WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Rick Scott and Maggie Hassan reintroduced the bipartisan Extending Limits of U.S. Customs Waters Act to formally expand the U.S. customs waters territory 12 to 24 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States. This will help ensure the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) have the jurisdiction and authority needed to stop drug and human trafficking in U.S. territory and keep families safe.

Over Joe Biden’s presidency, Customs and Border Protection reported a record 11 million encounters and seized over 9,000 pounds of fentanyl. With expanded jurisdiction codified into law, AMO, USCG and other federal authorities will be able to better meet this challenge and further prevent these traffickers from reaching our shores. Joining Senators Scott and Hassan are Senators James Lankford and Ruben Gallego.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Members of our U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations are working day-in and day-out to keep our nation’s shores, beaches and maritime territory safe, conducting critical missions and intercepting dangerous drugs and human traffickers before they reach shore. These agents have faced unprecedented challenges amid President Joe Biden’s open-border crisis, but their work has made a huge difference to stop drugs and dangerous human traffickers from reaching our communities. Along with President Trump’s actions to secure the border, this bill will help keep our nation safe and stop the flow of illegal drugs coming into our country by permanently expanding the jurisdiction and authority of our Coast Guard, CBP and others in our maritime territory. I urge my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan bill.”

Senator Maggie Hassan said, “U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers keep our country safe every day by stopping drug and human traffickers trying to come into our country by land, sea, and air. This bipartisan legislation will give Customs and Border Protection officers more authority to stop criminals who are trying to come to our shores and harm our communities, and I will keep working to give law enforcement the tools that they need to protect our communities.”  

Senator Ruben Gallego said, “Strengthening our border includes keeping our water secure. I’m cosponsoring this bill to give CBP the authority and tools to stay ahead of transnational criminal organizations and intercept criminal activity before it reaches American shores.”

The Extending Limits of U.S. Customs Waters Act:

• Would formally extend the law enforcement authorities of CBP AMO and codify the U.S. Coast Guard maritime authority in U.S. Customs Waters from 12 nautical miles to 24 nautical miles.
• Would update a number of existing laws, and codify the 1999 Presidential Proclamation 7219—The Contiguous Zone of the United States, which formally established the United States’ contiguous zone from the 12 nautical mile limit of the U.S. Customs Waters to 24 nautical miles. By extending jurisdiction into the near shore waters and doubling the area of operation, AMO, USCG, and other federal authorities can properly enforce U.S. customs, fiscal and sanitary laws at sea.

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