The Cartel Marque and Reprisal Reauthorization Act authorizes President Donald Trump to commission American operators under letters of marque to seize cartel property and persons on land or sea outside the United States.

So...they want to let people be pirates again?

Lee gave a nod to history in calling for the enabling of private citizens to take the fight against pirates, noting that Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution authorizes Congress to “grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal.”

Lee’s bill would expand Trump’s tools to fight the cartels through the use of letters of marque. His office says his bill:

• Authorizes and commissions the President of the United States to issue letters of marque and reprisal, according to the judgment of the President, to employ all reasonably necessary means to seize outside the geographic boundaries of the United States and its territories the person and property of any cartel or conspirator of a cartel or cartel-linked organization.
• Specifies that cartels or conspirators subject to letters of marque and reprisal must be responsible for an act of aggression against the United States.
• Requires the President to call for the posting of a security bond to ensure that the letter is executed according to its terms and conditions prior to issuing any letter of marque and reprisal.

This feels like people are stretching for distractions. Does it actually make any difference? No. But I don't really have a good theory about what they are distracting us from.

The full text of the bill can be found here.