Ted Cruz Wants El Chapo To Pay For The Border Wall

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo



By CAITLIN MACNEAL Published APRIL 26, 2017, 8:47 AM EDT

Sen. Tex Cruz (R-TX) has a new plan to pay for President Donald Trump’s border wall.

The Texas senator on Tuesday introduced legislation that would funnel any assets seized from Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman as part of the United States’ criminal case against him. The U.S. is seeking $14 billion in criminal forfeiture from El Chapo.

“Fourteen billion dollars will go a long way toward building a wall that will keep Americans safe and hinder the illegal flow of drugs, weapons, and individuals across our southern border,” Cruz said in a statement announcing the bill. “Ensuring the safety and security of Texans is one of my top priorities. We must also be mindful of the impact on the federal budget. By leveraging any criminally forfeited assets of El Chapo and his ilk, we can offset the wall’s cost and make meaningful progress toward achieving President Trump’s stated border security objectives.”

Cruz’s bill, the Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order (EL CHAPO) Act, would funnel that $14 billion and any other assets seized from drug cartels toward Trump’s border wall.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ted-cruz-el-chapo-border-wall

[shawn703]

1. Perfect video response

(If you know Spanish however, you'll need to pretend that you don't and just read the subtitles - it's a spoof video like the ones they use of Hitler from the movie Downfall.)

[niyad]

19. "he forgot the planes" and "I want to pull that wig off his head"

[olegramps]

20. I want him to pay for the cost that he caused for his shut down of governement.

I despise the damn Repuks.

[underpants]

2. These dumbasses would probably end up hirin El Chapo as a consultant

What are the tunnels for?

It's part of the infrastructure.

Oh.

[randr]

3. Texans are not at all happy with this wall thing and Cruz is headin for a bruzin

[Cryptoad]

4. Im dreaming of a Blue Texas!!!!!

[tiptonic]

5. LOL

I smell a russian troll somewhere.

[SCVDem]

6. If you want to feel really safe Ted,

Just lock YOURSELF in a small concrete box.

For added security, cover with six feet of earth.

We will pay for that!

[FakeNoose]

16. They want a wall? fine!

All they have to do is start taxing the one-per-centers.
Let them pay for it.

Make sure it gets built by union laborers.

[IronLionZion]

7. They'll probably appoint El Chapo head of the DEA

Based on his extensive experience.

I'm all for screwing a drug lord.

Civil forfeiture screws a lot of normal innocent people all across America: small business owners, self-employed, legal marijuana shops, etc. People who transport or deposit large amounts of cash into a bank account are not always criminals.

[forgotmylogin]

8. Chapo got that tunnel done

He'd probably get the wall built faster and cheaper than any US contractor.

[keithbvadu2]

9. Are you sure Cruz did not mean el Guapo?

[Javaman]

10. by that logic that would mean...

they cruz wants "El Chapo" to continue to sell drugs.

in other news: cruz is still a fucking moron.

[TomCADem]

11. So, We Are Just Earmarking Law Enforcement Forfeiture Revenues...

...for a wall. Why not just ear marker forfeiture revenues from Mexican-American criminals for the wall, then claim that Mexico paid for it, rather than diverting revenues that usually go to law enforcement? Robbing cops to pay for Trump's wall.

[jpak]

12. Isn't this a Bill of Attainder

and unconstitutional?

Fuck cruz

[NickB79]

13. Wouldn't Mexico have dibs on that money?

After all, he is a Mexican citizen, captured in Mexico.

[flotsam]

18. Bingo

this is the reply I was waiting for...

Members of the main opposition force in Mexico are demanding the federal government to take the necessary steps to claim the entirety of assets seized to drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, recently extradited to the United States.

On Wednesday Congressman Jorge Ramos Hernández, from the National Action Party (PAN), claimed Guzman’s fortune amounts to at least $16 billion and must be ceded to Mexico to restore the damages caused by the trafficker’s illicit activities.

He said that according to federal law, confiscated assets must be distributed between the countries that participated in the capture. “And it is public knowledge – he said – that in this case [Guzman] was captured thanks to actions entirely in the hands of the Mexican government and [was a result of] a total autonomous action.”

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/01/26/el-chapo-guzmans-16b-in-assets-belong-to-mexico-congressman-claims.html

[ProfessorGAC]

14. This Idea Is Just As Dumb As The Wall Idea

And of course after being insulted, and his father's name being insulted, and his wife being insulted this little weasel falls right into line with the guy that leveled all those insults.

What a horribly unprincipled guy this is.

[BruceWane]

15. Pure Fantasy

Nothing but posturing, and ignorant conservatives will eat it up..

The $14 billion figure comes from a Justice Dept. statement which doesn't say they've actually located a single dollar of El Chapo's drug money. The statement even basically says that the estimated $14 billion is in Mexico. So yeah, I'm sure Mexico is ready to just hand over whatever assets the US Justice Dept. claims it is due.

Justice Dept. press release regarding "El Chapo".....

"Guzman Loera is also charged with using firearms in relation to his drug trafficking and money laundering relating to the bulk smuggling from the United States to Mexico of more than $14 billion in cash proceeds from narcotics sales throughout the United States and Canada. As part of this investigation, nearly 200,000 kilograms of cocaine linked to the Sinaloa Cartel have been seized. The indictment seeks forfeiture of more than $14 billion in drug proceeds and illicit profits."

[not fooled]

17. Well, look at all the criminality

among members of the dump cabinet--Ross and his Cyprus money laundering, Mnuchin and illegal robosigning/stealing homes through illegal foreclosure..the guy who stole miners' pensions...crime with no negative repercussions.

They are a bunch of criminals and thugs and can recognize one of their own.

Oh, and Cruz is cynically pandering to the dumbest of the dumb with this idiotic proposal.

[jmowreader]

21. There are a few problems

Since El Chapo's ill-gotten gains were gotten before the bill was dreamt up, this is an ex post facto law and, therefore, unconstitutional.

Next, it's Mexico's money. They'd probably be better off buying a battery of Rapier missiles to defend the Mexico City airport from planes with Trump Family consigneres in them.

And finally...won't $14 billion, assuming it's that much, buy about 20 miles of wall?

[truthisfreedom]

22. We should get that money. We're the ones who suffer as a result.

14B divided by 300M is $46.00 each! Nice dinner.