Following a drawn out battle over the inclusion of his proposed spending for a wall he had originally declared the American tax payer wouldn't fund, President Donald Trump has hinted at a willingness to postpone the project so as to get congressional budget negotiations moving along. But a couple of his allies in government have been brainstorming ways to supplement federal funding for the barrier, with Texas senator Ted Cruz being the latest. Cruz has announced that he will push for legislation that will enable the government to extract funds from criminals deemed to have built their wealth illegally, and he wants to start with El Chapo.
The Ensuring Lawful Collection of Hidden Assets to Provide Order Act has been dubbed the El CHAPO Act, for its endeavor to revoke some $14 billion from the Mexican drug lord, in an effort to relieve the U.S. from having to raise the money, for a border wall. Although it is arguable that $14 billion wouldn't fully cover expenses for the wall's construction, it could certainly take some of the pressure that rests on the President to deliver on his promises. While Trump ally and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that the wall could be built for $15 billion, an internal Homeland Security report estimates the cost will run up closer to the $21.6 billion mark.
“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 he made in regards to the bill. Cruz says that passing such legislation would enable the government to apply the same act to future kingpins, while advancing national interests that the nation just cannot afford.
El Chapo Joaquin Guzman's lawyers Michael Schneider and Michelle Gelernt responded to news of Cruz's proposal by challenging the notion that the former Sinaloa Cartel boss has that kind of money. "The government is seeking forfeiture of 14 billion dollars but has yet to demonstrate that Mr. Guzman has any assets at all," Schneider said.
Source: nydailynews.com
