23 Countries Labeled Major Drug Transit Hubs by Trump
Within a ‘Presidential Determination’ that was presented to Congress, President Donald Trump of the United States of America listed 23 countries as major drug transit or major illicit drug-producing nations. Countries such as China, Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan are included among the 23 nations. The President of the United States reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the threat posed by the illegal drug trade in the United States.
Additional countries that are included on the list are the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic are also included. According to the ‘Presidential Determination,’ President Trump has identified Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela as countries who have “demonstrated failure” in the past year to satisfy their duties under international counternarcotics agreements and to improve their efforts to combat the drug trade. “A country’s presence on the foregoing list is not necessarily a reflection of its government’s counterdrug efforts or level of cooperation with the United States,” the Presidential Determination specifically stated.
The nations are classified according to what is called “the combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to be transited or produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures.” A international drug trafficking organization that exploited encrypted digital platforms, drop shipping models, and cryptocurrencies to smuggle banned pharmaceuticals across four continents was disrupted by the Narcotics Control Bureau, which worked in conjunction with other agencies to accomplish this. During a routine vehicle interdiction at Bengali Market in New Delhi, the cartel was caught, which revealed a vast criminal network that operates across India, the United States of America, Australia, and Europe.
This incident demonstrates the capabilities of the NCB to carry out coordinated international enforcement activities and the global reach of networks that are involved in the distribution of illegal pharmaceuticals. The United States Embassy in India has expressed its appreciation to the National Crime Bureau for its efforts to combat the illegal narcotics trade. “Thanks to NCB and Indian authorities for helping protect Americans against illegal drugs and saving American lives!” it said in its announcement.
