U.S. Drug Interdiction Issues in Latin America: Statement of Joseph E. Kelley, Director-in-Charge, International Affairs Issues, National Security and International Affairs Division, U.S. General Accounting Office, Before the House Committee on Government Operations, Legislation and National Security

• NCJ Number: 152172
• Author(s): J E Kelley
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 5 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

Annotation

The General Accounting Office assessed the impact of the May 1994 U.S. decision to stop sharing real-time detection and monitoring information with Peru and other Latin American countries that could be used to shoot down civilian aircraft suspected of transporting illegal drugs.

Abstract

Peru grows over 60 percent of the world's coca crop that is used by Colombian cartels in cocaine production. U.S. officials estimate that almost 90 percent of drug trafficking activity involving Peru and Colombia occurs by air. Aircraft carry cocaine base from Peru to Colombia for final processing into cocaine and ultimate distribution in the United States and elsewhere. Due to concern that information shared with certain Latin American countries could be used to shoot down civilian aircraft and thus violate international law, the Department of Defense halted the flow of real-time aircraft tracking information to Peru and Colombia in May 1994. This decision's full impact on the flow of drugs is unclear. Information reports from both U.S. and Peruvian officials indicate that the policy has had an adverse impact on the ability to disrupt drug trafficking activities because the ground-based radar in Peru has been shut down. However, indicators of drug trafficking activities which could be affected by the policy, such as the number of illegal drug flights being detected and the amount of cocaine base being shipped from Peru to Colombia, are inconclusive. What does seem clear is that pilots flying between Peru and Colombia have changed their operations since there is little fear of interception by U.S. and Peruvian forces. Changes in flight patterns of drug traffickers after the May 1994 decision are noted.