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If you have issues viewing or accessing this file, please contact us at NCJRS.gov. 1, . • INTERDICTION t)F LRUG TRAFFICKING IN LOUISIANA HEARINGS BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON NARcorrICS ABUSE AND CONTROL HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION NOVEMBER 19 AND 20, 1979 Printed for the use of the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control SCNAC-9(j..,:-~~~.~_ ..... , ... 'If, • ' ,'. '.' , f" NCJR~'"l ~ ~UN 271900 ~ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 58-2820 WASHINGTON : 1980 ______ ' __ --------.J · , ,J' SELECT COMMITTEE ON NARCOTICS ABUSE AND CONTROL LESTER L. WOLFF, New York, Chairman PETER W. RODINO, JR., New Jersey TOM RAILSBACK, Illinois E (KIKA) DE LA GARZA, Texas ROBIN L. BEARD, Tennessee MORGAN F. MURPHY, Illinois BEN.TAMIN A. GILMAN, New York CHARLES B. RANGEL, New York TENNYSON GUYER, Ohio FOR'rNEY H. (PETE) STARK, California LAWRENCE COUGHLIN, Pennsylvania GLENN ENGLISH, Oklahoma ROBERT K. DORNAN, California BILLY L. EVANS, Georgia LEO C. ZEFERETTI, New York STEPHEN L. NEAL, North Carolina JAMES H. SCHEUER, New York Ex Officio MARIO BIAGGI, New York CARDISS COLLINS, Illinois DANTE B. FASCELL, Florida LINDY BOGGS, Louisiana BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland EARL HUTI'O, Florida ROBERT T. MATSUI, California GEORGE DANIELSON, California DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii MATI'HEW J. RINALDO, New .Jersey ROBERT L. (BOB) LIVINGSTON, Louisiana CHARLES F. DOUGHERTY, Pennsylvania HENRY HYDE, Illinois JOHN W. JENRETTE, JR., South Carolina COMMITTEE STAFF PATRICK L. CARPENTIER, Chief Counsel ALMA E. BACHRACH, Chief of Staff-Supply ROBERT M. HUNnLEY, Chief of Staff-Demand ROSCOE B. STAREK III, Minority Counsel TASK FORCE ON LOUISIANA TRAFFICKING ROBERT L. LIVINGSTON, Louisiana, Task Force Chairman LESTER L. WOLFF, New York '!'OM RAILSBACK, Illinois FORTNEY H. (PETE) STARK, California BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York TASK FORCE STAFF PATRICK L. CARPENTIER, Chief Counsel 1\ ROSCOE B. STAREK III, Minority Counsel JOHN W. PEPLOE, Chief of Security/Investigator (II) CONTENTS Page 1Ylonday, November 19, 1979 ......................................................................................... 1 Opening statement of Congressman Tom Railsback ........................................ 4 Opening statement of Congressman Fortney H. (Pete) Stark ......................... 4 Testimony of Bill Elder, anchorman for channel 4 (CBS) ............................... 5 Testimony of Col. G. W. Garrison, deputy secretary, Department of Public Safety, Louisiana State Police ........................................................................... 9 Testimony of Capt. Donald Reed, Narcotics Division, Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office ...................................................................................................... 13 Testimony of Sgt. Joseph E. Branham, narcotics officer, New Orleans Police Department ............................................................................................... 15 Testimony of Arthur Cope, investigator, Plaquemines Parish District At- torney's Office ....................................................................................................... 18 Testimony of Stevens E. Moore, project director, Desire Area Community Anti-Crime Project, accompanied by Jean D. Smith, Outreach rehabilita tion counselor, Desire Outpatient Clinic, Desire Narcotic Rehabilitation Center..................................................................................................................... 33 Testimony of Ronald Fonseca, Assistant U.S. Attorney, New Orlea.ns Office.. 41 Testimony of Patrick Fanning, assistant district attorney, New Orleans.... 42 Testimony of James W. Thornton, national field representative, National Treasury Employees Union, accompanied by Argent Acosta, president, Local 168, NTEU; Barry Cobb, vice president, law enforcement, Local 168, NTEU; William F. Crane, customs inspector, treasurer, NTEU; John Fuller, executive officer, Local 168, NTEU; and Niels Nielson, executive officer, air arm, Local 168, NTEU..................................................................... 53 Prepared statements: Prepared statement of Col. G. W. Garrison ................................................ 65 Prepared statement of Arthur O. Cope ....................................................... 67 Prepared statement of Stevens E. Moore .................................................... 69 Prepared statement of Ronald A. Fonseca .................................................. 72 Prepared statement of Patrick J. Fanning .................................................. 73 Tuesday, November 20, 1979.......................................................................................... 75 Testimony of Charles W. Fisher, Regional Commissioner, Region V, U.S. Customs Service, accompanied by Jerry E. Medford, Regional Patrol Director, Herbert T. Fink, New Orleans District Director; and William E. Meyers, Special Assistant to the Regional Commissioner (Enforcement Support) ................................................................................................................. 76 Testimony of Claude H. Reese, director, office of the mayor, Bureau of Drug Affairs, New Orleans, La .................................................................................... 97 Testimony of Rear Adm. Paul A. Yost, commander, 8th District, U.S. Coast Guard, accompanied by Capt. Clyde T. Lusk, Jr., Chief of Operations, 8th District, Comdr. Charles Morgan, Chief of Intelligence and Law Enforce ment, 8th District, and Comdr. Howard B. Gehring, Commanding Officer, Cost Guard Cutter Dependable .......................................................................... 102 Testimony of Michael Downs, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, New Orleans Office, accompanied by Ray Egan, Special Agent, New Orleans District Office, Drug Enforcement Administration ....................................... 115 " Testimony of Capt. Clyde T. Lusk, Jr., Chief of Operations, 8th District, U.S. Coast Guard; Michael Downs, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, New Orleans District Office, DEA; William E. Meyers, Special Assistant .. to the Regional Commissioner, Enforcement Support, U.S. Customs; and John Elliff, Assistant Regional Director of Patrol, U.S. Customs .............. 126 Prepared statements: Prepared statement of Charles W. Fisher ................................................... 136 Prepared statement of Ernest N. Morial, mayor of the city of New Orleans ........................................................................................................... 138 Prepared statement of Rear Adm. Paul A. Yost ........................................ 139 Prepared statement of Michael Downs ........................................... :............ 141 (Ill) • INTERDICTION OF DRUG TRAFFICKING IN LOUISIANA MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1979 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SELECT COMMITTEE ON NARCOTICS ABUSE AND CONTROL, New Orleans, La. The Select Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9 a.m., in room 125, Hale Boggs Federal Building, Hon. Robert L. Livingston (acting chairman of the Select Committee) presiding. Present: Representatives Robert L. Livingston and Tom- Rails back. Staff present: Patrick L. Carpentier, chief counsel; Roscoe B. Starek III, minority counsel; and John W. Peploe, chief of security/ investigator. Mr. LIVINGSTON. Ladies and gentlemen, the task forl!e of the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control will come to order. I want to thank everybody for being here with us today and introduce the people hefore you at this time. To my left I am glad to welcome Congressman Tom Railsback of Illinois. Tom, we are glad to have you here with us. To my right I have Mr. Patrick Carpentier, the chief counsel for the committee. Over here on my further left I have Roscoe Starek, the minority counsel, and also on the far left, Mr. Jack Peploe, staff investiga tor, and a member of my own staff, Mr. Bob Genzman on my far right. The Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control was cre ated in July 1976, to undertake a comprehensive review of drug abuse and its impact on American citizens. Since its inception, the • committee has })layed an important role in stimulating congres sional and executive agency activity in the drug area. Under the leadership of Chairman Lester L. Wolff, the commit tee has investigated programs for drug prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, as well as drug enforcement efforts, both domestic and international. This committee confronts a massive problem. The illegal traffic in narcotics is draining away $25 billion a year from the U.S. economy, a sum exceeded only by the amount spent abroad for foreign oil. The use of drugs is spreading to younger and younger children. No region of the country is immune. All of us on the committee recognize that the elimination of illegal drugs at their source is an effective method to control drug (1) 2 abuse. But we also know that this is not altogether possible, and thus enforcement, prevention, education, and rehabilitation are all necessary to help stop this ever growing menace. In June 1978, the Select Committee held 2 days of hearings in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to examine the efforts by Federal, State, and local law enforcement authorities to limit the massive influx of illicit drugs smuggled into the United States in the south Florida • area. The Select Committee made a number of recommendations fol lowing the Ihearing, many of which were adopted by the appropri ate agencies. Additional Federal law enforcement personnel and more