North Miami-Dade News

Reps. María Elvira Salazar, Mike Levin, Carlos A. Giménez, and Jimmy Panetta have introduced the Extending Limits of U.S. Customs Waters Act (H.R. 1268) in the House of Representatives. This proposed legislation seeks to enhance the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol's (CBP) jurisdiction from 12 to 24 nautical miles offshore to improve security measures.

The Senate version is being led by Senators Rick Scott and Maggie Hassan. The expansion aims to address criminal activities at sea more effectively by extending CBP's operational reach, allowing for better enforcement of customs, immigration, and sanitary laws.

"Vicious gangs in our hemisphere are using Miami’s strategic location to operate in Florida’s coastal waters," said Rep. Salazar, emphasizing the need for increased maritime jurisdiction as part of efforts to combat drugs and crime.

Despite existing Presidential Proclamation 7219 establishing a contiguous zone up to 24 nautical miles since 1999, current CBP operations are limited to within 12 nautical miles. The new bill would double this range, facilitating improved detection and interdiction efforts against illegal activities such as narcotics trafficking and human smuggling.

Rep. Levin expressed support for the bill: "Since joining Congress, I’ve called for greater security at our nation’s borders... This bipartisan bill gives CBP additional jurisdiction."

The legislation has garnered further support from several other representatives including Clay Higgins, Monica de la Cruz, Daniel Webster among others.

Senator Scott highlighted the challenges faced by law enforcement under current policies: "These agents have faced unprecedented challenges amid President Joe Biden’s open-border crisis... this bill will help keep our nation safe."

Senator Hassan added her perspective on law enforcement capabilities: "This bipartisan legislation will give Customs and Border Protection officers more authority."

The proposed act represents a bipartisan effort aimed at bolstering national security through enhanced maritime law enforcement capabilities.