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The Republican senator from Texas is proposing the US use coc aine-tainted money forfeited by Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to pay for President Donald Trump’s proposed wall on the nation’s southern border.
Cruz introduced a bill — called Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order, or ELCHAPO — Tuesday that would repurpose $14 billion in assets the feds plan to squeeze out of Guzman to fund the project, Axios first reported.
“Fourteen billion dollars will go a long way toward building a wall that will keep Americans safe and hinder the illegal flow of drugs, weapons, and individuals across our southern border,” he said.
"The governments of the United States and Mexico are talking about this issue,” a U.S. diplomatic source told Excelsior. “We hope that if convicted there will be a fair division of goods between the two countries, in accordance to what is predominantly done in this type of cases," he said.
So, if Mexico gets stiffed on forfeitures, why would they cooperate with the DOJ? The DEA?
Even if we don't get this full amount, the bill includes future forfeitures after convictions of others.
originally posted by: mzinga
a reply to: Phage
My point is this is similar to RICO statutes and regardless of where the money is now, if we come into possession of the money it becomes ours. We are then still making a fiscal decision to spend the money. It isn't Mexico paying for it.
The only new thing is allotting the money from Mexican drug and human traffickers for border security costs.