[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 10, 1996)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 16039-16042]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9113]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 70 / Wednesday, April 10, 1996 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 16039]]
Memorandum of April 8, 1996
Strengthening Drug Control Cooperation with
Mexico
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and
Agencies
This memorandum is to direct actions that will be taken
by executive departments and agencies to improve the
effectiveness of United States-Mexico drug control
cooperation.
The Seriousness of the Drug Trafficking Threat to the
United States and Mexico:
Drug abuse and drug trafficking pose enormous threats
to the American and Mexican people. The health of our
youth and the safety of our neighborhoods are at stake.
The powers of our democratic institutions and of our
law enforcement organizations are challenged by
international criminal organizations that operate
seamlessly across our borders. Multi-ton quantities of
cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and now methamphetamine,
find their way to American streets far from our
borders, much of it having come across our common
border.
A Joint United States-Mexico Commitment to Confront
Drug Trafficking:
On March 1, I certified to the Congress that the
Government of Mexico cooperated fully to comply with
the objectives of the 1988 United Nations Convention
Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances. President Zedillo and I have
agreed to mount a sustained offensive against drug use,
production, and trafficking organizations. We will
arrest and bring drug traffickers to justice. We will
make it more difficult for illegal profits to be
laundered, and we will seize drug assets at every
opportunity. We will work together to stop the illegal
diversion of chemicals for drug manufacturing, and
improve our capabilities to stop drugs at our border.
To coordinate our efforts, Mexico and the United States
formed a High Level Contact Group on Drug Control,
which met for the first time March 27 in Mexico City.
That group will continue indefinitely. It will meet
next at the end of June in the United States, and
thereafter in December, in Mexico.
A United States Plan of Action for Increased
Cooperation With Mexico:
This directive prescribes specific measures that will
be taken to accomplish these shared objectives;
measures that will increase the effectiveness of the
counter-drug cooperation between our two governments.
1. Quantifying the Drug Trafficking Threat to Our Two
Nations
A prerequisite for more effective bilateral action is a
shared and objective assessment of the level of drug
production, trafficking activities, and the threat of
corruption in both countries.
In order to establish a common view of the problem, the
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) will
coordinate other United States Government agencies in
order to work effectively with officials designated by
President Zedillo to produce a white paper that
comprehensively describes the threat posed by
cultivation, production, and trafficking of drugs such
as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, and
diversion of pharmaceuticals such as rohypnol, in both
the United States and Mexico. Particular attention will
be paid to drug trafficking activities across the
Southwest border.
[[Page 16040]]
This report will be presented to the U.S.-Mexico High
Level Contact Group on Drugs during its next meeting in
June.
2. Developing a Joint Drug Control Strategy
We need a strategy to provide general guidance and
specific direction to the efforts of the departments
and agencies of our two countries.
I have directed the Director of National Drug Control
Policy to expeditiously develop a binational drug
control strategy in conjunction with the Government of
Mexico. The strategy must increase the security and
integrity of our shared border, while respecting the
sovereign rights of each nation.
3. Reducing the Demand for Illegal Drugs in Our Two
Countries
Prevention and treatment programs have contributed to a
marked reduction in the number of drug users in the
United States in the past decade. The number of casual
drug users has dropped by almost half and the number of
cocaine users by over a third. Mexico, likewise, has
enjoyed positive results in its drug prevention
programs. Both the United States and Mexico stand to
benefit by sharing information on demand reduction
programs that work.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy will
organize multi-agency United States Government efforts
to exchange expertise with appropriate organizations
within the Mexican Government for information on
successful reduction programs.
In the interests of enriching bilateral information
exchange, U.S. agencies should take steps to ensure
that the Mexican Government receives copies of relevant
public reports and published studies relating to drug
abuse education, trafficking patterns, money
laundering, and so forth. The two governments will also
work jointly to develop a protocol for exchange of more
sensitive information.
4. Assessing U.S. Counter-drug Programs Along the
Southwest Border
The increasing two-way trade between our nations must
not be permitted to be used as a cover for drug
trafficking.
I have directed the Departments of the Treasury,
Justice, Defense, and other relevant agencies to
conduct a comprehensive review of all Federal, State,
and local efforts to prevent drug trafficking across
the Southwest border.
This review will be coordinated by the Office of
National Drug Control Policy. It will also consider
bilateral measures that can be taken to decrease the
flow of drugs across the Southwest border. The results
of this review shall be submitted to the President's
Council on Counter-Narcotics within 180 days.
5. Attacking Methamphetamine Production and Trafficking
Methamphetamine has become the drug of choice in
California and is becoming more common across the rest
of the United States. Clandestine labs in both
countries produce tons of this dangerous drug. The
Department of Justice (DOJ) has just developed a
concept to address domestic consumption, production,
and trafficking of methamphetamine.
The Department of Justice will continue to lead the
U.S.-Mexico Plenary Group of Senior Law Enforcement
Officials to produce a binational and interagency
methamphetamine strategy. The DOJ will make regular
reports to the High Level Contact Group through ONDCP
of the progress and plans that result from the working
sessions, and will report methamphetamine
accomplishments at the next meeting of the High Level
Contact Group.
6. Controlling Essential and Precursor Chemicals
Essential and precursor chemicals for the manufacture
of all types of illegal drugs must be more carefully
controlled.
The Department of Justice will continue to lead the
U.S.-Mexico Plenary Group of Senior Law Enforcement
Officials to produce a binational and
[[Page 16041]]
interagency strategy and action plan for chemical
controls not included in the methamphetamine action
plan. The DOJ will make regular reports on plans and
progress through ONDCP to the High Level Contact Group.
7. Combating Money Laundering and Other Financial
Crimes
Drug trafficking organizations are profit oriented.
Their illicit gains must be converted into legal
instruments if the profit is to be realized. Money
laundering is an essential component of the drug
trafficking cycle.
Working through the U.S.-Mexico Plenary Group of Senior
Law Enforcement Officials, the Departments of State,
Justice, and the Treasury will develop recommendations
for strengthening legislation to combat drug and other
serious crime-related money laundering activities in
Mexico through a combination of criminal penalties,
large value and suspicious transaction reporting, as
well as laws providing for the seizure and forfeiture
of the proceeds and instrumentalities of crime and for
international cooperation in the tracing, forfeiting,
and equitable sharing of such assets. In addition, the
Departments that comprise the Plenary Group will
produce a plan for training anti-money-laundering law
enforcement specialists, and a plan to expand the
exchange of information to protect the integrity of
financial institutions. They will report progress and
plans through ONDCP to the High Level Contact Group.
A report on progress achieved in this area will be
presented to the U.S.-Mexico High Level Contact Group
on Drugs during its next meeting in June.
8. Improving Bilateral Law Enforcement Cooperation
Bilateral U.S.-Mexican law enforcement cooperation is
at an historic high. However, more can be done.
The U.S.-Mexico Plenary Group of Senior Law Enforcement
Officials will continue to be the principal
coordinating mechanism for bilateral law enforcement
cooperation. The Department of Justice will continue to
lead that Group. The DOJ will make regular reports to
the High Level Contact Group through ONDCP of the
progress and plans that result from the working
sessions, and will report law enforcement cooperation
accomplishments at the next meeting of the High Level
Contact Group. The basic principle to be followed is
that coordination will be facilitated at the lowest
possible echelons and produce measurable results.
Recommendations from the Plenary Group will also be
presented to the U.S.-Mexico High Level Contact Group
on Drugs during its next meeting in June.
9. Capturing Fugitives from Justice
The principle that no felon should be able to escape
justice by using a border defines the joint U.S.-Mexico
approach to fugitive issues.
The Department of Justice, operating through the U.S.-
Mexico Plenary Group of Senior Law Enforcement
Officials will improve the mechanism for return of
fugitives from one country to the other. Those
mechanisms will fully respect the absolute sovereignty
of each nation's laws.
The DOJ will make regular reports to the High Level
Contact Group through ONDCP of the progress and plans
that result from the Plenary Group sessions, and will
report law enforcement cooperation accomplishments at
the next meeting of the High Level Contact Group.
10. Sharing Information and Helping Criminal
Prosecution
We must assure that criminals do not escape punishment
because of an inability to investigate or produce
evidence for trial.
The U.S.-Mexico Plenary Group of Senior Level Law
Enforcement Officials will produce recommendations for
both countries to improve access to law enforcement and
prosecutorial evidence and information. The Group will
report its progress at the June meeting of the High
Level Contact Group.
[[Page 16042]]
11. Denying Our Sovereign Territory to Drug Trafficking
International drug trafficking organizations routinely
violate the sovereign air, land, and sea space of
nations. We must find ways to shield our sovereign
territories from these criminal violations.
The ONDCP will coordinate an interagency effort to
develop unilateral and bilateral measures to prevent
drug traffickers from violating our sovereignty. Such
measures must fully respect the undisputed sovereign
authority of each government within its national
territory. Participating departments will include
Justice, State, the Treasury, and Defense. Particular
attention will be paid to large shipments of illegal
drugs to Mexico and the United States.
An interim report will be presented to the U.S.-Mexico
High Level Contact Group on Drugs during its next
meeting in June.
12. Employing High Technology
Mexico eradicated more drug crops than any other
country in the world in 1995. The United States,
likewise, has pursued a nationwide eradication effort.
Technical exchanges, in such areas as use of high
technology and environmental protection, will benefit
the eradication programs of both countries.
The ONDCP will coordinate an interdepartmental study on
these issues. The study will be conducted in
conjunction with the Government of Mexico. The
Departments of Defense and State, and other relevant
U.S. agencies will participate in this study.
Specific recommendations will be submitted to the U.S.-
Mexico High Level Contact Group on Drugs within 180
days.
13. Summarizing Success
The Director of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy is directed to submit a review of the results of
cooperative U.S.-Mexico efforts against drug production
and trafficking to the President's Council on Counter-
Narcotics, prior to December 31, 1996.
This memorandum shall be published in the Federal
Register.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Washington, April 8, 1996.
[FR Doc. 96-9113
Filed 4-9-96; 11:46 am]
Billing code 3180-02-P
