.0 seeks to designate Russian paramilitary organizations descended from the Wagner Group as foreign terrorist organizations. Following Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin's death in 2023, his forces were absorbed into Russia's Ministry of Defense and reorganized under names like Africa Corps, Redut PMC, and Patriot PMC, where they continue conducting mercenary operations and human rights abuses across Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. The bill requires the Secretary of State to report on all successor entities and individuals directing these operations, with the Comptroller General auditing that report within 60 days. Within 30 days of the audit, the State Department—coordinating with Treasury, the Attorney General, and intelligence officials—must determine which organizations and individuals meet terrorist designation criteria and apply sanctions accordingly. The law also mandates annual reports for five years on these groups' international activities, funding sources, human rights violations, and effectiveness of existing sanctions, with special attention to their operations in Venezuela and the Western Hemisphere.
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