US Senators Introduce Legislation to Combat PRC-Linked Organized Crime in the Caribbean

WASHINGTON, DC – Two United States legislators have introduced the Eliminate PRC Organized Crime Act, which would target the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence through alleged organized criminal groups in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Republican John Corny and Democrat Christopher Coons say that the legislation will establish a programme to formalise greater consultation and information sharing between US and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) law enforcement agencies.

They two legislators said that the legislation would designate the Chinese Communist Party as a Transnational Organized Crime Group and that the measure is aimed at countering illicit activities, cybercrimes, and state-sponsored operations tied to China.

“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 Cornyn, adding that “this commonsense legislation will combat the CCP’s influence in our hemisphere by increasing cooperation and communication” between US and regional law enforcement agencies.

Coons noted that China is “growing increasingly aggressive toward our allies in the Pacific, as well as our allies in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“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.”

Senior director of government relations for FDD Action, Connor Pfeiffer, said Chinese criminal networks in the Western Hemisphere pose “a direct threat to US national security, supporting drug trafficking and other illicit activities and destabilizing key US partners.”

He said FDD Action, an advocacy and lobbying organization affiliated with the Washington, D.C.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD),  was “proud to endorse this effort” to help regional partners build “law enforcement capacity to take on this threat.”

Cornyn and Coons said the Eliminate PRC Organized Crime Act would establish a programme to help build the capacity of LAC law enforcement agencies to disrupt PRC-linked organized criminal groups that would include consultation between US federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with experience in investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting PRC-linked organized criminal groups, and LAC law enforcement.

They said the Act would also provide training on financial investigations, money laundering illicit finance prosecution, and asset forfeiture relating to Chinese organized criminal groups; and provide technical assistance, including digital forensics, telecommunications intercept coordination, and “all-source and open-source intelligence” relevant to PRC-linked organized crime.

In addition, the senator said the Act would provide support for vetting and screening programs “to ensure foreign law enforcement agencies receiving assistance are not compromised by PRC-linked organized criminal groups.”

Cornyn and Coons said the Eliminate PRC Organized Crime Act would, among other things, require a report from the director of National Intelligence (DNI), in coordination with the US Secretary of State, on all US assistance to LAC countries under the program; and provide a summary of all known PRC-linked organized criminal activity taking place in LAC countries.