Cornyn, Coons Introduce Bill to Combat PRC-linked Organized Crime in Latin America

Cornyn, Coons Introduce Bill to Combat PRC-linked Organized Crime in Latin America News Cornyn, Coons Introduce Bill to Combat PRC-linked Organized Crime in Latin America June 16, 2026 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the Eliminate PRC Organized Crime Act, which would target the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence via organized criminal groups in Latin America by establishing a program to formalize greater consultation and information sharing between U.S. and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) law enforcement agencies: “Confronting Chinese organized crime, which is often propped up by the Chinese Communist Party, must be a shared mission of the Western Hemisphere, and it’s important our law enforcement agencies reflect that,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This commonsense legislation will combat the CCP’s influence in our hemisphere by increasing cooperation and communication between U.S. and Latin American law enforcement agencies.” “China is growing increasingly aggressive toward our allies in the Pacific as well as our allies in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Sen. Coons. “Chinese-linked criminal networks endanger Americans and our communities by flooding our country with everything from fentanyl to dangerous counterfeits. This bipartisan bill will empower our allies in the Western Hemisphere with more tools to keep criminals at bay, protecting themselves and us.” “Chinese criminal networks in the Western Hemisphere pose a direct threat to U.S. national security, supporting drug trafficking and other illicit activities and destabilizing key U.S. partners. FDD Action is proud to endorse this effort to help Latin American partners build law enforcement capacity to take on this threat,” said FDD Action Senior Director of Government Relations Connor Pfeiffer. Background: The Eliminate PRC Organized Crime Act would: Establish a program to help build the capacity of LAC law enforcement agencies to disrupt PRC-linked organized criminal groups that would include: Consultation between U.S. federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with experience in investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting PRC-linked organized criminal groups, and LAC law enforcement; Training on financial investigations, money laundering illicit finance prosecution, and asset forfeiture relating to Chinese organized criminal groups; Technical assistance, including digital forensics, telecommunications intercept coordination, and all-source and open-source intelligence relevant to PRC-linked organized crime; And Support for vetting and screening programs to ensure foreign law enforcement agencies receiving assistance are not compromised by PRC-linked organized criminal groups. Require a report from the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), in coordination with the U.S. Secretary of State, on: All U.S. assistance to LAC countries under the program; Summary of all known PRC-linked organized criminal activity taking place in LAC countries; Summary of all known instances of the PRC providing law enforcement assistance to these LAC countries to facilitate or disrupt Chinese organized criminal activities; And any mutual legal assistance treaty requests or other assistance submitted by LAC countries that receive assistance under the program. This legislation is endorsed by FDD Action, the National HIDTA Directors Association, and the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition