This bill directs the State Department, working with other federal agencies, to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat illegal gold mining in the Western Hemisphere, which currently finances criminal organizations, funds terrorists, and harms indigenous communities and the environment. The strategy must address how to reduce connections between small-scale miners and criminal organizations, prevent mining in protected areas, counter money laundering linked to illicit gold, strengthen law enforcement in Latin America and the Caribbean, and support the formalization of legitimate mining operations with better labor and environmental practices. The bill specifically targets Venezuela's illicit gold trade, which enriches the Maduro regime, and requires a classified briefing to Congress on Venezuelan gold mining activities and international trade arrangements. The State Department must submit the strategy within 180 days and provide semiannual progress reports for three years, while working with private industry and regional governments to build responsible gold supply chains modeled on Swiss best practices. The bill authorizes $10 million in funding through fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to implement these efforts.
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