Drug trafficking, especially in the U.S., is one of the most profitable illegal markets in the world and, as such, it attracts some of the most sophisticated, aggressive, and ruthless traffickers. To understand the nature and wide scope of drug trafficking in the United States, it is better to first get into how deep these operations go, where these operations begin, and how they work. Through reviewing recent cases that show evidence of these operations, a clear understanding of the illegal trade can be achieved https://essaysprofessor.com/essay-editing.html
Some examples of investigations include the allegations that linked the Contras and the CIA in cocaine trafficking in the United States, the investigation on the Gamboa drug trafficking, which implicated law enforcers in the case and led to several arrests and the report by the U.S Senate that ghost companies were involved in money laundering and international drug trafficking syndicates. Most of these investigations that link government officials to drug operations never get reported, and in many cases, that there is no real evidence that incriminates them. This shows the extent of influence on the society and the government that these cartels have. Hence, it makes it hard to persecute and stop their operations since they have protection. Through the underground networks, the drug peddlers find it easy to smuggle drugs across borders and their activities are hard to detect since they have evolved from the old underground tunnels to transporting them in private jetliners and container shipments. This calls for more re-invention on the side of drug law enforcement agencies to find ways of curbing this widespread epidemic. The continuation of the trade harms the country, since the increase of organized crime and corruption in the government destroys the youth by encouraging gang-related crimes and stalls the economy. Moreover, a lot of resources get wasted on illicit drugs control, which spurs an increase in tax.
Statistics show that most of the drugs smuggled into the U.S. come from Columbia and Mexico. In such a way, organized cartels distribute drugs into the American streets, which has been a major reason for the increase of crime in the communities. In a survey conducted in 2010, an estimate of 22 million Americans uses drugs. In addition, many of them are still drug peddlers and account for most of the serious crimes in the United States. The survey indicated that most of these cartels have a link to the government and their businesses get protection from law enforcers. Drug trafficking and drug abuse remain among the top challenges affecting the nation. Some have labeled drugs as ‘the underworld economy of the U.S and the many ways it is smuggled and distributed to people of all social stature, races, and ages, make it almost impossible to stop entirely. To expound on this, according to the reports by the U.S. Custom services, 675,000 flights, both commercial and private, allow 60 million people to enter the United States. 370 million arrives by land and 6 million by sea and more than 90,000 passengers and merchants dock the U.S. ports with 400 tons of cargo and over 9 million containers. In this large volume of human traffic, drug peddlers hide their shipments for distribution in the U.S streets. Even with the increased efforts of the (DEA) the Drug Enforcement Administration, the increase of its agents from 3,191 to 4561 in 2000 and the increase in the budget from 9.7 billion dollars to 17.9 billion dollars, the war against drug trafficking still continues to cost the Americans too much in terms of people’s lives and taxes. In the last ten years, there has been a steady increase of drug users from 1992 initial 5.8 percent to 6.7 percent in 1998.
The estimate of drug trade is 300 billion dollars annually. With this understanding, it is easy to see why the convicted peddlers disregard the legal sanctions enacted by the government, since the benefits act as incentives that override the punishment. Through the large budget, they can develop creative and new ways of producing, hiding, and transporting their products. The limited resources that are available to law enforcers are not adequate to counter the limitless resources available for the traffickers’ operations. An example is the research that shows that criminal groups have influenced domestic cultivation, production, and distribution of illegal drugs, such as (PCP) phencyclidine, marijuana, and lysergic acid. This has seen an increase in illicit laboratories and chemists that supply drugs to college and high school students, who get enticed by the money the cartels offer them as distributors.
My opinion on the drug trafficking menace is immediately reduce supply of drugs, and instead focus on settling the high demand for drugs in the country. This could be achieved through encouraging more drug prevention programs, like the (DARE program) Drug Abuse Resistance Education, deterring the youth from engaging in drugs. Trained police officers should come to speak in schools about drugs and their negative effects, promote life skills, and teach to resist intimidation and peer pressure. Through such initiatives, children get equipped and are less likely to use drugs once they know the risks. Apart from education, increased funding for drug treatment programs, including job training, assisted search for drug addicts, and rehabilitation clinics using Methadone for heroin addicts, is an effective way of blocking the withdrawal symptoms and craving. Statistics show that using treatment is more effective than law enforcement on the war against drugs, since it is 23 times more effective than attacking the drugs at their source. It is 10 times more effective than interdiction, 7 times more effective than law enforcement, and still cheaper and more cost-effective on the taxpayers. A direct attack on the source is also an effective measure, since the efforts made by the DEA have seen an increase in drugs seizure, which has led to a significant drug supply reduction. For example, the 1999 seizure of 82 million dollars worth of drugs, which compared to the 24 million dollars in the 1990 seizure, is three times the amount. Through a joint realization of the hemispheric agenda, that drug trafficking directly or indirectly affects the well-being and health of the people in the Western hemisphere. By not allowing the supply, cultivation, and sale of these substances, we can promote a better living of the population.
Personal awareness and community policing should be encouraged and this will create zero tolerance on drugs in the society. The government intervention can effectively reduce organized crime and presence of illegal drugs in the community. If effectively implemented, this will reduce the market base for international supply and effectively curb the trade globally. Focus on violent and dangerous criminals ought to be a priority for law enforcement instead of wasting the court’s time on minor offenders. Such offenders should be given the option of less jail time, better treatment, and less restrictions on visits. This approach may give the offenders a reason for good behavior in exchange for freedom. This reduces congestion in the facilities and helps in the rehabilitation of victims.
Federal laws that the United States government enacts in line with drug trafficking policies attempt to reduce the production and trafficking of illegal drugs in the country through a collaboration of tribal, local, and federal law enforcement agencies through implementing of coordinated activities and sharing information. Law enforcement agencies require relevant information so that there are effective strategies for cooperation among the relevant authorities. Coordinated strategies maximize available resources effectively and help stomp out illegal drugs in the specific areas in the country. The recent enacted law passed by Congress has placed steeper penalties on drug traffickers, since before they had carried a minimum sentence that was mandatory for drug-related crimes.
In addition, the system of the federal criminal court has a unique rule that enables it to oversee everything from investigation, jury procedure, conspiracy charges, sentencing procedure, and testimony. At the federal level, the prosecution of drug offenders takes into account the persons, criminal records, the type of drugs, and whether there were any death, injuries, or weapons involved. Moreover, the sentencing is between 5-40 years imprisonment on the offenders and it can increase from 20 to life, if there was any injury or death. In addition to the jail time, the convicts could lose their property and pay steep fines of 250,000 thousand dollars and above. |