The introduction of the ‘Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act’

By Hon. Bill McCollum of Florida, in the House of Representatives, Wednesday 22 July 1998

Following is the text of the introduction of the Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act, entered into the Congressional Record by Rep. Bill McCollum of Florida.

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce the Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act.

Everyone involved in fighting to control drug use in America agrees that the demand side is very important. Prevention, education, treatment and law enforcement are all critical elements of a successful anti-narcotics program. But with the streets of our nation flooded with more cocaine and heroin at cheaper prices than at any time in our history no one should expect demand-side efforts to succeed until the supply of drugs coming into our nation from abroad is dramatically reduced.

The $2.3 billion authorization bill being introduced today is designed to provide the resources and the direction to wage a real war on drugs before they get to the borders of the United States. The Administration plan promulgated earlier this year calls for a reduction of illegal narcotics flowing from overseas by 50% in ten years. This is totally inadequate. The plan put forth in our legislation is designed to cut the flow of drugs into our country by 80% within three years. It is the most dramatic, exhaustive, targeted effort ever conceived to stop the drug flow from Latin America.

Where did the plan come from and what does it do?

All of the cocaine entering the United States comes from Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. More than half the heroin entering the United States and virtually all of it in the eastern half comes from Colombia. While some heroin is produced in Mexico, Mexico is principally a transit country with drug lords who have negotiated wholesale purchases from Colombian drug lords and who smuggle the products across the Mexican/U.S. border and operate drug trafficking syndicates throughout much of the country. The key to our plan is to cut the flow of cocaine and heroin not only before it reaches the United States, but before it reaches Mexico. The plan and the specific resources authorized in this bill were developed from a bottom-up review involving extensive input from the Department of Defense, State Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Intelligence personnel on the ground working in Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, and the transit zone north of there.

All the key personnel who work this issue every day in the region believe that with the resources authorized in this bill and the proper leadership and direction from drug-fighting authorities within the Executive Branch, the flow of drugs out of each of the three source countries of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia can be cut by 80% within as little as two years, let alone the three contemplated in this bill. This requires the cooperation of the governments of the three countries, which involved officials are convinced is there for the asking. It requires U.S. cooperation, coordination and support. It does not involve U.S. military intervention, but it does require the Department of Defense to place a higher priority on anti-narcotics efforts so that key equipment, training, and operation and maintenance support that our military alone can provide are made available.

A little over two years ago, President Fujimori of Peru instituted a shoot-down policy for small aircraft leaving Peru with raw coca product to be refined by Colombian drug lords. This was made possible by U.S. manned radar surveillance and intelligence information. The program has been remarkably successful and has resulted in a more than 40% reduction in coca production in Peru in that two year period. Those involved with the Peruvian program are convinced that with greater resources, especially flying time of U.S. radar equipped planes, the flow of coca product from Peru can be virtually eliminated and crop eradication and substitution programs can cut production to a trickle. Cocaine is refined in Bolivia as well as produced. Currently most of the raw product and the refined product are transported over two or three key highways going to and leaving Santa Cruz, Bolivia. With resources in this legislation, the government of Bolivia can choke off this trafficking and extinguish in infancy the air trafficking efforts which are sure to result when the ground transportation has been choked.

In Colombia, the air bridge is critical, too. The refined product from the southern one-third of the country where it is grown and produced must be flown over the mountains to get to the coasts to leave by boat or air or highway transportation on to Mexico or the United States. With the resources in this bill, the Colombian government can halt these air flights just as the Peruvian government has done. Furthermore, with the helicopters provided and other crop eradication enhancements, poppy crops can be totally eradicated and heroin production stopped almost immediately. Resources provided in the bill also cover what it takes to completely eradicate coca production in Colombia and destroy all the cocaine laboratories within the three year timetable envisioned.

To accomplish these objectives requires the acquisition of numerous P-3 aircraft equipped with special radar and the deployment of crews and operational and maintenance supply lines to provide virtually 24 hour around the clock radar coverage of the three countries in question. It also envisages this coverage of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Eastern Pacific which together with the over-the-horizon-radar (ROTHR) coming online from Puerto Rico will enable the mapping, tracking and identification of all small aircraft in the region. The authorized new Coast Guard vessels and Customs aircraft and vessels will allow chase and interdiction of virtually all vessels and private planes identified as likely drug carrying suspects in the transit zone. This will fill the huge interdiction gap that has existed since interdiction resources in the region were cut by more than 2/3 in 1993. And it will allow for interdiction which does not exist at all today in the eastern Pacific from Colombia to Mexico and the U.S. west coast.

Based on the concept that strong fences make good neighbors, this strategy is designed to strengthen the counter-narcotics infrastructure in source countries and transit zones from 1999 through 2001. Such infrastructure will require a mix of improved intelligence, personnel, technology and training. The strategy envisions a series of counter- narcotics fences drawing on human and technical intelligence capabilities to support drug eradication and interdiction efforts in Bolivia, Peru, Columbia, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico and the Southwest Border region of the United States.

The breakdown of regional initiatives is as follows:

$430 million—Enhance overhead coverage of source zone countries through dedicated procurement of 10 P-3B airborne early warning aircraft by the U.S. Customs Air Wing (Section 101)

$47 million—Provide operations and maintenance support for 10 P-3B early warning aircraft for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (Section 101)

$25 million—Provide personnel support for 10 P-3B early warning aircraft for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (Section 101)

$150 million—Enhance overhead coverage of source zone countries through dedicated procurement of 10 P-3B Slick aircraft by the U.S. Customs Air Wing (Section 101)

$47 million—Provide operations and maintenance support for 10 P-3B Slick aircraft for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (Section 101)

$25 million—Provide personnel support for 10 P-3B Slick aircraft for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (Section 101)

$300 million—Establishment of an airbase to support U.S. counter narcotics operations in the southern Caribbean, northern South America and the eastern Pacific; this proposed facility would take over operations currently coordinated by the Howard Air Force Base in Panama (Section 101)

$289 million—Construction of 6 U.S. Coast Guard Medium Endurance Cutters for enhanced maritime coverage of Atlantic/Caribbean and Eastern Pacific transit zones (Section 102)

$40.213 million—Funds to hire DEA special agents and investigative support personnel for overseas assignments (Section 501)

$15 million—Establishment of a Relocatable Over-The Horizon Radar (ROTHR) to provide in-depth radar coverage of eastern Pacific, southern Caribbean and much of South America (Section 103)

$13.4 million—Allocate $2 million for International Law Enforcement Academies in Asia (+$2.4 million for operations and maintenance for fiscal years 2000 and 2001); $3 million for Latin America and the Caribbean (+$2.4 million for operations and maintenance for fiscal years 2000 and 2001); and $1.2 million for Africa (+$2.4 million for operations and maintenance for fiscal years 2000 and 2001) (Section 401)

$9 million—Establishment of Latin/Caribbean regional training center in maritime law enforcement and ports management in San Juan, Puerto Rico with operations and maintenance funding provided through fiscal year 2001. Lead agencies should be the USCG and the Customs Service (Section 401)

$15 million—Establishment of an USCG International Maritime Training and Repair Ship to visit participating Latin and Caribbean nations on a rotating schedule, providing maintenance and law enforcement training, and to perform maintenance on participating nation assets. Will require refitting of a USCG buoy tender (Section 401)

$8.67 million—Funds to support operations and maintenance for 1 USCG PC-170 vessel for counter-drug operations (Section 102)

$18.6 million—Funds for operations and maintenance of 2 reactivated USCG T-AGOS with C41 suite for detection and monitoring (Section 102)

$9.74 million—Funds for acquisition and construction of 2 additional USCG T-AGOS vessels (Section 102)

$30.39 million—Funds for acquisition and construction of 7 USCG 87-foot Maritime Interdiction Patrol Boats (Section 102)

$13.53 million—Funds to support operations and maintenance for 7 USCG 87-foot Maritime Interdiction Patrol Boats (Section 102)

$2.1 million—Funds to purchase FLIR and GPS capability for USCG Blackhawk helicopters (Section 501)

$6.3 million—Funds to support increased HH-65A patrol hours for the USCG through fiscal year 2001 (Section 501)

$2.49 million—Funds to support increased HC-130 patrol hours for the USCG through fiscal year 2001 (Section 501)

$22.44 million—Funds to support increased USCG patrol boat hours and support in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific through fiscal year 2001 (Section 501)

$12.78 million—Funds to support installation of satellite communications systems on 110-foot USCG patrol boats (Section 501)

$9 million—Funds to support installation of FLIR capability on USCG HU-25 maritime patrol aircraft (Section 501)

$30 million—Funds to support USCG operations and maintenance in the transit zone through fiscal year 2001 (Section 501)

$1.5 million—Funds to support increased USCG law enforcement training in the Caribbean and Central America (Section 501)

$7.61 million—Funds to reactivate 3 USCG HU-25 maritime patrol aircraft and to support operations and maintenance through fiscal year 2001 (Section 501)

$8.272 million—Funds to support DEA's Merlin program (Section 501)

$4.5 million—Funds to support DEA's intercept program (Section 501)

$2.4 million—Funds to support DEA's Narcotics Enforcement Data Retrieval System (Section 501)

$3.515 million—Support for DEA's Caribbean Initiative to purchase aviation and technical equipment (Section 501)

$3 million—To purchase 1 Schweizer observation aircraft and to provide operations and maintenance costs through fiscal year 2001 (Section 101)

$6 million—To purchase 2 Schweizer observation/spray aircraft and to provide operations and maintenance costs through fiscal year 2001 (Section 101)

$12 million—To purchase 1 J-31 observation aircraft and to provide operations and maintenance costs through fiscal year 2001 (Section 101)

$20 million—To fund the provision of commercial unclassified intelligence and imaging data using the passive coherent location system to regional counter-drug police forces through fiscal year 2001 (Section 501)

$30 million—O&M support for 10 US Customs Service Citations to be dedicated to the source and transit zones through fiscal year 2001 (Section 501)

$6 million—Funds to support the consolidation of the Defense Department's Joint Inter-Agency Task Forces at a site in Key West, Florida and to support the consolidated JIATF from fiscal year 1999 through fiscal year 2001 (Section 501)

$0.5 million—Funds to support ONDCP study to evaluate transfer of overseas interdiction and eradication activities from State/INL to the Drug Enforcement Administration (Section 207)

Regional Initiatives Subtotal: $1676.95 million.

In addition, the following are specific country initiatives:

[Colombia]

Focused opium eradication strategy

$72 millionTo fund the purchase of 6 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters for the Colombian National Police (Section 201)

Enhanced coca eradication strategy

$70 million—To fund conversion kits for 50 UH-1H helos (at $1.4 million per kit) for conversion into Superhueys (Section 201)

$18 million—To sustain support of Colombian National Police (CNP) helicopters and fixed wing fleet for eradication purposes through fiscal year 2001 (Section 201)

$6 million—For minigun systems for CNP aircraft through fiscal year 2001 (Section 201)

$2 million—For the purchase of CNP DC-3 transport aircraft (Section 201)

Other needs

$15 million—For start-up and operations costs associated with USAID alternative development programs in Guaviare, Putumayo, and Caqueta Departments (Section 301)

$6 million—To fund 5 riverine operations maintenance platforms for the Colombian Army through fiscal year 2001 (Section 201)

$18 million—To fund operations and maintenance for overhead coverage in Colombia through fiscal year 2001 (Section 101)

$1.25 million—For concertina wire and tunneling detection systems at CNP's La Picota prison (Section 201)

Colombia Subtotal: $208.25 million.

Bolivia

$7 million—Procurement of 2 mobile X-ray machines with maintenance support along Chapare highway (Section 203)

$15 million—Enhance USAID alternative development programs in Chapare and Yungas Regions (Section 301)

$6 million—To fund operations and maintenance for overhead coverage in Bolivia through fiscal year 2001 (Section 101)

$3 million—Air operations support for Bolivian Red Devils through fiscal year 2001 (Section 203)

$3 million—Riverine operations support for Bolivian Blue Devils through fiscal year 2001 (Section 203)

$3 million—Coca eradication programs through fiscal year 2001 (Section 203)

Bolivia Subtotal: $37 million.

$150 million—To enhance USAID alternative development program in Ucayali, Apurimac and Huallaga Valley Regions through fiscal year 2001 (Section 301)

$18 million—To fund operations and maintenance for overhead coverage in Peru through fiscal year 2001 (Section 101)

$1.5 million—To support multinational riverine and small boat maintenance training program for Peru, Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia in Iquitos, Peru (Section 202)

$5 million—To establish a third site at Puerto Maldonado to support counter-narcotics airbridge and riverine missions through fiscal year 2001 (Section 202)

Peru Subtotal: $174.5 million.

Ecuador

$3.0 million—To fund build-up in local Coast Guard and port control in Guayaquil and Esmeraldas with assistance from the Customs Service and the US Coast Guard (Section 402)

$1.5 million—To provide assistance for enhanced precursor chemical control projects (Section 205)

Ecuador Subtotal: $4.5 million.

Brazil

$3 million—to enhance support to Brazilian Federal Police Training Center through fiscal year 2001 (Section 402)

Brazil Subtotal: $3.0 million.

Venezuela

$3.0 million—To support funding for joint National Guard (GN)/ Judicial Technical Police (PTJ) Counterdrug Intelligence Center through fiscal year 2001 (Section 402)

Venezuela Subtotal: $3.0 million.

Panama

$3.0 million—Locate surplus USCG/USN assets to strengthen Panamanian Coast Guard (SMN) to adequately patrol Atlantic and Pacific Coasts through fiscal year 2001 (Section 402)

Panama Subtotal: $3.0 million.

Haiti & Dominican Republic

$3.0 million—Enhance Frontier Lance operations and maintenance (now just 2 USCG cutters, 4 Patrol boats, 1 C-130, 2 helos) by positioning additional USCG and USN assets at Barahona, Dominican Republic and Cayes, Haiti (Section 501)

$1.5 million—Fund build-up in local Coast Guard and port control in Haiti and Dominican Republic through fiscal year 2001 (Section 402)

Haiti/Dominican Republic Subtotal: $4.5 million.

$36 million—Fund build-up in local Coast Guard and port control in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua through fiscal year 2001 (Section 402)

Central America Subtotal: $36.0 million.

Mexico

Focused opium eradication strategy

$18 million—To purchase 6 Bell 212 (high-altitude capable helos) under Mexican Attorney General to be specifically dedicated for Mexico's opium eradication program in Guerrero, Jalisco and Sinaloa through fiscal year 2001 (Section 204)

Enhanced Rule of Law Initiatives

$6 million—To fund exchanges for Mexican judges, prosecutors and police through the US Department of Justice (Section 402)

Mexico Subtotal: $24.0 million.

Enhanced Maritime End-Game/Go Fast Initiative

$3.2 million—FLIR + GPS capability for 3 USCG and DEA Blackhawk helicopters (Section 501)

$13.5 million (including $9 million for O&M)—Restoration of aerostat coverage at Georgetown, Exuma, Bahamas (Section 103)

$0.9 million—Establishment of ground-based radar coverage at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for fiscal years 1999 through 2001 (Section 103)

$3.0 million—Procurement of intelligent acoustic detection buoys in Florida Straits and Bahama Banks and operations and maintenance costs through fiscal year 2001 (Section 501)

$2.1 million—Procurement of nonlethal technology program against GoFast Boat Threat (Section 501)

$0.5 million—Funds to support operations and maintenance costs for 10 10-meter RHIB Interceptor Fastboats (Section 102)

Bahamas and Cuba Subtotal: $23.20 million.

Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Regional Coverage

$100 million—To fund operations and maintenance for overhead coverage in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific regions through fiscal year 2001 (Section 101)

Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Subtotal: $100 million.

STRATEGY TOTAL: $2297.9 million.