Bill > S2561

This bill, the Human Smuggling Prevention Act of 2014, aims to combat organized human smuggling by defining and prohibiting specific activities, establishing penalties, and outlining a strategy to address the issue. It makes it illegal for anyone to knowingly direct or participate in an effort to assist or cause five or more people, excluding close family members, to enter the United States through fraudulent means, at unauthorized locations, or in violation of immigration laws, or to facilitate their travel to the U.S. knowing they lack lawful authority, or to transport aliens in unlawful transit. The bill defines "lawful authority" as explicit permission under U.S. immigration laws, excluding any obtained through fraud or not yet approved. Penalties range from fines and imprisonment up to 20 years, with enhanced penalties of up to 30 years or life imprisonment for violations involving serious bodily injury, death, jeopardy to life, bribery, robbery, extortion, involuntary sexual acts, confinement of aliens, or smuggling unaccompanied alien children. It also criminalizes knowingly transmitting law enforcement locations to aid federal crimes related to border controls and destroying or circumventing border control devices, with penalties of up to 10 or 20 years imprisonment. Furthermore, the bill mandates the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement a strategy to deter, detect, and interdict human smuggling, including increased coordination, intelligence sharing, and training, and to annually identify and report on high-traffic areas for human smuggling. Finally, it amends existing law to include "alien smuggling crime" as a predicate offense for firearm charges and adjusts the statute of limitations for certain smuggling offenses.