Drug Traffic Kin 2

Drug Trafficking October 25th, 2008 Speech Communications Drug Trafficking Intro - Nelson - [email protected]

Nelson, Be sure to read the paper and add the topics I cover in your introduction. Make sure it sounds good and its nice short and sweet, I hope you remember everything our wonderful north high school taught us haha. Give me a call if you need any help. Also this is a good intro video for us. Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ghYP6OwK1Q Body - Jordan - [email protected] The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market consisting of the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of illegal drugs. While some drugs are legal to possess and sell, in most jurisdictions laws prohibit the trade of certain types of drugs. Drug smuggling in the United States led to a corrupt government for some time. But on July 1973, President Richard Nixon created The Drug Enforcement Administration which is to control the all-out global war on the drug menace we had and have. “The DEA had 1,470 Special Agents, a budget of less than $75 million, and had 43 foreign offices in 31 countries. Today, the DEA has 5,235 Special Agents, a budget of more than $2.3 billion and 87 foreign offices in 63 countries.” [DEA] Even though this did slow down the process of drug smuggling, it is still a huge problem today to the United States and the use of drugs is also a huge problem. Columbia and Mexico are one of the United States biggest problems with drug smuggling. Border Patrol and Coast Guard deal with a lot of cocaine and marijuana that is smuggled from Mexico and Columbia trying to make its way into the United States. Mexican drug smugglers are routinely released from

counties in Arizona because they cannot afford to put the smugglers on trial. If you are a illegal alien and is caught with 500 pounds of marijuana or less you are simply released to commit more crimes and get a free bus ride back to Mexico. If you are a legal resident or citizen of the United States, then you must serve several years in prison. The Bush administration is funding border security and immigration enforcement to make this problem stop. Drug smuggling can occur by many ways and is crippling our nation dramatically. Drug smuggling into the United States can occur by land, air, sea, and mail across the Mexican and Canadian borders. It is estimated that 65 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States crosses the southwest US-Mexican border upon entry. Drug smuggling methods by land can involve transport by commercial, rented, and private vehicles, all terrain vehicles, and even snowmobiles. According the US Customs Service, each year approximately 370 million people enter by land, 60 million people enter by air, and six million enter by sea. Statistics also indicate that 116 million vehicles cross the US-Mexico border annually. Each year, more than 90,000 passenger and merchant ships dock at US ports, carrying 400 million tons of cargo in more than 9 million shipping containers. This at any time or place, drugs can be smuggled into the United States. The smuggling of drugs affects our communities’ largely. The negative consequences of drug abuse affect not only individuals who abuse drugs but also their families, friends, communities, and the government. ONDCP recently reported that “In 2002, the economic cost of drug abuse to the United States was $180.9 billion” [ONDCP]. If borders were more controlled and the consequences of drug smugglers were higher, then the money we spend on helping drug abusers we could put towards research on alternative fuels or even help out homeless. In the past five years the government has taken a large part of controlling drugs and drug lords in many states. In October of 2007, the United States disbanded many drug rings nationwide and

discovered large amounts of cocaine, marijuana, crack, and arrested several hundred people. A press release published by the ONDCP on June 21, 2007 revealed that since August 2006, the United States had performed 3,239 raids and confiscated tons of drugs.

Conclusion – Amare – [email protected]

Amare, I’m still working on the work cited. When you’re done with the conclusion, send me an email back with the paper so I can do a final proof read and do the final editing. Read over the body and add anything you’d like to add. I’m up for suggestions and any help you can give.

Work Cited 1. "Illegal Drug Smuggling." The Drug Enforcement Administration. Illegal Drugs. 25 Oct.

2008 . [DEA] 2. "Drug Use." Office of National Drug Control Policy. 27 Oct. 2008

. [ONDCP]