San Antonio Criminal Lawyers Blog
June 16, 2011 – A bill has been introduced by Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.) to prosecute people who finance or construct border tunnels. The bill also includes illegal tunneling as an offenseeligible for Title III wiretaps.
According to the Feinstein website: “We know that weapons, drugs, and even terrorists can be smuggled through these border tunnels…property owners who recklessly disregard the existence of tunnels on their land will be held to account.”
The Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2011 will:
• Make the use, construction or financing of a border tunnel a conspiracy offense;
• Include illegal tunneling as an offense eligible for Title III wiretaps even when there are not drugs or other contraband to facilitate a wiretap;
• Specify border tunnel activity as unlawful under the existing forfeiture and money laundering provisions to allow authorities to seize assets in these cases.
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