Florida 2024 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H7065 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
11	11	R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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13	13	House Memorial 1
14	14	A memorial to the United States Department of State, 2
15	15	urging the United States Secretary of State to 3
16	16	designate drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist 4
17	17	Organizations. 5
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19	19	WHEREAS, the land and maritime borders of the United States 7
20	20	present unique challenges and threats to the national security 8
21	21	of the country, and 9
22	22	WHEREAS, drug cartels engage in illicit activities, 10
23	23	including human smuggling, human trafficking, weapons 11
24	24	trafficking, money laundering, drug smuggling, extortion, and 12
25	25	kidnapping, which activities have breached the borders of the 13
26	26	United States, and 14
27	27	WHEREAS, as an example of the heinous activities of the 15
28	28	drug cartels, in March 2023, south of the Texas border, one dr ug 16
29	29	cartel claimed responsibility for the armed abduction and 17
30	30	killing of American citizens who were traveling in Mexico, and 18
31	31	WHEREAS, drug cartels have been responsible for the export 19
32	32	and distribution to the United States of wholesale amounts of 20
33	33	fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and other illicit 21
34	34	substances, which has caused tens of thousands of drug -related 22
35	35	overdoses and deaths in this country, and 23
36	36	WHEREAS, during federal fiscal year 2023, United States 24
37	37	Customs and Border Protection seized 27,00 0 pounds of fentanyl 25 
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46	46	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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49	49	and millions of fentanyl pills, enough to kill every American 26
50	50	several times over, and this amount represents a mere 10 to 15 27
51	51	percent of the fentanyl actually sent across the border into the 28
52	52	United States each year, and 29
53	53	WHEREAS, drug cartels engage in the practice of human 30
54	54	smuggling, which poses a substantial threat to the United States 31
55	55	by creating conduits that allow contraband and persons seeking 32
56	56	to harm the United States to clandestinely enter this country, 33
57	57	and 34
58	58	WHEREAS, during feder al fiscal year 2023, United States 35
59	59	Customs and Border Protection encountered 172 individuals on the 36
60	60	terrorist watchlist, nearly double the previous year and more 37
61	61	than the past 6 years combined, and 38
62	62	WHEREAS, Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality A ct 39
63	63	authorizes the United States Secretary of State, in consultation 40
64	64	with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney General, to 41
65	65	designate an organization as a Foreign Terrorist Organization 42
66	66	when certain criteria are met, and 43
67	67	WHEREAS, drug cartels meet the criteria to be designated as 44
68	68	Foreign Terrorist Organizations, given they are foreign in 45
69	69	nature, engage in or retain the capability and intent to engage 46
70	70	in terrorism, and threaten the security, foreign relations, and 47
71	71	economic interests of the United St ates, NOW, THEREFORE, 48
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73	73	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 50 
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82	82	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
83	83	R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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86	86	That the Florida Legislature respectfully urges the United 52
87	87	States Secretary of State to designate drug cartels as Foreign 53
88	88	Terrorist Organizations so that appropriate me ans may be 54
89	89	initiated to mitigate and, eventually, eliminate their 55
90	90	operations. 56
91	91	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State dispatch 57
92	92	copies of this memorial to the President of the United States, 58
93	93	the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 59
94	94	United States House of Representatives, the United States 60
95	95	Secretary of State, and each member of the Florida delegation to 61
96	96	the United States Congress. 62