Cartel Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act of 2025

This bill authorizes the President to issue "letters of marque and reprisal" - a historical power from the U.S. Constitution - to privately armed groups. It would allow these groups to seize property and capture individuals (defined as cartel members or associates) responsible for aggression against the U.S., operating outside U.S. territory. The President must require a security bond to ensure compliance, and "cartel" is defined using two specific references (an executive order and a non-existent law). The bill directly affects foreign cartel members and their assets, not U.S. citizens or domestic operations. It revives a rarely used 18th-century legal mechanism for addressing perceived national security threats.