cannabisnews.com: DEA Head Says Drug Smugglers Taking Advantage





DEA Head Says Drug Smugglers Taking Advantage
Posted by FoM on October 17, 2001 at 17:49:54 PT
By Melissa B. Robinson, The Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Illegal drug trafficking in the Caribbean is up 25 percent, probably because traffickers see an opportunity with U.S. law enforcement focused on terrorism, Drug Enforcement Administrator Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday. Hutchinson couldn't say whether the rise would translate into more drugs coming into the United States. But he said that like other law enforcement agencies, DEA has been stretched thin since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 
"The traffickers see a window of opportunity in the Caribbean as a result of assets that had to be marshaled in our port security and our homeland security," Hutchinson told the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee. More than 100 DEA agents have been pressed into service as marshals aboard airplanes and another 40 DEA intelligence analysts are working closely with the FBI. "We've got to have the funds to replenish any assets that are taken away from the Caribbean," Hutchinson said. Without more money, he said, it's doubtful the United States will meet its 2002 goal of intercepting 18 percent of illegal narcotics headed for U.S. shores. Last year, federal agents seized approximately 11 percent of drugs. Hutchinson's remarks about funding relate mainly to the Coast Guard, the agency primarily responsible for drug enforcement along the coast. The Coast Guard has estimated that as much as 75 percent of its assets -- personnel and boats -- have been pulled away from drug interdiction for anti-terrorist patrols. The Coast Guard still is trying to come up with an estimate for Congress on how much additional funding it will need to continue its homeland security efforts in addition to its traditional work, which includes immigration and fisheries enforcement. Hutchinson said the estimated 25 percent increase in Caribbean drug trafficking is based on several factors, including intelligence and a rise in the DEA's investigative caseload. The increase covers a period of several weeks since Sept. 11. Complete Title: DEA Head Says Drug Smugglers Trying to Take Advantage While Law Enforcement Concentrates on Terrorism Source: Associated PressAuthor: Melissa B. Robinson, The Associated PressPublished: October 17, 2001Copyright: 2001 Associated PressRelated Articles:Illegal Drug Flow Back Near Normal http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11110.shtml DEA Administrator Testifies on Taliban and Drugs http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11029.shtml
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Comment #20 posted by Nicholas Thimmesch on October 18, 2001 at 14:00:53 PT:
THANKS !!!
Thanks for the links: what a story and it makes one ponder what his son must be going through.
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Comment #19 posted by kaptinemo on October 18, 2001 at 13:14:49 PT:
To answer your question, Nicholas
From MAPINC:
EVEN DEA CHIEF HAD BRUSH WITH CLUB DRUG SCENE...
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n1551/a10.html?111Note: according to this story, the only reason the DEA knew at all of Asa's plans to attend a rave was because his son had proudly posted the fact on a pro-rave Website. More proof that Officer Boot is playing Big Brother. And is probably doing so here...right now.
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on October 18, 2001 at 12:23:05 PT
Nicholas, here's the article I found
An Enforcer Who Sees The Human Side of Drug Battle 
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/10/thread10795.shtml
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Comment #17 posted by Nicholas Thimmesch on October 18, 2001 at 12:01:43 PT:
HUTCHINSON'S RAVE
Don't doubt you, but I never saw further media reports about Hutchinson & son's outing other than some Arkansas paper's pre-event coverage. Would love to see whatever you might have & thanks: e-mail to normlmedia earthlink.net
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Comment #16 posted by kaptinemo on October 18, 2001 at 10:34:39 PT:
But he DIDN'T go, Nicholas
The DEA tipped him off that the rave promoter was going to be arrested. So he and his kid stayed home. Needless to say, the DEA was mightily relieved; ol' Asa might actually have seen something contrary to the DEA's strictly narrow view of reality, and begun to ask pointed questions the DEA doesn't want asked by anyone least of all their future Director.You'll note I said 'their'. As in belonging to them - not the other way around. The DEA, as predicted, is running Asa, not Asa running the DEA. Yessir, bought, sold...and bent over the desk.
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Comment #15 posted by Nicholas Thimmesch on October 18, 2001 at 07:25:36 PT:
Hutchinson
Let's get this -- pardon the expression -- "straight": Hutchinson says that "drug smugglers" are taking advantage of the fact that federal and other government resources are having to be reallocated in order to defend our nation from real terrorism, and that they are not being fair -- maybe even being un-patriotic -- by doing so. I am beginning to think that Asa dropped some acid when he went with his son to a rave party this past summer.
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Comment #14 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on October 18, 2001 at 05:18:52 PT
So prices will drop by 7%?
>>Without more money, he said, it's doubtful the United States will meet its 2002 goal of intercepting 18 percent of illegal narcotics headed for U.S. shores. Last year, federal agents seized approximately 11 percent of drugs.  Whether or not we question the accuracy of these statements, it is a pretty poor assessment of their progress in their own words. I mean, if they -strive- for stopping less than one fifth of the total trade, and they can't even do THAT... well, that's $40 billion dollars well spent, right?
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Comment #13 posted by Lehder on October 18, 2001 at 04:32:40 PT
China
Why is Bush going to China?-----------Evidently Colombia is next. I hope the Colombians have been watching the action in Afghanistan. 
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Comment #12 posted by xxdr_zombiexx on October 18, 2001 at 04:11:11 PT
The first casualty of war...
Is the truth".. Im unsure who said that, but I have heard it all my life.Poor ol' DEA...havin to do real work. I am so SAD!This article makes no sense, actually. I think its clear its just more government pork barreling.The stats..god almighty, how do they come up with these numbers?? 11% of a mystery? If they know exactly HOW MUCH there is, why don't they get it all? They always betray their complete dishonesty by citing such stats.If they were honest..hehehe..that'd be a good writing project! **"We never spend this money on anything good. We lie to you to ghet more. We have no need to treat marijuana smokers so poorly, but, dammit, we don't like them hippy-type pinko's. The Cold War ain't dead. Long Live Reagen.. Sieg..Heil!!"**The DEA is also stretched thin by conducting terrorist raids in California, probably plotting some for Nevada. That keeps them out of the Caribbean where the "druuuugs" are probably REAL drugs - coke and heroin - not the wonderful little plant we all love.meanwhile, that "press release from the white house" is somewhat scary..only because I am totally wierded out by the idea that an "emergency" can actually have an anniversary date (??!) and can be "renewed". That's not my defintion of an emergency: that is the defination of a "chronic state of affairs". (A 6 year emergency?)How much you wanna bet the "war on terror" lasts until the next scheduled election...(which has plenty of time to be suspended)...?
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Comment #11 posted by Rambler on October 18, 2001 at 02:44:40 PT
look at this
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was 
released today by the White House: TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 
1622(d) provides for the automatic termination of a national 
emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, 
the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to 
the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in 
effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this 
provision, I have sent the enclosed notice to the Federal Register 
for publication, stating that the emergency declared with respect 
to significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia is to 
continue in effect for 1 year beyond October 21, 2001. The circumstances that led to the declaration on October 21, 
1995, of a national emergency have not been resolved. The actions 
of significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia continue 
to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national 
security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and to 
cause unparalleled violence, corruption, and harm in the United 
States and abroad. For these reasons, I have determined that it is 
necessary to maintain economic pressures on significant narcotics 
traffickers centered in Colombia by blocking their property or 
interests in property that are in the United States or within the 
possession or control of United States persons and by depriving 
them of access to the United States market and financial system. 
 GEORGE W. BUSH 
 
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Comment #10 posted by dddd on October 18, 2001 at 00:09:40 PT
yes.....indeed!
EJ writes;...>"It's a weird world when reporters reject their adversarial role and come on board with the government as team players. But it really seems that this is what has happened in the War on Drugs. Reporters are acting like team players, not an adversarial force designed to keep the "team" honest.".....Right on EJ,,,except that the term "weird",is putting too mildly...Weird,,is a good term to use for Sam Donaldsons hair........the thought of a government controlled media "team",,,,is downright alarming,and terrifying!.....dddd 
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Comment #9 posted by E_Johnson on October 17, 2001 at 23:10:47 PT
It's like nobody is training them at all
I'm really getting a weird impression that journalists today are not trained at all to understand that the government officials are capable of telling deliberate lies.The Brown Tide assignment was our initiation into the ugly world of being lied to and played for a fool and the dangers of seeking approval from anyone who wears a suit for a living.Maybe journalism teachers aren't giving their students the Brown Tide exercise any more?It's a weird world when reporters reject their adversarial role and come on board with the government as team players. But it really seems that this is what has happened in the War on Drugs. Reporters are acting like team players, not an adversarial force designed to keep the "team" honest.
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Comment #8 posted by freedom fighter on October 17, 2001 at 23:05:42 PT
I still wondered why I got C
in my journalism class. It was back in 1976, I took this High School journalism in a mainstream high school. One day, the teacher asked a question, "Does anybody know what happened today?" Noone answered her question and so being a smartaleck hard of hearing dude, I shot my hand out and explained few of events that I had gleaned over the newspaper. My teacher was bit taken back so she asked, "Is there any more events anybody may know what happened?". There was a deafening silence so I decided once more to put my hand up in the air and explained few other more events. She got so pissed and asked, "Can you tell me where you got the news from?". Me, being a deafy answered, "I read the newspaper." I felt like crawling into a hole when she started screaming at others since other kids could just simply listen to radios and TV and none of them knew what was going around the world.
To this day, I still wondered why I got a C in journalism. Probably because English is my second language and Melissa Robinson was in my class. :)ff 
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Comment #7 posted by dddd on October 17, 2001 at 23:00:04 PT
as if there was a difference
....>"Hutchinson's remarks about funding relate mainly to the Coast Guard, the agency primarily responsible for drug enforcement along the coast. The Coast Guard has estimated that as much as 75 percent of its assets -- personnel and boats -- have been pulled away from drug interdiction for anti-terrorist patrols. "....Perhaps someone would care to explain the difference between patrolling for drugs,or patroling for terrorists??...hardcore propaganda like this,which is distributed worldwide by the AP,is a prime factor to maintain the Evil Empires troughs of cash filled to the brim for the ravenous hogs that gorge on it.http://www.africa2000.com/PNDX/theory.htmdddd
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Comment #6 posted by freedom fighter on October 17, 2001 at 22:36:53 PT
Drugdaq Report #2
For Immediate Press Release:Due to George Bush who's nose so white before he left for China released White House press statement propping significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia. Drug Investors will profit 50% more than expected.Nogringo delcared,"The Lobbyists's effort paid off. The Drugdaq investors can breathe easy for next 12 months. Not to worry, we will not bother with America's finanical market for there are plenty other markets to invest in."
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Comment #5 posted by E_Johnson on October 17, 2001 at 22:26:43 PT
The Brown Tide has clearly arrived on shore
Without more money, he said, it's doubtful the United States will meet its 2002 goal of intercepting 18 percent of illegal narcotics headed for U.S. shores. Last year, federal agents seized approximately 11 percent of drugs. The DEA pulls these numbers out of their butts. I doubt whether even the drug cartels can measure their own productivity or revenues with a precision of one percent.Once I was taking a journalism class and as an exercise the teacher had her boyfriend, who was, we were told, a sanitation expert, come in and lecture us about some topic, and we were supposed to ask intelligent questions and write up the talk as a news article.So he came and told the class that all the poop we flushed out to the ocean was filling up the ocean and the EPA had spotted a giant brown mass floating and growing in the ocean and was monitoring it in case it came back to shore as a Brown Tide.And after his talk, we gullible journalism students, impressed by the authority with which a "santitation official", asked him all kinds of questions that were polite and non-confrontatinal and designed to impress him and make him like us.Then at the end of this wonderful evening, he stood up and said, "You know what the Brown Tide really is? It's the compete load of crap that I just fed you." The whole evening had been an exercise to show us how gullible reporters can become when they are faced with an "expert".And that's exactly what we can say about this reporter, who accepts the idea without question that the DEA actually knows how much drugs the DON'T seize with a precision of one percent.Melissa B. Robinson, watch out for that Brown Tide!It's lapping at your feet right now. Can't you smell it at all?
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Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on October 17, 2001 at 22:00:43 PT
dang, Ej
What have you done? You just got bushy the dimwit to prop the prices! :))ff
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 17, 2001 at 19:37:37 PT
White House Press Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 17, 2001
 
To the Congress of the United States 
   Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622(d) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent the enclosed notice to the Federal Register for publication, stating that the emergency declared with respect to significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia is to continue in effect for 1 year beyond October 21, 2001. 
   The circumstances that led to the declaration on October 21, 1995, of a national emergency have not been resolved. The actions of significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia continue to pose an unusual and extraor-dinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and to cause unparalleled violence, corruption, and harm in the United States and abroad. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to maintain economic pressures on significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia by blocking their property or interests in property that are in the United States or within the possession or control of United States persons and by depriving them of access to the United States market and financial system. 
GEORGE W. BUSH - THE WHITE HOUSE
Date: October 16, 2001
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/10/20011017-24.html 
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on October 17, 2001 at 18:50:51 PT
How might a business reporter wite this?
DRUGDAQ Drops on News of Glut, Byproduct of Terrorism FightThe illegal drug stock market took a dangerous plunge yesterday on strong warnings issued by investment cartels that profits would be lower due to an increase in drug trafficking in the Carribbean by 25%."Because drug interdiction efforts are being put aside for the war on terroorism, competition in the drug market is increasing while the market share has remained steady," said Carlos Nogringo, the chief drug market analyst in the region. "This spells very bad news for investors as prices are plunging and previously healthy revenue projections are disappearing out of sight."Nogringo urged worried DRUGDAQ investors to lobby the United States to resume their price supports in the region. "If we can't get the Americans to remove large quantities of excess product from the markets and eliminate the smaller competition, it's going to be a rough business climate for the bigger players for the foreseeable future."
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Comment #1 posted by Tim Stone on October 17, 2001 at 18:10:55 PT
Oliver Twisted
"Please, sir, may I have some more?" The "terrorism" puppies are threatening to nudge the DEA puppy off the governmental front teat it's enjoyed unquestioningly for decades now. So initially news reports said that post-9/11 increased border surveillance had almost completely dried up drug smuggling. Now we're told that that importation will likely increase, _despite_ all the increased terrorism border surveillance. I suppose it's hard for governmental agencies to get their stories straight when they're all competing for the same finite funding dollars. The bit about 11% of drugs seized is kind of a hoot. I'd loooove to get a good look at whatever dingleberry mathematical model the narcs are diddling to come up with that figure. It's variations on the old math conundrum of trying to model how many cats _weren't_ lost this week, given that you don't know how many cats are out there to begin with. 
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