Buchanan Backs Seized Chapo Assets Funding Wall

A proposal introduced by Senator Ted Cruz is now gaining support from the sunshine state as Rep. Vern Buchanan has added his name as a sponsor to the bill that would “allow billions of dollars’ worth of assets seized from Mexican drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán Loera to help secure the souther border.”

The proposal came at a time when President Trump and Democrats were embroiled in a battle in order to strengthen border security by building a wall, which threatened another government shutdown that ended up being avoided.

Rep. Buchanan is a member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, and he announced his support for the “Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order (EL CHAPO) Act,” which aims to “set aside money forfeited to the U.S. government from El Chapo and other convicted drug lords to be used for increased security along the U.S.-Mexico border.”

Commenting on the proposal, Buchanan explained that “Guzman’s drug empire amassed an estimated $14 billion from narcotic sales responsible for destroying the lives of millions of Americans. As President Trump looks to secure the southern border, Congress should pass this commonsense measure to use seized drug money to staunch the flow of drugs and violence into our communities.”

The proposal was initially introduced in April of 2017, but Senator Cruz reintroduced the bill last month, saying that “By leveraging any criminally forfeited assets of El Chapo and other murderous drug lords, we can offset the cost of securing our border and make meaningful progress toward delivering on the promises made to the American people.”

Other Florida lawmakers that support the bill include Reps. Ted Yoho, Matt Gaetz, Dan Webster and Bill Posey, who have also sponsored the proposal that is before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.

Though the proposal currently has more than 30 cosponsors in the House, Senator Cruz has not gained cosponsors in the Senate.