Law enforcement and narcotics trafficking
In fact, one of the things that many Americans may fail to understand is that there is a relationship between the domestic narcotics industry and international terrorism. Illegal drug trafficking is an international crime problem, and it is rarer that criminal enterprises limit themselves to a single illegal activity. Many criminal enterprises involved in narcotics distribution are also involved in the trafficking of humans and weapons. Furthermore, much of America's narcotic supply comes from Afghanistan, where its production and distribution can provide revenue for terrorist organizations. "The specific dynamics of the linkage between narcotics and conflict remain poorly understood. Evolving theory on the link between organized crime and terrorism enhances and supplements the debate on economic incentives in civil war, proposing mechanisms whereby insurgent groups interact with narcotics production -- a crime -- rebellion nexus" (Cornell, 2007). This nexus is not yet fully understood and there is some disagreement about whether existing drug cultivation helps create terrorist conditions or whether terrorist consciously choose to cultivate drugs as a source of funding. However, "studies of nine major narcotics-producing areas indicate strong support for this nexus. Rather than generating or being generated by drug cultivation, armed conflict qualitatively and quantitatively transforms existing drug cultivation. Importantly, armed conflict is itself deeply affected by the narcotics industry, which tends to strengthen the capacity of insurgent movements while weakening that of the state" (Cornell, 2007). An excellent example of this phenomenon is modern day Mexico, where an out-of-control drug culture has rendered the state virtually powerless within a matter of just a few decades. This has created a de-facto state of war in Mexico, which spills over into the United States on a regular basis. "A momentous aspect of the crime -- rebellion nexus is the effect that the drug industry tends to have on the motivational structures of insurgent groups: criminal involvement in some instances creates an economic function of war and vested interests in the continuation of armed conflict. This has substantial implications for strategies to resolve armed conflict involving the production and trafficking of illicit drugs" (Cornell, 2007).
The fact that narcotics trafficking is linked to terrorism gives the United States some interesting tools for fighting narcotics distribution. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, 20 Stat. L., 145, 10 U.S.C.S. 375 § 15 generally prohibits the United States government from employing any part of the Army to enforce the civil laws of the United States. However, while that law would prevent the deployment of troops at the local level in response to a purely civilian law enforcement matter, it does not prevent the federal government from authorizing the use of military forces to battle threats against homeland security, including narcotics trafficking. The federal government has done so. In 1981 and in 1988, the federal government passed specific drug-related exceptions to the Posse Comitatus act. "The new exceptions allow broad military assistance for the drug war. Soldiers may assist drug law enforcement agencies in surveillance and similar activities, although soldiers are still not supposed to confront civilians directly. Military equipment may be loaned to law enforcement agencies, and the military may train law enforcement agencies. The equipment and training may be for any purpose. If the purpose is drug enforcement, then the equipment and training are free; if not for drug war purposes, the civilian agency must merely reimburse the military for the training and...
African-American street gang members, primarily affiliates of Bloods and Crips, distribute crack cocaine and marijuana in the HIDTA region. Asian street gangs dominate distribution of MDMA and high-potency marijuana at the retail level.[footnoteRef:10] Members of the OMGs, most notably Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC), are the ones that are really known to distribute powder cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana at the midlevel and retail level. [9: Vega, W.A., Alderete, E.,
Because the home country is not required to reimburse foreign depositors for losses, there is no corresponding financial penalty for lax supervision; there is, though, a benefit to the country with lenient regulatory policies because of increased revenues generated and the employment opportunities these services provide (Edwards 1999). Furthermore, banks seeking to conduct multinational business are attracted to countries where incorporation laws and the regulatory framework offer less regulatory oversight
14). Soon, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which was signed into law in 1937. Like the Harrison Act, the Marijuana Tax Act placed marijuana into the same category as the cocaine and opium drugs. It was now illegal to import marijuana into the United States (McWilliams, 1991). However, this law was ineffective in curbing marijuana use (Brecher, 1986, p. 14). By the early 1940s narcotic addiction had significantly reduced
A room in a house or a basement can become manufacturing laboratory for methamphetamine easier than a closet in a city apartment. Similarly, access to cocaine and other illicit substances may be easier in inner cities, which are usually ports of entry for foreign and regional cartels. Demand for methamphetamine may be linked to the availability of other substances in urban centers. If access to cocaine, heroin, and other drugs
The family may be a source of stress, tension, and problems, and can drive its individuals to cope with these problems in harmful ways, such as by use of drugs and alcohol (UNDCP, 1995). Families may be social inhibitors, or may be a channel for family members to be involved in the community. The implications of familial relationships can influence both positive and negative behaviors. The family has the potential
Combating Drug Trade Along the Southwestern Border Proposed Strategy for Combating the Drug Trade along the Southwestern Border The issue of drug trafficking and smuggling has been a serious concern for both Mexico and the United States for decades. Mexico has been identified as the primary supplier of narcotics to the U.S., with the Southwestern border accounting for between 90 and 95% of all illicit drugs smuggled illegally into the U.S. market.
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