NCJ Number
157813
Date Published
1988
Length
110 pages
Annotation
Testimony before the U.S. House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control examines the nature, scope, and effectiveness of U.S. policy and cooperation with Mexico in addressing drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States.
Abstract
The chairman notes in his opening statement that the hearings on narcotics control in Mexico are prompted by evidence of the increased drug production and trafficking from Mexico to the United States. He states that the aim of the hearings is to define the problem and assess what the executive branch is doing to address it. A representative of the General Accounting Office reports on that agency's review of the Joint Aerial Eradication Program to determine the extent to which the program has reduced the amount of heroin and marijuana that is produced in Mexico and smuggled into the United States. Further, the study examined whether the Office of the Attorney General of Mexico is using United States-purchased and maintained aircraft in a manner that maximizes aerial spraying of opium poppy and marijuana fields. Finally, the study assessed whether the program's formal bilateral agreements provide an adequate basis for the ongoing cooperation needed to eliminate opium poppy and marijuana cultivation in Mexico as quickly and efficiently as possible. Testimony is also provided by a panel from the Bureau of International Narcotics Matters, the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Agency for International Development. Some of the issues discussed are the amount of drugs being produced in Mexico, the amount being smuggled into the United States, the amount being interdicted, any government corruption in Mexico associated with drug trafficking, and the nature of the U.S. strategy to address the problem. Prepared statements and data on drug interdictions are provided.