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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
1996 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, March 1997
United States Department of State
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Other US Assistance Provided
United States Customs Service
International drug interdiction training is a vital segment of the
activities, interests, and mission of the US Customs Service. Training is
funded and approved by the Department of State and provided to drug control
agencies with an interdiction responsibility in countries considered
significant to US narcotics control enforcement efforts.
FY 1996, 47 programs were conducted. These programs involved 37
participants in the US and 1,750 participants in 30 foreign countries.
This annual schedule included 4 Executive Observation Programs (EOP); 16
Overseas Enforcement Training (OET) Programs for individual countries; 3
Regional Overseas Enforcement Training (ROET) Programs for two or more
countries; 5 Train-the-Trainer Workshops (T3W) for individual countries; 1
Regional Train-the-Trainer Workshop (RT3W) for two or more countries; 4
Contraband Enforcement Team (CET) Training Programs - 3 with 2 separate
phases and 1 with 3 separate phases; and 1 Money Laundering Seminar
(MLS).
In addition to the normal schedule of International Narcotics Control
Training programs conducted under the auspices of INL, US Customs has
carried out a number of narcotics control projects making use of funds
outside of the annual INL allocation. These programs were in response to
high priority concerns. Among these are the following:
- Carrier Initiative Programs conducted in Barbados, Chile, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Panama, Peru, as well as a site
survey/assessment in Peru. A Super Carrier program was also conducted in
Venezuela. Many of these courses were at least partially funded by
international carriers or trade organizations and a number of them were
done at the conclusion of other scheduled training programs, with little
additional cost.
- A special airport and Customs anti-smuggling assessment was provided
for South Africa in conjunction with a scheduled drug interdiction school.
- The scheduled programs for Paraguay and Haiti included innovative
multi-site operational practical exercises involving container search and
land/port interdiction techniques. As noted below, these programs were
instrumental in creating an environment where seizures were made both in
the U.S. and in the host countries.
- A Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) was signed with Ireland.
In conjunction with the CMAA signing, a drug
interdiction/investigations/intelligence gathering program focusing on
interagency cooperation was provided to Irish drug control agencies.
FY-1996 was the sixth year in which INL has funded training in narcotics
security techniques provided by US Customs to managers and employees of
commercial transportation companies under the Carrier Initiative Program
(CIP). During FY 1996, INL-funded ClP training was presented to 859
employees in 6 programs. These programs were offered in the following
countries: Peru, as well as a site survey/assessment in Peru, Guatemala,
Barbados, Ecuador, 1 in the US (Miami). A Super Carrier program was also
conducted in Venezuela. Costs relating to these programs are partially
offset by the sponsoring commercial transportation companies.
Particularly noteworthy in assessing the past year's program is the
submission of reports of increased law enforcement activities related to
the training. There were, for example, measurable results: Upon conclusion
of the basic back-to-back drug interdiction schools in Haiti, our field
team leader created a "heightened enforcement awareness" at JFK airport,
for flights from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Few seizures had been
made from Haitian flights for several months, but on 6/27/96 in the PM,
CET, using intensified search parameters, discovered a "false mail bag",
which contained 37.3 lbs of cocaine. The JFK CET also discovered 1.07 lbs
of heroin on/in a passenger (swallower) from the Dominican Republic.
During the training program, the team learned that the enforcement officers
in the Dominican Republic believed that only cocaine and not heroin was
transiting their country. This seizure information has been communicated
to the DEA Attache who has briefed the Dominican Republic agencies.
In addition, the training team leader in a follow-up call to Haiti, was
advised that recently trained customs/ enforcement officers and Carrier
Initiative Program trained employees made the following three seizures,
with no prior information:
- 80 kilos of cocaine in four suitcases;
- 10 kilos in a passenger's carry-on bag;
- 2 kilos on a passenger (body carry).
In the trip report for the Paraguay Overseas Enforcement Training
Program, the Team Leader stated the following concerning a field practical
exercise conducted during the program: "Our visit to Encarnacion was ended
on a very positive note. The group was working the long-range omni buses.
We were working jointly with Customs and Dinar (Police). The Customs team
member from El Paso boarded a bus with a Paraguayan Customs inspector. The
Paraguayan inspector detected bricks of marijuana in the overhead luggage
area and also under several seats. Total weight of the marijuana was six
kilos. This was the very first seizure ever by Customs at the Port of
Encarnacion. The smuggler was an older man who had boarded the bus just
outside of Asuncion. This bus company was not one that the inspectors
considered "high risk."
In FY 1996, our international training efforts have, as in the past,
also emphasized cooperation with other US Government drug enforcement
agencies. Cooperation was also emphasized with other nations and
international bodies. We maintain an extensive network of drug control
liaison contacts in the US, as well as with a number of major donor
countries and international organizations, enabling us, among other things,
to avoid duplication of training.
In FY 1996, the US Customs Service shared financial assets on 7
occasions:
ARUBA $41,475.86
GOVERNMENT OF SWITZERLAND $335,408.42
UNITED KINGDOM $135,124.97
CANADA $12,365.08
CANADA $1,425.05
STATES OF JERSEY $1,049,991.25
ROYAL CAYMAN ISLANDS $12,484.65
TOTAL: $1,588,275.28
TRAINING STATISTICS
Participants Programs
Training in the US:
Executive Observation Program 8 4
Carrier Initiative Program-Miami 37 1
Training in host countries:
Overseas Enforcement Training 567 19
Contraband Enforcement Team1 45 4
Train-the-Trainer Workshop 99 8
Money Laundering Seminar 527 4
Carrier Initiative Program 822 5
SUBTOTAL 2,205 45
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