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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 2:25 am
Time: 2:25 am
Results for drug trafficking (latin america)
3 results foundAuthor: Seelke, Clare Ribando Title: Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U.S. Counterdrug Programs Summary: Drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean despite decades of anti-drug efforts by the United States and partner governments. The production and trafficking of popular illicit drugs—cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and methamphetamine—generates a multi-billion dollar black market in which Latin American criminal and terrorist organizations thrive. These groups challenge state authority in source and transit countries where governments are often fragile and easily corrupted. Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) largely control the U.S. illicit drug market and have been identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as the “greatest organized crime threat to the United States.” Drug trafficking-related crime and violence in the region has escalated in recent years, raising the drug issue to the forefront of U.S. foreign policy concerns. This report provides an overview of the drug flows in the Americas and U.S. antidrug assistance programs in the region. It also raises some policy issues for Congress to consider as it exercises oversight of U.S. antidrug programs and policies in the Western Hemisphere. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2010. 34p. Source: Internet Resource; CRS Report for Congress Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119439 Keywords: Drug ControlDrug PolicyDrug Trafficking (Latin America)Organized Crime |
Author: Chalk, Peter Title: The Latin American Drug Trade: Scope, Dimensions, Impact, and Response Summary: Colombia currently accounts for the vast bulk of cocaine produced in Latin America. In 2009, the country produced 270 metric tons (MT) of cocaine, making it the principal supplier for both the United States and the worldwide market. Besides Colombia, Peru and Bolivia constitute two additional important sources of cocaine in Latin America. In 2009, these two countries generated enough base material to respectively yield 225 and 195 MT of refined product. Between 60 and 65 percent of all Latin American cocaine is trafficked to the United States, the bulk of which is smuggled via the eastern Pacific/Central American corridor. The remainder is sent through the Caribbean island chain, with the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti acting as the main transshipment hubs. In both cases, Mexico serves as the main point of entry to mainland America, presently accounting for the vast majority of all illicit drug imports to the United States. Increasing amounts of Latin American cocaine are now also being sent to Europe, reflecting higher street prices than those in the United States and shifting consumer demand patterns toward this particular narcotic (and derivates, such as crack). The majority of the Colombian cocaine that is trafficked to Europe, either directly or via West Africa, is exported from Venezuela. In addition to cocaine, Colombia also represents a relatively important source for North America opiates, historically accounting for around half of the white heroin consumed east of the Mississippi. Although there has been a marked decline in opium-production levels in the past several years —largely due to successful poppy-eradication efforts — shipments still take place, with the main trafficking route running up the eastern Pacific to Mexico. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2011. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 27, 2011 at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2011/RAND_MG1076.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2011/RAND_MG1076.pdf Shelf Number: 121868 Keywords: CocaineDrug Trafficking (Latin America)Drug Trafficking ControlNarcotics |
Author: Garzon Vergara, Juan Carlos Title: Fixing a broken system: Modernizing drug law enforcement in Latin America Summary: Despite efforts by governments in Latin America, illicit drugs continue to provide one of the largest incomes for criminal organizations, enabling them to penetrate and corrupt political and social institutions. Criminal organizations exploit the vulnerabilities of the state and take advantage of governments' inability to provide security to their citizens. With few exceptions, the weak capacity of Latin American governments is reflected in high rates of homicides, notorious levels of impunity, and the feeling of mistrust that citizens harbour regarding justice institutions and the police. Drug law enforcement in Latin America operates in a context of institutional fragility in which the "war on drugs" has mostly failed to reduce supply and demand, while generating new problems and vast collateral damage. The perverse incentives created by the prohibitionist approach in the face of a persistently strong market demand for drugs has been an important cause of violence and crime in many places. At the same time, state responses to repress this illegal market have serious negative side effects, but only a limited capacity to impact upon the drug chain. Given this reality, different voices are demanding changes in the way the state responds not only to the drug problem but also to the threat of multiple criminal economies that affect the everyday lives of the citizens. The assumption is that moving away from the "war on drugs" can contribute to de-escalating violence and crime and can deprive organized crime groups of resources. Key points - Drug law enforcement in Latin America operates in a context of institutional fragility in which the "war on drugs" has mostly failed to reduce supply and demand, while generating new problems and vast collateral damage. - The modernization of drug law enforcement can be a galvanizing force for changing the broader criminal justice system and perhaps show the way toward fixing a broken system. - The 4W-Challenge (Wrong assumptions; Wrong goals and indicators; Weak institutions; and Worse outcomes) outlines the four main challenges to modernize drug law enforcement in the region - In future law enforcement strategies violence reduction must be a priority and law enforcement measures should not cause additional harm. - The criminal justice system should be focused on the most prejudicial and dangerous criminals, those that have more resources and capacities to use violence and corruption. - Alternatives to incarceration should be developed for the weakest links in the drug trade. - "Success" should be measured not via process indicators (arrests, seizures, extraditions) but rather in terms of outcomes and the impact of policy upon societies(levels of corruption, public health and human security). - The United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the drug problem in 2016 provides an opportunity to rethink drug law enforcement and its consequences for security and development. Details: Amsterdam: Transnational Institute, 2014. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Series on Legislative Reform of Drug Policies No. 29: Accessed March 11, 2015 at: http://www.tni.org/sites/www.tni.org/files/download/dlr29.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Latin America URL: http://www.tni.org/sites/www.tni.org/files/download/dlr29.pdf Shelf Number: 134888 Keywords: Drug EnforcementDrug ReformDrug Trafficking (Latin America)Organized CrimeWar on Drugs |