August 3, 2009

Defeating the drug cartels: A broader approach

By: Bradley C. Schreiber

President Obama should be lauded for quickly recognizing that the increasing violence between Mexico and the drug cartels poses a significant national security threat. However, the steps his Administration has taken – including increasing Border Patrol agents, attempting to stem the flow of weapons into Mexico and authorizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to conduct drug investigations – present a one-dimensional solution to a complex, multifaceted problem. For both nations to win, we must do a better job of stopping the flow of drugs into Mexico from other countries and stemming the flow of money out of the United States that funds the cartels. Here are five steps the U.S. should adopt to reverse the deteriorating situation.

First, we need to stop bulk cash smuggling. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Mexican banks repatriate $12 billion to $13 billion annually to the U.S. About $9 billion to $10 billion per year cannot be explained by legitimate transactions – such as tourism or worker remittances – and is likely smuggled into Mexico. We have been far more successful at stopping drugs coming into the U.S. than money leaving our shores. Intercepting the flow of money to the cartels would seriously weaken their operations and enhance efforts to dismantle them. The President should submit to Congress the bulk cash smuggling study prepared by DHS and order the departments of Treasury, Justice, Homeland Security and others to develop a comprehensive strategy to address bulk cash smuggling, electronic transfers and Mexican currency exchange houses.

Second, we need to dramatically strengthen our drug interdiction operations in the Western Caribbean and Eastern Pacific areas. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), over 80% of the drugs heading into the U.S. flow through Mexico. Much of it – especially cocaine – does not originate there, but transits through the country. The drugs are transported from South America via air or sea routes in the Western Caribbean or Eastern Pacific. Given the vast size of those transit routes, the Defense Department’s reduced commitment to drug interdiction due to its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and opposition from South American governments – particularly Peru, Venezuela and Ecuador -- DHS needs additional assets to successfully fight this war. ONDCP’s interdiction target of 40% of all drugs coming into the U.S. will also require additional planes, boats and personnel. To that end, the U.S. Interdiction Committee – consisting of the Coast Guard, Defense Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and others – should immediately give Congress a detailed assessment of what is needed to stop the drug flow into Mexico and meet our nation’s interdiction goal.

Third, in order to effectively combat the drug cartels, the United States must develop a long-term, comprehensive interdiction and law enforcement strategy aimed at drugs transiting to the U.S. through the Caribbean and to Europe from Africa over the Eastern Atlantic. While this trade does not pose a direct threat to Mexico, the proceeds from those sales strengthen the cartels in both Central and South America – fueling the ongoing battles in Mexico. Currently the U.S. takes a relatively sporadic approach in the Caribbean – focusing on short-term surge operations, general patrols and targeted seizures based on various intelligence sources. Given the widely different economic, political, cultural and law enforcement capability issues in that region, we need a better plan to address the ongoing challenges. In the Atlantic, the U.S. and its European allies should work with the newly created Africa Command to assess the challenges and develop a strategy. Only then will we have a true stranglehold on the cartels.

Fourth, DHS should adopt the Government Accountability Office’s recommendation to assess whether the Container Security Initiative – originally designed to check for weapons of mass destruction and terrorist contraband – can be expanded to include routine targeting and scanning of inbound containers for illicit drugs. ONDCP estimates that between about 545 to 707 metric tons of cocaine was bound for the United States in 2007. This amount requires use of more than go-fast boats or semi-submersible vehicles. Reports suggest that much of the product is coming into the U.S. in ship or truck containers. Increasing our efforts to scan shipping containers at their port of embarkation will make a significant difference in our efforts and further crimp the flow of drugs from the cartels.

Fifth, Congress should pass the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. About 90% of the cocaine coming into the United States through Mexico comes from Colombia. President Alvaro Uribe has made significant progress moving Colombia away from a narco-centric economy. We put him in an untenable position if we do not provide additional trade opportunities for lawful products. Experience shows that the best way to move farmers from producing coca is to incentivize them to produce other products. The Colombia FTA is both a substantive and symbolic step in making this a reality.

These are just a few of the steps that are required to succeed in our fight against the drug cartels that threaten Mexican and U.S. national security. We can win this war once and for all, but only if we think more broadly and act more widely.

Bradley C. Schreiber is President of Homeland Security Solutions, LLC and a former senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2007 to 2009.

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