§12541. Rural Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces

(a) Establishment

The Attorney General, in consultation with the Governors, mayors, and chief executive officers of State and local law enforcement agencies, may establish a Rural Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force in judicial districts that encompass significant rural lands. Assets seized as a result of investigations initiated by a Rural Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force and forfeited under Federal law shall be used, consistent with the guidelines on equitable sharing established by the Attorney General and of the Secretary of the Treasury, primarily to enhance the operations of the task force and its participating State and local law enforcement agencies.

(b) Task force membership

The Task Forces ¹ established under subsection (a) shall be carried out under policies and procedures established by the Attorney General. The Attorney General may deputize State and local law enforcement officers and may cross-designate up to 100 Federal law enforcement officers, when necessary to undertake investigations pursuant to section 873(a) of title 21 or offenses punishable by a term of imprisonment of 10 years or more under title 18. The task forces-

(1) shall include representatives from-

(A) State and local law enforcement agencies;

(B) the office of the United States Attorney for the judicial district; and

(C) the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the United States Marshals Service; and

(2) may include representatives of other Federal law enforcement agencies, such as the United States Customs Service, United States Park Police, United States Forest Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Bureau of Land Management.

( Pub. L. 103–322, title XVIII, §180102, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2045 .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 14081 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. For establishment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, treated as if included in Pub. L. 107–296 as of Nov. 25, 2002, see section 211 of Title 6, as amended generally by Pub. L. 114–125, and section 802(b) of Pub. L. 114–125, set out as a note under section 211 of Title 6.

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, including the related functions of the Secretary of the Treasury, to the Department of Justice, see section 531(c) of Title 6, Domestic Security, and section 599A(c)(1) of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service and Transfer of Functions

For abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service, transfer of functions, and treatment of related references, see note set out under section 1551 of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality.

¹ So in original. Probably should not be capitalized.