October 23, 2025
Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Mr. King) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
To build the capacity of the Armed Forces of Mexico to counter the threat posed by transnational criminal organizations, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Partnership for Advancing Regional Training and Narcotics Enforcement Response Strategies Act
or the PARTNERS Act
.
Sec. 2. Building the capacity of the Armed Forces of Mexico to counter the threat posed by transnational criminal organizations
(a) Statement of policy
It is the policy of the United States Government to counter the threat posed by transnational criminal organizations, including through military capacity building and security cooperation with the Government of Mexico.
(b) Plan
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State and with the agreement of the Government of Mexico, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan for a pilot program under which the Armed Forces of Mexico and the United States Armed Forces will train jointly in the United States on tactics, techniques, and procedures for countering the threat posed by transnational criminal organizations, including through—
(1)
operations involving the use of rotary-wing aircraft; and
(2)
in consultation with the appropriate civilian government agencies specializing in countering transnational criminal organizations—
(A)
joint network analysis;
(B)
counter threat financing;
(C)
counter illicit trafficking (including narcotics, weapons, and human trafficking, and illicit trafficking in natural resources); and
(D)
assessments of key nodes of activity of transnational criminal organizations.
(c) Implementation
Not later than 15 days after the date on which the plan required by subsection (b) is submitted under such subsection, the Secretary of Defense shall begin implementing the pilot program described in the plan.
(d) Definition of appropriate congressional committees
In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
(1)
the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2)
the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.