Capabilities for Interdicting Airborne Drug Smugglers Are Limited and Costly

• NCJ Number: 119504
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: US Government Accountability Office
• Sale Source: Azimuth Inc.; National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Legislative Hearing/Committee Report
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Statement of Arnold P. Jones, Director, Administration of Justice Issues before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

Annotation

This document focuses on the capabilities of the Federal government for interdicting airborne drug smugglers.

Abstract

Efforts to control airborne drug smuggling (air interdiction programs) are aimed at smugglers using private aircraft to primarily transport cocaine and marijuana from Latin America and the Caribbean into the United States. Federal spending on these programs increased from $18 million in 1982 to about $200 million in fiscal year 1989, however, the resulting drug seizures have not reduced the supply of illegal drugs available to consumers. Planned deployments of additional radar systems and improvements in command, control, communications, and intelligence systems may increase the effectiveness of air interdiction efforts, but will be very expensive. Decisions about providing funds for these additional efforts should not be made without considering whether these funds could be put to more effective use on some other aspect of the Nation's war on drugs.