Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2643) to require the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the ties between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti and impose sanctions on political and economic elites involved in such criminal activities, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 2643

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the following 5 years, the Secretary of State, in coordination with other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding the ties between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti. The report shall--

(1) identify and list prominent criminal gangs in Haiti as well as the leaders thereof, and describe their criminal activities including coercive recruitment, and identify their primary geographic areas of operations;

(2) list Haitian political and economic elites who have direct links to criminal gangs and any organizations or entities controlled by these elites;

(3) describe in detail the relationship between the individuals listed pursuant to paragraph (2) and the criminal gangs identified pursuant to paragraph (1);

(4) describe in detail how Haitian political and economic elites use their relationships with criminal gangs to advance their political and economic interests and agenda;

(5) include a list of each criminal organization assessed to be trafficking Haitians and other individuals to the United States border;

(6) include an assessment of ties between political and economic elites, criminal gangs in Haiti, and transnational criminal organizations;

(7) include an assessment of how the nature and extent of collusion between political and economic elites and criminal gangs threatens the Haitian people and United States national interests and activities in the country; and

(8) include an assessment of potential actions that the Government of the United States could take to address the findings made pursuant to paragraph (6).

(b) Form of Report.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. SEC. 3. SANCTIONS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the submission of the report to the appropriate committees, the President shall impose the sanctions described in subsection (b) with respect to each foreign person identified pursuant to sections 2(a)(1) and 2(a)(2).

(b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this subsection are the following:

(1) Property blocking.--Notwithstanding the requirements of section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701), the President may exercise of all powers granted to the President by that Act to the extent necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests in property of the foreign person if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person.

(2) Visas, admission, or parole.--

(A) In general.--An alien who the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such Secretaries) knows, or has reason to believe, is described in subsection (a) is--

(i) inadmissible to the United States;

(ii) ineligible for a visa or other documentation to enter the United States; and

(iii) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the United States or to receive any other benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).

(B) Current visas revoked.--

(i) In general.--The issuing consular officer, the Secretary of State, or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such Secretaries) shall, in accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), revoke any visa or other entry documentation issued to an alien described in subsection (a) regardless of when the visa or other entry documentation is issued.

(ii) Effect of revocation.--A revocation under clause (i) shall take effect immediately and shall automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry documentation that is in the alien's possession.

(c) Exceptions.--

(1) Exception to comply with international obligations.-- Sanctions under this section shall not apply with respect to the admission of an alien if admitting or paroling the alien into the United States is necessary to permit the United States to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and the United States, or other applicable international obligations.

(2) Exception relating to the provision of humanitarian assistance.--Sanctions under this section may not be imposed with respect to transactions or the facilitation of transactions for--

(A) the sale of agricultural commodities, food, medicine, or medical devices to Haiti;

(B) the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti;

(C) financial transactions relating to humanitarian assistance or for humanitarian purposes in Haiti; or

(D) transporting goods or services that are necessary to carry out operations relating to humanitarian assistance or humanitarian purposes in Haiti.

(d) Implementation; Penalties.--

(1) Implementation.--The President may exercise all authorities provided to the President under sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and 1704) to carry out this subtitle.

(2) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in of section 206(b) and (c) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a person that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of regulations promulgated to carry out this section to the same extent that such penalties apply to a person that commits an unlawful act described in section 206(a) of that Act.

(e) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of sanctions or restrictions imposed with respect to a foreign person under this section if the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that the waiver is important to the national interests of the United States.

(f) Exception Relating to Importation of Goods.--

(1) In general.--The authorities and requirements to impose sanctions authorized under this section shall not include the authority or requirement to impose sanctions on the importation of goods.

(2) Good defined.--In this subsection, the term ``good'' means any article, natural or man-made substance, material, supply or manufactured product, including inspection and test equipment, and excluding technical data. SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--

(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives;

(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;

(C) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives;

(D) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate;

(E) the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence;

(F) the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence;

(G) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and

(H) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

(1) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means an individual or entity that is not a United States person.

(2) United states person.--The term ``United States person'' means--

(A) a United States citizen;

(B) a permanent resident alien of the United States; or

(C) an entity organized under the laws of the United States or of any jurisdiction within the United States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.

(3) Economic elites.--The term ``economic elites'' means board members, officers, and executives of groups, committees, corporations, or other entities that exert substantial influence or control over Haiti's economy, infrastructure, or particular industries.

(4) Political elites.--The term ``political elites'' means current and former government officials and their high-level staff, political party leaders, and political committee leaders. SEC. 5. SUNSET.

The authorities provided by this Act shall cease to have effect on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

I support H.R. 2643, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act, introduced by Ranking Member Meeks, because it advances a clear bipartisan goal: exposing and sanctioning the corrupt political and economic elites in Haiti who have fueled the country's ongoing gang crisis.

This is not just about Haiti. It is about protecting U.S. national security. The chaos in Port-au-Prince is creating regional instability. Haitians are fleeing the island, using criminal networks to traffic them and others to our southern border. These actors threaten the safety of the Haitian people and the interests of the United States.

To its credit, the Trump administration responded swiftly. Within days of taking office, it approved nearly $41 million to support the Haitian National Police and the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission. It also issued a humanitarian waiver to keep emergency relief flowing.

This bill complements those efforts by requiring the State Department to identify and report on individual gangs tied to gang activity and to impose sanctions on those responsible. It targets the enablers of violence and provides Congress with the information needed to act decisively.

Meanwhile, the administration is prioritizing stronger oversight of U.S. foreign assistance to Haiti, an essential effort to ensure taxpayer funds are not misused. By identifying and sanctioning corrupt actors, this bill helps ensure that U.S. aid does not end up in the hands of those fueling the instability. It reinforces the broader objective of holding accountable the networks behind Haiti's collapse.

I appreciate the bipartisan leadership on this legislation and recognize its importance in confronting the crisis head-on.

House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, June 16, 2025. Hon. Brian Mast, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Mast: I write regarding H.R. 2643, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025. Provisions of this bill fall within the Judiciary Committee's Rule X jurisdiction, and I appreciate that you consulted with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee agrees that it shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.

The Committee takes this action with the understanding that forgoing further consideration of this measure does not in any way alter the Committee's jurisdiction or waive any future jurisdictional claim over these provisions or their subject matter. We also reserve the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees in the event of a conference with the Senate involving this measure or similar legislation.

I ask that you please insert this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 2643 on the House floor. I appreciate the cooperative manner in which our committees have worked on this matter, and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future on matters of shared jurisdiction. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Jim Jordan, Chairman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC, June 23, 2025. Hon. Jim Jordan, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Jordan: Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Foreign Affairs and agreeing to be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2643, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2025, so that the measure may proceed expeditiously to the House Floor.

I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of your committee or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would support your effort to seek appointments of any appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate conference of this legislation.

I will submit the exchange of letters to be published in the Congressional Record. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to work together on matters of shared jurisdiction during this Congress. Sincerely, Brian J. Mast, Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee.

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Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers and will continue to reserve until the gentleman yields back his time.

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Mr. BAUMGARTNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Meeks for this fine piece of legislation and appreciate his bipartisan spirit.

I urge my colleagues to pass the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act and make clear that the United States will expose and hold accountable those who fund, enable, and profit from gang violence in Haiti. It will shine a light on the criminal networks undermining regional stability and ensure there are consequences for those who collude with them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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