CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 1 Drug Trafficking CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 2 CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 3 Drug Trafficking CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 4 Other books in the Current Controversies series: The Abortion Controversy Marriage and Divorce Alcoholism Medical Ethics Assisted Suicide Mental Health Biodiversity Minorities Capital Punishment Nationalism and Ethnic Censorship Conflict Child Abuse Native American Rights Computers and Society Police Brutality Conserving the Environment Politicians and Ethics Crime Pollution The Disabled Prisons Drug Legalization Racism Ethics Reproductive Technologies Europe The Rights of Animals Family Violence Sexual Harassment Free Speech Sexually Transmitted Diseases Garbage and Waste Smoking Gay Rights Suicide Guns and Violence Teen Addiction Hate Crimes Teen Pregnancy and Parenting Hunger Teens and Alcohol Illegal Drugs Urban Terrorism Illegal Immigration Violence Against Women The Information Highway Violence in the Media Interventionism Women in the Military Iraq Youth Violence CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 5 Drug Trafficking Auriana Ojeda, Book Editor Daniel Leone,President Bonnie Szumski, Publisher Scott Barbour, Managing Editor CURRENT CONTROVERSIES CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 6 No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electrical, mechanical, or otherwise, including, but not limited to, photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, with- out prior written permission from the publisher. Cover photo: © Reuters NewMedia Inc./Corbis Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Drug trafficking / Auriana Ojeda, book editor. p. cm. — (Current controversies) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7377-0854-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7377-0855-7 (lib. : alk. paper) 1. Narcotics, Control of—United States. 2. Drug traffic—United States. I. Ojeda, Auriana, 1977– II. Series. HV5825 .D77688 2002 363.45'0973—dc21 2001040122 CIP0 © 2002 by Greenhaven Press, Inc., PO Box 289009, San Diego, CA 92198-9009 Printed in the U.S.A. Every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyrighted material. CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 7 Contents Foreword 13 Introduction 15 Chapter 1: Can the War on Drugs Be Won? Chapter Preface 19 Yes: The War on Drugs Is Winnable The War on Drugs Can Be Won by Newt Gingrich 20 The war on drugs must be aggressively fought to protect America’s chil- dren from the violent crime and other social problems caused by drug abuse. Deterring demand, stopping supply, and increasing government accountability are necessary for the United States to win the war on drugs. America Must Continue the War on Drugs by Barry McCaffrey 23 Critics of the war on drugs fail to remember that drugs were banned in the early twentieth century because of the harm they brought to individuals and society. Ending the war by legalizing drugs would only renew these problems. The Prohibition Strategy Can Win the War on Drugs by the Office of National Drug Control Policy 27 Despite recent public antagonism to the war on drugs, a strategy prohibit- ing the production, distribution, and use of drugs is essential for the well- being of the United States. Strong anti-drug laws and leadership are needed to eliminate drugs from society. Government Leadership and Community Efforts Can Win the War on Drugs by Robert B. Charles 31 Although drug use among teenagers has increased since 1992, promising new anti-drug strategies are being enacted in Washington. The war on drugs can be won by increasing community cohesiveness and strengthen- ing local and federal anti-drug policies. Interdiction and Prevention Efforts Can Win the War on Drugs by William J. Bennett 36 Drug consumption fell dramatically between 1979 and 1992, when anti- drug interdiction and prevention efforts were at their height. Statistics prove that anti-drug education and prevention programs, coupled with attacking the supply of drugs, effectively combat drug use. The war on drugs can be won if these programs are renewed and vigorously imple- mented. CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 8 No: The War on Drugs Is a Failure The War on Drugs Has Been Unsuccessful by Daniel Spichtinger 39 Since 1917, drug prohibition has resulted in political corruption and an overflowing prison population. The war on drugs has been a failure, and alternative policies should be considered. The War on Drugs Causes More Harm than Good by Mark Steyn 44 America’s desire for drugs fuels the international drug trade while the gov- ernment blames other countries for America’s drug problem. Aggressive government drug enforcement is more harmful than drugs themselves. The War on Drugs Infringes on Civil Liberties by Mani Foroohar 50 The tough tactics employed by authorities in the war on drugs infringe on civil liberties and fail to reduce drug use in the United States. America must accept that the war on drugs has been a failure. The War on Drugs Harms America’s Children by Adam J. Smith and Karynn M. Fish 53 The war on drugs threatens the safety of America’s children by creating a lucrative black market for drugs, failing to provide realistic drug education programs, and incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders whose young chil- dren end up in foster care. It is time to reevaluate the current drug policy. The War on Inner-City Drug Traffickers Is Ineffective by Glenn C. Loury 59 Some argue that the war on drugs in the inner cities unfairly targets black males. Although this criticism is invalid, there is good reason to oppose the inner-city drug war: Its benefits do not outweigh its costs. Chapter 2: What Are the Effects of Drug Trafficking? Chapter Preface 63 Drug Trafficking Contributes to Organized Crime by Michael T. Horn 64 The international drug traffic is predominantly controlled by organized criminal groups from Mexico and Colombia. The unlimited profits avail- able from the drug trade result in competition and subsequent violence as each group strives to expand their control of the market. Drug Trafficking Contributes to Gang-Related Crime by the Drug Enforcement Administration 72 Drug trafficking is an excellent source of revenue for violent criminal gangs and is increasingly controlled by hierarchical organizations. From prison gangs to outlaw motorcycle gangs, the drug trade provides means for sophisticated weaponry, which increases violence and murder rates among rival traffickers. Drug Trafficking Harms America’s Youth by Colbert I. King 76 Younger teenagers and pre-adolescents are testing positive for drugs when apprehended by police. Drug dealers are corrupting youth by brib- ing them with cash and recruiting them as lookouts. More must be done to protect children from the dangers of drugs and drug dealers. CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 9 Drug Trafficking Harms Inner Cities by Jamie Dettmer 79 The plight of Washington, D.C., illustrates the destructive effects of drug trafficking and drug abuse, as it has become one of the nation’s most drug infested communities since the 1960s. Drug trafficking increases gang- related crime, homelessness, and murder rates in America’s inner cities. Drug Trafficking Harms International Trade by Ken Dermota 85 The North American Free Trade Agreement not only opened up licit trade for Canada, the United States, and Mexico, but also created channels through which drug traffickers are able to smuggle illegal narcotics. As a result, Mexico has become the largest importer of narcotics to the United States, increasing tension between the two countries. Drug Trafficking Harms the Economy by Bruce Zagaris and Scott Ehlers 90 The enormous profits made from drug trafficking must be deposited into bank accounts and transformed into apparently legal funds, a process known as money laundering. International sanctions and bank secrecy laws make detection of money launderers difficult, but an international system of regulations could control the amount of illicit funds traffickers are able to hide. Drug Trafficking Has Corrupted the American Government by Gary Webb 97 In the 1980s the CIA turned a blind eye to drug trafficking and used the proceeds to fund their war against the Nicaraguan Contras. Enormous amounts of cocaine were sold in the African American ghettos of South Central Los Angeles, increasing the amount of gang violence that ulti- mately spread throughout the United States. Drug Trafficking Has Corrupted the Mexican Government by Terrence Poppa 103 Rather than fighting drugs, Mexico’s government controls and profits from the international drug trade. Mexico infiltrates the United States with illegal narcotics, which exacerbates America’s drug plague. Chapter 3: Can International Assistance to Colombia Combat Drug Trafficking? Chapter Preface 109 Yes: International Assistance to Colombia Is Necessary to Combat Drug Trafficking U.S. Assistance May Combat Drug Trafficking in Colombia by Rafael Pardo 110 Colombia suffers from a forty-year civil war as well as an international war against drugs. The two problems are interrelated, and assistance from the United States is necessary to achieve peace and reduce drug traffick- ing in Colombia. CC Drug Trafficking INT 2/24/04 9:05 AM Page 10 Assisting Colombia Is in the United States’ Best Interest by Mauricio Vargas 118 The war against drugs in Colombia cannot be won without also fighting the insurgents financed by drug money. Although U.S. attempts to com- bat drug trafficking have so far been ineffective, promising new strategies that acknowledge the significance of Colombia’s civil war are being enacted. Colombia Deserves Assistance to Combat Drug Trafficking by Francis Fukuyama 120 Colombia, one of the oldest functioning democracies in Latin America, is under the threat of Marxist-Leninist insurgency groups that are funded by drug traffickers.