1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2023 . 2. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the security, stability, prosperity, and state of democratic governance in the countries of the Western Hemisphere are vital to the national interests of the United States and to the national interests of such countries; (2) the harmful and malign influence in Latin America and the Caribbean of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Government of the Russian Federation, and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran poses risks to— (A) the people and countries of the Western Hemisphere; and (B) the national interests of the United States; (3) the United States should expand its engagement in the Western Hemisphere by— (A) strengthening its alliances and partnerships with countries in the Western Hemisphere; (B) fostering security cooperation among countries in the Western Hemisphere to facilitate trade, investment, training, and humanitarian assistance in the near and long term; and (C) working with security and law enforcement agencies in the Western Hemisphere— (i) to address the shared challenges of— (I) narcotics trafficking, including the trafficking of fentanyl, the illicit use of which is now the leading cause of death among adults in the United States between the ages of 18 and 45 years; (II) human trafficking; (III) other forms of illicit trafficking; (IV) transnational criminal organizations; and (V) cybersecurity; and (ii) to support the rule of law, democracy, and human rights in the region; (4) the United States should maintain credible security capabilities dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean— (A) to build partner country capacity; (B) to support the delivery of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; (C) to deter acts of aggression; and (D) to respond, if necessary, to regional threats and threats to the national security of the United States