# Build the Wall and Fight Fentanyl Act of 2023

This bill creates a way to fund two separate initiatives using money and property seized from drug cartels. When federal agencies like the DEA, ICE, or Border Patrol confiscate cash, vehicles, or other assets from criminal organizations operating between Mexico and the United States, that money would be split equally between two new accounts instead of going through the normal government budget process.

The first account, called the Southern Border Wall Fulfillment Fund, would receive half of all seized cartel assets to pay for building and maintaining physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The second account, the Combating The Fentanyl Epidemic Fund, would receive the other half to provide grants to organizations fighting the fentanyl crisis. These eligible organizations include local police departments, health agencies, drug rehabilitation facilities, and drug prevention advocacy groups. The bill specifically names major Mexican cartels—like the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel—whose seized assets would trigger these fund deposits.

In practical terms, this bill essentially redirects money that federal agencies already seize from cartels toward border construction and anti-fentanyl efforts, rather than letting it flow into general government revenue. The amount available would depend entirely on how much property and cash law enforcement actually confiscates from these criminal organizations. Supporters argue this uses cartel money to fight cartel-related problems, while critics might question whether this is the most effective way to address border security and drug addiction issues, or whether it creates incentives that could affect law enforcement priorities.

Build the Wall and Fight Fentanyl Act of 2023

Feenstra, Randy

Build the Wall and Fight Fentanyl Act of 2023 This bill establishes accounts to fund the construction of physical barriers along the U.S. southern border and to provide grants to address fentanyl abuse. These accounts shall be funded from the sale of assets belonging to cartels that have been seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The bill defines cartel as (1) an organization with operations in Mexico and the United States designated as a significant transnational criminal organization; (2) certain named organizations, such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Juarez Cartel; and (3) other organizations as designated by the President.