Stop COYOTES Act Adds 10 Years for Child Felonies Near Schools, Hikes Fentanyl Trafficking Penalties

The Stop COYOTES Act, officially the Stop Coyotes Oppression and Organized Trafficking, and Ensuring Safety Act, is a bill focused on increasing penalties for certain crimes and boosting information sharing related to border security and trafficking. It’s essentially a three-part plan tackling child safety near specific locations, fentanyl trafficking, and federal-local coordination at the border.

The 'School Zone' Penalty Multiplier

Section 2 of this bill creates a new, mandatory, and very tough sentence for anyone convicted of certain felonies involving a minor (under 18). If you commit a specified serious crime—think kidnapping, child pornography, or sex trafficking—and you do it within 1,000 feet of a school, college, or public housing facility, or within 100 feet of a public park, playground, or even a “video arcade facility,” you get hit with an extra sentence. This isn't just a slap on the wrist; it’s up to 10 additional years in prison. Crucially, this new sentence must be served consecutively, meaning it starts only after the original sentence for the crime is finished. For everyday people, this means significantly longer sentences for serious crimes happening near places kids congregate. The idea is to create an extra layer of protection around schools and parks, but it achieves this by removing judicial discretion and locking in a harsh, mandatory sentence based solely on proximity.

Raising the Stakes on Fentanyl Trafficking

Section 3 targets fentanyl trafficking by increasing the monetary thresholds that trigger the harshest mandatory minimum sentences under the Controlled Substances Act. Previously, these mandatory sentences were tied to specific drug quantities. This bill adjusts those triggers by setting new, higher dollar amounts—ranging from $5 million up to $75 million—that define the large-scale trafficking amounts subject to the most severe penalties. For example, where a certain amount might have triggered a penalty before, the new thresholds are much higher, making it easier for prosecutors to hit the highest mandatory minimums. If you’re caught dealing large quantities of fentanyl, this bill ensures the financial value of the drugs involved will push your case toward the longest possible prison terms. The goal is clearly to target high-level drug operations, but mandatory minimums can sometimes snag lower-level actors who are part of a larger network, making the application of these new, higher thresholds something to watch.

Border Data Sharing: ICE, CBP, and Local Police

Section 4 is all about information flow. It mandates that the Secretary of Homeland Security ensure U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) share detailed intelligence with each other, and critically, with state and local law enforcement agencies located along or within 100 miles of a U.S. land border. The information required to be shared is specific: details on illegal entries, human trafficking, smuggling of people and controlled substances, and the involvement of transnational criminal organizations. Homeland Security must then report this collected data to Congress every 180 days. For border communities and the law enforcement agencies serving them, this means a significant increase in shared federal intelligence regarding serious criminal activity. The intent is to improve coordination against smuggling and trafficking, but it also means local police forces near the border will be integrating a large volume of federal border security data into their operations, potentially changing their focus and resources.