10/14/21 - Sen. Cruz posted the following to Facebook: "The mining and trade of illicit precious metals across the globe continues to pose a national security threat to the U.S. and our allies. The porous border between Venezuela and Colombia facilitates the smuggling of illegal gold with ties to Marxist guerrilla groups like the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Venezuelan mining is also exported and laundered to boost dangerous regimes such as Iran, and moved through countries such as Turkey without transparency or accountability. I've introduced a bill that would help disrupt these activities by empowering the Treasury Department to designate jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern for trade in illicit metals." View the Facebook post here.