Liana Sun Wyler Analyst in International Crime and Narcotics
The
global illegal drug trade represents a multi-dimensional challenge that has
implications for U.S. national interests as well as the international
community. Common illegal drugs trafficked internationally include
cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. According to the U.S. intelligence community,
international drug trafficking can undermine political and regional stability
and bolster the role and capabilities of transnational criminal organizations
in the drug trade. Key regions of concern include Latin America and
Afghanistan, which are focal points in U.S. efforts to combat the
production and transit of cocaine and heroin, respectively. Drug use and
addiction have the potential to negatively affect the social fabric of
communities, hinder economic development, and place an additional burden
on national public health infrastructures.
International Policy Framework and Debate
International efforts to combat drug trafficking are based on a long-standing
and robust set of multilateral commitments, to which the United States
adheres. U.S. involvement in international drug control rests on the
central premise that helping foreign governments combat the illegal drug trade
abroad will ultimately curb illegal drug availability and use in the United
States. To this end, the current Administration maintains the goal of
reducing and eliminating the international flow of illegal drugs into the
United States through international cooperation to disrupt the drug trade and
interdiction efforts.
Despite long-standing multilateral commitments to curb the supply of illicit
drugs, tensions appear at times between U.S. foreign drug policy and
approaches advocated by independent observers and other members of the
international community. In recent years, an increasing number of
international advocates, including several former and sitting heads of state,
have begun to call for a reevaluation of current prohibitionist-oriented
international drug policies. Alternatives to the existing international
drug control regime may include legalizing or decriminalizing certain drugs.
Debates may also focus on shifting priorities and resources among various
approaches to counternarcotics, including supply and demand reduction; the
distribution of domestic and international drug control funding; and the
relative balance of civilian, law enforcement, and military roles in
anti-drug efforts.
U.S. Counternarcotics Initiatives and Foreign Policy Options
Several key U.S. strategies and initiatives outline the foundation of U.S.
counternarcotics efforts internationally, including the U.S. National Drug
Control Strategy and International Narcotics Control Strategy Report
(INCSR), both of which are updated annually and congressionally mandated.
Other major country and regional initiatives include the (1) Mérida Initiative
and Strategy in Mexico; (2) Central American Citizen Security Partnership;
(3) Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI); (4) U.S.-Colombia
Strategic Development Initiative (CSDI); (5) U.S. Counternarcotics
Strategy for Afghanistan; and (6) West Africa Cooperative Security Initiative (WACSI).
Located within the Executive Office of the President, the Office of National
Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) establishes U.S. counterdrug policies and
goals, and coordinates the federal budget to combat drugs both
domestically and internationally. Within the U.S. government, multiple civilian,
military, law enforcement, and intelligence entities contribute to
international drug control policy, including the U.S. Department of State,
U.S. Agency for International
Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the
Central Intelligence Agency.
As an issue of international policy concern for more than a century, and as a
subject of longstanding U.S. and multilateral policy commitment, U.S.
counterdrug efforts have expanded to include a broad array of tools to
attack the international drug trade, such as the following:
• Reducing drug production at the source: Central to reducing cocaine
and heroin production is the eradication of coca bush and opium poppy crops
and the provision of alternative livelihood options to former drug crop
farmers. Both policy approaches ultimately seek to reduce the amount of
illicit drug crops cultivated.
• Combating drugs in transit: To reduce the international flow of drugs
from source countries to final destinations, U.S. efforts focus on joint
monitoring and interdiction operations as well as other forms of border,
police, and maritime cooperation and training.
• Dismantling international illicit drug networks: The United States collaborates
with other countries to target major drug traffickers and their transnational
networks through various law enforcement interventions, judicial mechanisms,
and financial sanctions. With the provision of U.S. foreign assistance,
the U.S. government supports other countries to strengthen their capacity
to investigate, arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate drug traffickers domestically.
• Reducing and preventing drug demand abroad: In addition to supply side drug
control efforts, the United States supports programs to reduce global drug abuse
through demand reduction assistance.
• Creating incentives for international cooperation on drug control: In
order to deter foreign governments from aiding or participating in illicit
drug production or trafficking, certain U.S. foreign assistance may be
suspended to countries that are major illegal drug producers or major
transit countries for illegal drugs, known as “drug majors.” Similarly,
certain drug majors countries may be deemed ineligible to be a beneficiary
of preferential U.S. trade arrangements.
Congress has been involved in all aspects of U.S. international drug control
policy, regularly appropriating funds for counterdrug initiatives, as well
as conducting oversight activities on federal counterdrug programs and the
scope of agency authorities and other counterdrug policies. For FY2014,
the Administration has requested from Congress approximately $25.4 billion for
all federal drug control programs, of which $1.5 billion is requested for
international programs, including civilian and military U.S. foreign
assistance. An additional $3.7 billion is requested for interdiction
programs related to intercepting and disrupting foreign drug shipments en route
to the United States. The 113th Congress
may continue its ongoing interest in counternarcotics policies, including
potential legislative activity for FY2014 appropriations.
Date of Report: August 13, 2013
Number of Pages: 47
Order Number: RL34543
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