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GGD-80-4 Gains Made in Controlling Illegal Drugs, Yet the Drug Trade

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GGD-80-4 Gains Made in Controlling Illegal Drugs, Yet the Drug Trade BY THE COMPTROLLER-GLNE-RAL Report To The Congress OF THE UNITED STATES Gains Made In Controlling Illegal Drugs, Yet The Drug Trade Flourishes This report assesses the Federal Government's drug enforcement and supply control efforts during the last 10 years, including information contained in a series of GAO reports issued on drug control and various related topics during this time. Federal agencies have fought hard to reduce the ad- verse impact of illegal drugs on American society. While current indicators suggest some positive re- sults in reducing drug-related deaths and injuries and decreasing heroin supplies, the drug trade con- tinues to flourish, and the problem persists for rea- sons tied to the enormous supply of and demand for drugs. Effective law enforcement, crop eradication, and other controls will cause shifts and temporary dis- ruptions in trafficking and use patterns, and buy time to enable the Nation to concentrate on long- term solutions. But if the United States is to make greater inroads, it must take a much tougher and consistent stance. The executive and legislative branches must form a partnership to agree upon andpolicy vigorously ondrug abuse. carry out a consistent national I/lIIl1 II ,N;D·~COSr~q>, 110663 GGD-80-4 V6COU%5.O0~~~/- .'~& / /sO~CTOBER25, 1979 COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON. D.C. 24 B-175425 To the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives The United States drug abuse problem has been a matter of national concern for decades, and, in recent years, the illegal use of drugs has been increasing in many countries throughout the world. The huge supply and demand for illegal drugs continues to frustrate attempts to contain the problem. This report presents an assessment of the extent and nature of drug abuse in the United States, focuses on the Federal drug supply reduction strategy, and identifies a number of long-standing problems hampering the effective- ness of the Government's drug law enforcement and supply reduction efforts. The report contains recommendations for improving efforts under the present Federal strategy and proposes that the executive and legislative branches form a partnership to agree upon and vigorously implement a consistent national policy on drug abuse. The report also points out that the drug abuse problem is too much for the United States to overcome alone and recommends the establishment of a consortium of victim countries to develop a global plan of action. We are sending copies of this report today to the Director, Office of Management and Budget; Director, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts; Director, Central Intelligence Agency; the Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare, Transportation, Treasury, and State; and the Attorney General of the United States. e X'n ral of the United States CONTENTS Page DIGEST CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1 Assessment of the nature and extent of drug abuse 1 Historical evolution of Federal concern and effort 4 Federal Government strategy 8 Need for centralized direction of drug abuse and drug traffic prevention 10 Federal resources-fiscal years 1969-1978 12 2 -REDUCING DRUG AVAILABILITY IN THE UNITED STATES: EFFORTS HAVE NOT HAD LASTING BENEFITS 15 What successes have been achieved? 15 French-Turkish Connection broken 17 Success with the eradication program in Mexico 17 Heroin indicators show decline 17 Drug seizures and removals increase 18 Conspiracy cases stressed 18 Greater foreign support for drug control programs 19 Successes have few lasting benefits 19 Why does the problem persist? 21 Enormous drug demand 21 An unlimited drug supply exists 22 Realities of growing countries make it difficult to prevent cultivation of illicit crops and stop trafficking at the source 29 Risk of trafficking business low relative to the tremendous profits 31 Actions needed to support Federal strategy implementation have not materialized 32 Page Proposed actions 34 Drug problem requires Federal partnership and tougher stand 34 Drug problem requires worldwide commitment 35 3 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL: SOME PROGRESS BUT TASK IS FORMIDABLE 37 Eradication-short term results but no solution 38 Crop substitution: a matter of long-term economic development 44 A serious commitment by the interna- tional community is needed 49 Cooperative enforcement is important to foreign strategy 55 Narcotics control plans needed to chart goals and accomplishments 61 Conclusions 64 Recommendations 65 4 BORDER MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS NEED TO BE RESOLVED 66 Why is the border important to drug control? 66 Illegal entry at United States-Mexico border 67 The Southeast border: "a drug disaster area" 70 Border management issue unresolved 80 Conclusions 81 Recommendations 82 5 IMMOBILIZING MAJOR DRUG VIOLATORS: AN ELUSIVE GOAL 83 Enforcement strategy requires close coordination 84 DEA not yet proficient in conspiracy cases 85 Lack of Justice Department direction has caused varied commitments to drug prosecutions 90 Page IRS' role in drug enforcement is limited 92 FBI attack on organized drug crime has yet to be realized 97 The Bank Secrecy Act has not yet been as useful to drug enforcement as originally intended 99 Achieving international assistance against traffickers: results have been disappointing 100 Diversion of legal drugs: a flour- ishing activity with little enforcement attention 106 Conclusions 110 Recommendations 111 Matters for consideration by the Congress 112 6 BAIL AND SENTENCING PRACTICES FURTHER WEAKEN IMMOBILIZATION EFFORTS 113 Trafficking while on bail 113 Sentences do not deter trafficking 117 Expanding the use of magistrates can help promote immobilization of traffickers 123 Conclusions 124 Recommendations 125 Matter for consideration by Congress 126 7 MOBILIZING STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE 127 Reliance placed on State and local agencies 127 Financial and political realities make mobilization unrealistic 128 Firm and clear policy required for State and local assistance 131 Conclusions 133 Recommendations 134 8 AGENCY COMMENTS AND OUR EVALUATION 135 9 SCOPE 148 Page APPENDIX I Extent and costs of the drug problem 149 II Price/Purity, arrests, seizure, and court disposition statistics 156 III List of GAO reports on drug control and related topics 161 IV Letter dated May 15, 1979, from the Director, Administrative Office of the United States Courts 165 V Letter dated June 8, 1979, from the Director, The Federal Judicial Center 166 VI Letter dated June 1, 1979, from the Inspector General, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare 167 VII Comments dated May 25, 1979, from the Central Intelligence Agency 168 VIII Letter dated June 19, 1979, from the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget and Finance, Department of State 169 IX Letter dated August 2, 1979, from the Assistant Attorney General for Administration, United States Department of Justice 185 X Letter dated June 21, 1979, from the Assistant Secretary for Administra- tion, Department of Transportation 206 XI Letter dated September 27, 1979, from the Assistant Secretary (Enforcement and Operations), Department of the Treasury and the Commissioner of Internal Revenue 210 ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank AID Agency for International Development BNDD Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs CCE Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute CCINC Cabinet Committee on International Narcotics Control CENTAC Central Tactical Unit CIA Central Intelligence Agency CSU Controlled Substances Unit DAWN Drug Abuse Warning Network DEA Drug Enforcement Administration FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation GAO General Accounting Office GOM Government of Mexico GUB Government of Burma IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development INC International Narcotics Control INM Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics Matters IRS Internal Revenue Service NCAP Narcotics Control Action Plan NDDS Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section NIDA National Institute of Drug Abuse NTP Narcotics Traffickers Program NWFP North-West Frontier Province ODALE Office for Drug Abuse and Law Enforcement ODAP Office of Drug Abuse Policy ONNI Ottice of National Narcotics Intelligence RICO Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations SAODAP Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention TECS Treasury Enforcement Communications System UN United Nations UNFDAC United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control COMPTROLLER GENERAL'S GAINS MADE IN CONTROLLING REPORT TO THE CONGRESS ILLEGAL DRUGS, YET THE DRUG TRADE FLOURISHES DIGEST Federal agencies have fought hard to reduce the adverse impact of illegal drugs, primarily heroin and dangerous drugs, on American society. These efforts have shown some positive results as meas- ured by decreased drug-related deaths and injuries, and reduced availability of some illegal drugs. Nevertheless, drug trafficking and abuse still flourish despite several decades of U.S. efforts both here and abroad. The gains made are fragile, requiring constant vigilance, as -- source countries move quickly to fill temporary drug shortages, -- trafficking patterns shift, and -- the types of drugs consumed readily change. This report assesses the Federal Government's drug enforcement and supply control efforts during the last 10 years, including information contained in a series of GAO reports issued on drug control and various related topics during this time. (See pp. 161 to 164.) WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED? Notable successes have been attained in carrying out the Federal supply reduction strategy, as a result of actions taken in
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