Illicit Drug Trafficking is Affecting San Diego Community, United States of America
Introduction
What are the main trends that characterize the rise in trafficking of illicit drug in the United States of America for the last ten years of the 21st century? What are the political, social and economic influences of drug trafficking in the USA in general? This essay is aimed at identifying four significant trends and patterns that are currently ongoing in the transformation and reformation of illicit drug trade worldwide. They include; 1) the increasing consumption of illegal drugs globally; 2) the areas of expansion of drug cultivation and various routes of drug smuggling organized by multiple groups and networks across the hemisphere (the balloon effect); 3) the numerous failures in the political reformations and the state towards the fight of the illicit drug trade and, 4) the ineffective regional, national and international policies on drug control.
Literature Review
Various scholars have written extensively on the matter “illicit drug trade”. According to Spapens (2011), illicit drug markets are scarce and difficult to control, especially in the border towns. A study was done by John et al. (2010) on the role of police, and law enforcement personnel’s in the war against illicit drug trafficking, found out that in the United States of America, various organizational structures are used by traffickers in the smuggling of multiple illegal drugs across the nation’s internal and external borders. The structures found included; money counters, transporters, guards, deliverers and separate handlers. The research also exposed the various loopholes into the markets and the methods of delivery, such as distribution levels and end-users access points.
The truth of the matter is that each level of trade in the illicit drug trade creates a particular limit to those involved by the market forces. Schneider, (2010) and Soudijn, (2012) stated that money laundering is world widely known as the most facet specialized for drug trafficking. Soudijn discovered that 50% of the illicit drug cases are associated with money laundering. The study exposed a more comprehensive range of financial activities and facilitators that smuggle cash alongside the drugs. The study also found out that among the facilitators involved in drug trafficking is the aspect of human capital that involved leader and persons holding prominent positions in the government or state.
In the recent study, Nataraj et al. (2015), they researched 89 institutions and exposed the cases of Drug Administration Enforcement body in New York City. Their objective was to test the group classification systems in terms of task and structure of the organization. The finding s they came out with stated that drug trafficking is a process that involves a hierarchy of groups that function in the communal business structure and division of labour. The business structure they found linked from the regional wholesalers that distribute supplies the retailers in the local villages. The trade involves individuals with shared characteristics such as nationality, race, religion or neighbourhood. Notably, the informal and flexible structures in the illicit drug trade business show the potential in terms of the impact this Menes has on society.
The studies above have presented a methodological weakness that limits casual inferences. The deficiencies are as a result of inadequacy in the data to establish the cause; of the matter at hand “illicit drug trafficking”. The effect of the data deficiencies is seen in the conclusion validity that is pervasive. The San Diego community has as well been affected by the problem of drug trafficking. As a result, many social and economic difficulties have emerged. Therefore, this study is focusing on the solution to solving this global problem.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
According to Syal (2009), different countries in the world peg different measure in curbing drug trafficking. In some states, the culprits are customarily subjected to life imprisonment while others use impose higher fines as a strategy to control this Menes. In the United States of America, it has been on the rising trend, especially along the towns situated at the border. Most commonly, across the America Mexican border since the Eighteenth century to date. The issue of drug trafficking escalated in the 1930s because of the prohibition of alcohol consumption. At that time, the alcohol cost had so much increased, thus forcing most of the alcohol consumers to turn illicit drugs such as cocaine, psychedelics, amphetamines and marijuana.
In 1969, the USA president (Nixon) declared the fight against illicit drugs at the top of all. President Nixon further created a commission help in the contest. Unfortunately, 20 years later, when a test on the qualities of the drugs was done, major drug barons and cartels had already established themselves. The escalation drug trafficking was also attached to the USA involvement in the Vietnam War between 19065 and 1970. Drug use among the soldiers was widespread as heroin was smuggled in and out of Vietnam to the USA. Drug trafficking in the USA involved many drug cartels over time such as Manuel Ngoreana, the Cali cartel, Los Zetal from Mexico among others until the 21st century.
In recent years, most of the drug traffickers come from the Middle East; Al-Qaida and Taliban included as the primary stakeholders doing the production and shipping functions to the USA and most parts of the world. According to the American Fiscal Year Report, (2018), most common illicit drugs produced currently includes; oxycodone, cocaine (cracked), powder cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine. Most of the political leaders in Latin America argue that the massive consumption of illegal drugs in ample quantities is the leading cause of the explosive and high use of illicit drugs in the nation. The argument is also based on the fact that the bordering countries such as the Caribbean produce such hard drugs in large quantities for export, making them readily available to users. The region surrounded by cartels that are richly financed to traffic hard drugs. It is certain that the USA, for many years, has remained the most significant market and consumer of illicit drugs in the world with sales ranging from $130 billion to $150 billion annually. Surprisingly, $37 billion is spent per year on cocaine alone (UNODP, 2011).
According to the UNODP (2010) report on drugs, Colombia had successfully reduced its hectares of production for the cultivation of coca in their national territory to 2000 hectares. The cultivation reduction in Columbia could have a long term effect on the decrease in the quantity of cocaine transported to the USA. Though there is no clarity and the truth about Colombia reductions in the cultivation of coca as it characterized by inadequate data regarding the new production levels that are produced. On the same note, the co-producers; Bolivia and Peru have also given similar sentiments. According to the report, most people believe that in the region of Andrean, the overall production of coca is still roughly 2000 levels and above that of the years. The eventual “balloon effect” allows the cultivation of coca to have a shift to Colombia from Peru and Bolivia.
While the problem of drug trafficking may never be controlled completely, the government organs and agencies currently have underway programs to curb illegal drugs and to stop its transportation to the USA. In the context of policies in the USA, there have been many types of organized group crime that operate within the countries territory. The criminal groups inhibit various political reforms, as most of them form the capitalist of the economy. The example of the Italian Mafia Model that has currently been replaced by many similar guns star and trafficking organizations across the world has altered the. According to the UNODP (2010), the USA and other developed countries governments such as Japan, China, and Venezuela, have been blamed on the lack of policy to curb and keep manned the problem of trafficking of illicit drugs globally.
Looking at the political influence the United States has had on the international drug policy, the UNODP and the Organization of American States (OAS), have both formulated strategies on drug policy at the global level. Many political and government leaders have contributed to solving the illicit drug trade problem. President Obama released a National Drug Control Strategy with five objectives to achieve namely; reduction in the youth drug use by 15%, decrease adult use by 10%, reduce the number of the chronic user by 15%, reduce incidents of drug-induced deaths by 15%, and drug driving prevalence by 15%. Approaches used by UN on drug control deters the flexibility of other nation’s responses to drug trafficking. The UNODO and OAS limit other organizations power to formulate laws and even to put them on practice effectively. The collaboration between the two bodies is objectively to eliminate the evil of illicit drugs tasked to formulate policies, report on adherence and protection of the systems. Therefore it’s clear that the war against drug trafficking is a world war fight fort by many governments and agencies in the world.
CONCLUSION
An in-depth understanding of markets for illicit drugs operations is essential in the fight against drug trafficking and crime policy formulation. The policymakers (governments and agencies) need to be well acquainted with the market niches and the supplying organizations. The policies formulated are supposed to be tailor-made to fit the current trends in the problems of drug trafficking. With regards to the fact that drug markets worldwide are becoming more sophisticated and diversified, a multi-dimensional strategy that combines poverty level reduction, devolution of socio-economic opportunities to the local communities, government control systems and political stability is very pivotal to the war against drug trafficking. The multi-dimensional strategy help protect vulnerable individuals in society against drug use.
In addition to the increased access to human rights and policy interventions that are based on evidence, sufficient investment of defensive schemes to reduce and treat the side effects of the hard drugs is very central in the fight.
REFERENCES
“Republic of Colombia: the world drug trafficking.” Grades Fixer, 03 Dec. 2018, https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/republic-of-colombia-thw-world-drug-trafficking/. Accessed 2 May 2020
United States Sentencing Commission, F UNODC, World Drug Report (New York: UNODC, 2011), 91.Y 2014 through FY 2018 Data files, USSCFY14-USSCFY18.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), The Globalization of Crime: A Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment (New York: UNODC, 2010), 5- 6.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), World Drug Report (New York: UNODC, 2011), 8.