Illegal Drug Trade in America - Term Paper Example

? ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE IN AMERICA Your School of Engineering, Social Sciences, etc Number and of Date of Paper Abstract This paper will present the role of the current US justice system to fight against illegal drug trade or drug trafficking. This crime has been a long standing problem that needs to be solved in every country. Drugs have already become part of the global culture and have been identified as one of the causes for the increase in crime rate. The US justice system has already addressed this problem like in almost every nation around the world by imposing stiffer penalties, which include death penalty or capital punishment in order to prevent the proliferation of this serious crime that destroys the community. This paper will give the history of drug trafficking, the causes why it still continues to become a looming social problem, the negative effects it will do to the user and how the current justice system of the US government is coping with the preventive and corrective measures at present time to cure this problem. Keywords: illegal drugs, drug trade, capital punishment, death penalty, imprisonment, justice system ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE IN AMERICA Illegal drug trade has already been a part of the world culture and the number of drug dependents who get hooked on these substances continues to grow especially in the later years. Studies show that drug dependents are most likely to commit heinous crimes like, rape, murder, manslaughter, robbery, kidnapping with ransom and other serious crimes. The continued use of illegal drugs have destroyed the lives of innocent victims. The current justice system must be stricter in imposing stiffer penalties to prevent hardened criminals from ruining the society. Sherman (2010) has stated in her report that: “Drug trafficking is another term for drug trade. It refers to the illegal process through which illegal drugs and narcotics are produced, transported and sold. Many people all over the world have engaged in drug trafficking and spread virtually all over the globe”. Drug trafficking has been a global problem. In the areas where drug trafficking organizations and cartels and operate, violence between rival groups is common. In some cases, the drug trafficking organizations are more powerful, better funded, and more heavily armed than the governments of the countries where they operate (Sherman 2010). HISTORY Seelke, Wyler and Beitter (2011) reported that: “Drug trafficking has been viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean despite decades of anti-drug efforts by the United States and partner governments. The production and trafficking of popular illicit drugs which included cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and methamphetamine is known to have generated an income worth of multi-billion dollar black market in which Latin American criminal and terrorist organizations thrive. These groups challenge state authority in source and transit countries where governments are often fragile and easily corrupted. Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) largely control the U.S. illicit drug market and have been identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as the “greatest organized crime threat to the United States.” Drug trafficking-related crime and violence in the region has escalated in recent years, raising the drug issue to the forefront of U.S. foreign policy concerns”. It is fact that dealers of these illegal drugs engage in the business of trading drugs because of the lucrative profit they will earn. The demand for the production is present so they continue to keep the illegal substances coming through any means they can think of. “Other researchers suggest that the drug enforcement and supply reduction efforts will fail because they cannot succeed in meaningfully raising the price or reducing the availability of the drugs. In this view, they is plenty of supply of traders who will run the moral, economic and physical risks of dealing drugs for the massive amount of profit that they will earn” (Manskie, Pepper and Petrie 2001). “Since the mid-1970s, the U.S. government has invested billions of dollars in anti-drug assistance programs aimed at reducing the flow of Latin American-sourced illicit drugs to the United States . Most of these programs have emphasized supply reduction tools, particularly drug crop eradication and interdiction of illicit narcotics, and have been designed on a bilateral or subregional level” (Seelke, Wyler and Beitter , 2011). Many people believe that the drug-related efforts of the US over the years have not been effective because of the rapid increase in the users and availability of the prohibited drugs still continue to exists throughout the states “The success rate to combat drugs is only temporary throughout the globe, take for example in one country or sub-region have often led traffickers to alter their cultivation patterns, production techniques, and trafficking routes and methods in order to avoid detection” (Seelke, Wyler and Beitter , 2011). Hence, the war on drugs all over the world continues to stay strong. Drug Traffickers and Related Criminal Terrorists Seelke, Wyler and Beitter (2011) reported in their study that: The most prominent drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in the region came from Mexican and Colombian origin. Mexico and Columbia DTOs reportedly “generate, remove, and launder” between $18 billion and $39 billion in wholesale drug proceeds annually, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. government reports have characterized Mexican drug trafficking organizations as representing the “greatest organized crime threat” to the United States today. Mexican DTOs have expanded their U.S. presence by increasing their transportation and distribution networks, as well as displacing other Latin American traffickers, primarily Colombians. The Latin American drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have the power and control over the vast and several aspects of the drug supply chain and vary in terms of capabilities, organizational structure, and level of associated violence. It has been reported that some of the more sophisticated groups possess extensive paramilitary and counterintelligence capabilities that allow them to rival state security forces and operate with relative impunity through deep networks of corrupt officials in key offices. In has been identified that the most successful groups operating today have also shifted from a hierarchical, personality-driven leadership that dominated the Pablo Escobar-type “cartels” in the 1980s and 1990s to a networked and more fluid organizational structure that is more resilient in the face of law enforcement pressure, while many of the smaller drug trafficking organizations across the world have remained family-based, operating in a limited territory and specializing in a particular aspect of the drug trade. Effect of Drugs on the Commission of Crimes Seelke, Wyler and Beitter (2011) reported that the drug trafficking-related crimes and violence continues to surge in Latin America and the Caribbean region, as among the highest crime rates, including violent crime rates, of any region in the world. In February 2010, the UNODC released an updated analysis of global homicide rates, which found that in sharp contrast to a global trend of decreasing or stabilizing homicide rates, homicides in Latin America and the Caribbean had, on average, increased from 19.9 per 100,000 people in 2003 to 32.6 per 100,000 people in 2008 (see Figure 1). In addition, the level of kidnappings, assaults, and other manifestations of organized violence appear to have risen. Figure 1. Average Homicide Rates by Global Region: 2003-2008 Source: U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Homicide Statistics, February 2010. Hence, it is undeniable that illegal drugs have a significant impact on the commission of crimes all over the world, including the US. The criminal justice system must continue to improve the ways and means on how to track-down the suppliers of the illegal drugs and substances to protect the society from being exposed to ruthless crimes and violence which are usually related with the use of illegal drugs. Factors Affecting the Increased Rate of Drug Dependence Hanson, Venturelli and Fleckenstein (2006) have reported that: “Drug laws do not serve as a satisfactory deterrent on the use of illicit drugs. People have continuously used and abused drugs for thousands of years despite government restriction. It is very likely that they will continue using these substances despite stricter law and greater support for law enforcement. As the addiction increased, many ill-conceived programs of the government have been perceived as knee-jerk reactions thus, having less effect on repeated drug offenders.” In the year 1980’s, the large volumes of illegal drugs were sold in the US for billions of dollars. “Although the exact amount has not been specified, it has been reported that the amount likely reached $80 million to $ 100 million per year, mostly involving cocaine and marijuana” (Hanson, Venturelli and Fleckenstein, 2006). Therefore, it can be concluded that there are three factor which affect the continued increase in use of illegal drugs and the rapid increase in drug-trafficking-related offenses: 1) Significant amount of profit from illegal drug trading; 2) Poor implementation of drug laws; 3.) Insufficient number of drug-enforcement personnel; 4.) Inadequate detention facilities; and 5.) Inaction of the current justice system. Role of the Current Justice System At present time, it can be said that the judicial system has not been so strict in the implementation of the drug-enforcement laws that the illegal drug traffickers continue to join their forces and carry-on with the illegal trade of these prohibited substances. Hanson, Venturelli and Fleckenstein (2006) study shows that: “In addition, the judiciary system sometimes gets so backed-logged that many cases never reach court. Plea-bargaining is often used to clear the docket courts. Many dealers and traffickers are back in the business on the same day they were arrested. The apparent lack of punishment seriously damages the morale of law enforcers, legislators and average citizens”. Conclusion It has been estimated that there are about a million arrests related to drug-problems each year. “This problem represents a tremendous cost to society in terms of damaged lives and family relationships for the reason that being arrested for a drug-related crime jeopardizes a person’s opportunity to pursue a normal life” (Hanson, Venturelli and Fleckenstein, 2006). At present, the role of the justice system holds the key to stop all forms of illegal drug trade in America and drug-trafficking related activities within the country. It must continue to create preventive measures and follow strict implementation of laws to fight the crime rate. Most heinous crimes are often related to substance abuse. Many innocent lives have been taken by drug-users who are overpowered by the effects of these illegal substances. The US government must attack this problem by creating stricter laws and imposing heavier penalties to deter the commission of drug-related crimes. 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Retrieved on April 2, 2011, from United Nations Office on Drug Drugs and Crimes. (2011) Global Homicide rates stable. Retrieved on April 2, 2011, from < http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2010/February/global-homicide-rates-stable-or-decreasing-new-unodc-report-says.html> Reamer, Frederic G.(2005) Heinous crime: Cases, Causes and consequences. New York, USA: Columbia University Press. Sherman, Jill (2010). Drug Trafficking. Minnesota, USA: ABDO Publishing Company. Read More