The House of Representatives passed two bills targeting drug trafficking by South American cartels, including infamous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), on Wednesday.

One bill, sponsored by Republican Mississippi Rep. Michael Guest, increases the capacity of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel to collaborate with foreign governments in combating drug and human trafficking. The other piece of legislation, sponsored by Republican North Carolina Rep. Brad Knott, targets TdA and orders a comprehensive Department of Homeland Security (DHS) analysis of the cartel’s activity within 180 days and a strategic plan within one year of the analysis.

Both bills passed the House of Representatives by a voice vote on Wednesday afternoon.

Knott argued on Wednesday that his bill investigating TdA is necessary given the cartel’s success in cultivating networks in the U.S. and criminal threats posed by the group, and serves to “dismantle and remove” the cartel from the United States.

A US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) vehicle patrols along the US-Mexico border wall in Nogales, Arizona on September 16, 2025. As of 2022, approximately 11 million people lived in the United States illegally, according to government figures. And this figure may have risen since then to as many as 14 million, according to the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute.
Undocumented workers paid $97 billion in taxes in 2022 alone, according to Americans for Tax Fairness.
Figures from 2024 from the US Labor Department said nearly half of the foreign-born workforce in America is Latino. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Guest’s bill increases the ability of CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) personnel to conduct joint operations with foreign countries, including the monitoring, locating, tracking, and deterrence of illegal drugs, victims of human trafficking, and terrorist threats to the United States, among other priorities.

Guest noted AMO interdiction statistics from fiscal year 2024, including “48,609 apprehensions of illegal aliens, as well as the seizure or disruption of 244,781 pounds of cocaine, 2235 pounds of fentanyl, 3061 pounds of methamphetamine, and the seizure of 1499 weapons.” (RELATED: Trump Admin To Designate Socialist Dictator’s Drug Cartel As Terrorist Org)

A demonstrator holds an Ecuadorian flag next to a fire during an anti-government march in support of the national strike called by CONAIE (Ecuador’s largest indigenous organization) in Quito on September 23, 2025. Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa on September 23, 2025, accused the Venezuelan drug gang Tren de Aragua of financing Indigenous fuel price protests that have rocked his country for days. Earlier this month, Noboa announced a cut in the fuel subsidy he said would save the state $1.1 billion. (Photo by Rodrigo BUENDIA / AFP) (Photo by RODRIGO BUENDIA/AFP via Getty Images)

“I believe that this legislation, going hand in hand with the previous legislation that this body just took up and just passed, that it is an important step as we continue to remain vigilant, as we continue to do what the American people elected us to do,” Guest said on the House floor Wednesday. “They elected us to keep them safe. They elected us to make sure that the communities in which they live, that those communities are great places to live, and worship, and to raise a family.”

President Donald Trump’s administration has conducted at least 21 strikes on alleged narco-trafficking boats in the Caribbean since Sept. 2, killing 83 aboard the vessels. Congress has twice sought oversight of the operations, both times failing to win the required votes to limit military strikes in South America.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].