Jenniffer González-Colón Introduces Legislation to Improve Technologies to Secure the U.S. Maritime Border
Washington, D.C. – Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón introduced H.R. 8056, the Maritime Border Security Technology Improvement Act, which complements the Congresswoman's agenda to combat criminal threats along the United States maritime border, and especially in waters around Puerto Rico.
The Maritime Border Security Technology Improvement Act would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a technology needs and gaps analysis to secure the U.S. maritime border. Among other factors, the analysis must assess:
• Technology needed to combat criminal activity, including drug and human trafficking
• Technology needed to enhance maritime domain awareness and detection and interdiction capabilities
• Recent technological advancements that have the potential to improve maritime border security efforts, including manned and unmanned aerial systems and sensors; unmanned maritime vessels; maritime surveillance and signals intelligence capabilities; coastal radar surveillance systems; and communications and information sharing capabilities • Trends regarding migration and the movement of illegal goods across the maritime border
• The needs and challenges faced by DHS employees deployed along the maritime border
• Efforts to improve cooperation between federal, state, territorial, local, tribal, and appropriate international law enforcement agencies to secure the maritime border.
The Maritime Border Security Technology Improvement Act would also require the development of a plan to meet the maritime border security technology needs and gaps identified in this analysis, including developing or acquiring technologies not currently used by DHS.
“Much of my agenda has been dedicated to combating transnational criminal organizations that use Puerto Rico as a destination and transshipment point for illicit drugs. We have coordinated efforts with DHS, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and secured federal resources for local law enforcement agencies, for a better and more robust response to these threats. However, maritime security authorities continue to report illicit activity and practices along the maritime borders of the United States, including the waters near Puerto Rico. That’s why I introduced H.R. 8056, which focuses on modernizing and strengthening available technologies to secure our maritime border,” said González-Colón.
Representatives Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Mike Waltz (R-FL) are cosponsors of the bill.
Counterdrug Efforts
In 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation introduced by González-Colón – subsequently signed into law as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Section 1813 of P.L. 115-254) - which required that the Secretary of DHS carry out a detailed analysis of the threats along the maritime border of the United States, including the so-called Transit Zone and the borders and territorial waters of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands of the United States.
Congresswomen González-Colón and Stephanie Murphy also secured legislative language in 2019 requiring that ONDCP regularly update the Caribbean Border Counternarcotics Strategy, which had last been published in 2015. In response to this language, ONDCP has published and reviewed the strategy in July 2020 and April 2022.
Other efforts include former ONDCP Director Jim Carroll’s visit to Puerto Rico, at the Congresswoman’s invitation, to meet with federal and local law enforcement agencies on the Island and discuss efforts to combat drug trafficking; letters to federal law enforcement agencies requesting additional federal to improve public safety on the Island; and the acquisition of better and more modern equipment to improve the effectiveness of border security missions in Puerto Rico, such as the new MH-60 helicopters for the Coastal Guard at Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, which the Congresswoman supported and advocated for in the appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2021.
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