Involvement of the U.S Military in Border Protection and the Drug Policy Since 1960s - Essay Example

? Involvement of the U.S Military in Border Protection and the Drug Policy Since 1960s Facilitator: The United s has adopted various border protection and drugs policies since 1960s that have affected the global community in diverse ways. Most of these policies have been prompted by the need of establishing secure grounds that could guarantee safety and enhance the health of the Americans. The paper analyzes the roles assumed by the U S military forces, and the drug policy changes in the country since the 1960s with the aim of analyzing how the two interrelate. Involvement of the U S Military in Border Protection and the Drug Policy Since 1960s Introduction The United States’ borders are extensively guarded following effective legislations that target safeguarding Americans. The U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) present the federal enforcement agency in the department of homeland security that regulates foreign trade, trade customs, immigration, import duty collections, and external regulations enforcement (Guerette & Clarke, 2005). The agency has a good number of officers, over 4600 well-trained officers who guard the borders of the U.S to ensure border security. However, the United States military strongly claim involvement in the border security and international security maintenance in the country. With the changes in the drug policy in the United States, the body stands at the pole position to ensure that illegal drugs do not get into the country easily. Enforcement of the immigration rules solely falls in the docket of the United States military. The immigration rules in the United States contribute much on the security of the people. Since 1900s, the U.S government has adopted strict regulations on immigration that has led to incorporation of the state’s military to stiffen security at the border. Ceasar (2008) argues that tougher rules led to growth of the illegal market especially drugs and narcotics trade. The border patrol thus was adopted to boost security at the border and prevent further turmoil. Later in the 1920s, the United States feared that the countries ravaged with war threatened their position thus adopting tighter immigration rules. For example, the adopted legislations ensured that foreigners could not get into the country without being cleared at the border. Particularly, current policies on immigration state that people should not enter the United States unless they get clearance at the border. Consequently, the United States military assumes the role of ensuring that no person gets into the country illegally, and curtailing black market at the borders by conducting constant patrols. The United States military takes part in border protection to prevent entry of illegal drugs in the country. The war against illegal drugs dates back to the 1920s when the congress passed the drugs act that blocked importation of drugs from outside the country. Many people perceived this as a move to protect the people, but there existed certainty as to who could oversee the same. The American government tightened drug policy in 1960s thus the military came into force to ensure that the prohibited drugs do not enter the country. However, the black market expanded because the people found no other way to get to the illegal drugs. In this sense, it is apparent that activities of the military officers at the borders related directly with the prevalence of the black market. Rising concerns on the health of the United States plant and animal resources heightened level of involvement of the United States military in border protection in the country (Ceasar, 2008). Many people in the country raised concerns that their plants and animals got infections from foreign countries, which threatened human health. Any concerns about the health of plants and animals meant that the level of involvement for the military increased to enhance a safer environment. In this respect, the U S military embanked on undertaking passenger operations, targeting and analysis, and canine enforcement. These included adoption of legal provisions for guiding the people and animals that enter the United States of America to flash out suspicious people and canines. The military targets characters deemed dangerous, capturing them and bringing them to trial in the country or deporting them back to their countries for trial. The level of involvement for the United States military in border protection in the country increased when the country amended its regulations to include seizures, penalties, and implementation of anti-terrorism laws (Bonnie, 2001). Legislation of these regulations was prompted by the increased rates of terrorism in the global community. These regulations were to empower the activities of military personnel at the border to make them contain any threat from terrorism. In the line of their duty, the military arrests and interrogates all people suspected for attempted or proven terrorism along the border of America. Terrorists escaping from other countries cannot pass through the border due to military’s activities at the border. The military accompanies guards the border to ensure that hijacking of planes does not take place as the case in the early 1960s. Terrorists prompted new ways for executing their activities at the border that targeted protecting the aeroplanes. Further increase on the cases of plan hijacking made the government to order the military to accompany planes across the border to check the situation. According to Spagat (2012), medical safety and efficacy came under scrutiny in the 1960s as drugs symbolised political dissent, social upheaval, and youthful rebellion. Since 1960s, the fight against drugs in the country heightened with many legal procedures and laws coming in place to check drug abuse. The peak of consumption of heroin occurred during the period between 1969 and 1971 despite the existence of various legislations against it. Cocaine took over and grew immensely between 1987 and 1989 while the use of marijuana heightened between 1978 and 1979. The policy in the United States then required that the necessary military groups should have facilities to fight the drug barons. However, the policy did not succeed because some people established the strategies for outweighing the security personnel. Many senior people in the Reagan administration made the war hard by training and arming cartels that shipped large quantities of cocaine into the country. The voters in California passed the Proposition 215 that legalised growing of marijuana for medical purposes. These moves heightened the fierce use of illegal drugs. The state laws against the drugs have been invalidated by the federal courts, the latest being the defeat of the California proposition 19 that is popularly known as the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis act by 53.3% (Swanson, 2006). In 1989, the federal government instituted the Drug-free schools and communities act amendments of 1989 that ensured institutions could not receive federal funds unless they adopted the Drugs Act. Under the reign of George W. Bush and Barrack Obama, the war against drug and substance abuse moved to sensible levels as more valuable legal practices in place. Conclusively, the war against drugs seems more successful with the combined efforts from the military wing and the legislative bodies. References Bonnie, R. J. (2001). Reforming United States drug control policy: Three suggestions. Social Research, 68(3), 863-865. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/209667816?accountid=45049 Guerette, R. T., & Clarke, R. V. (2005). Border enforcement, organized crime, and deaths of smuggled migrants on the united states - mexico border. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 11(2), 159-174. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10609-005-6716-z Swanson, J. (2006). Drug trafficking in the americas: Reforming united states trade policy. The George Washington International Law Review, 38(4), 779-805. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/219699520?accountid=45049 Ceasar, S. (2008, Dec 18). Border patrol hits goal of 6,000 new agents. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/456515407?accountid=45049 Spagat, E. (2012, Jan 17). AP exclusive: Border patrol to toughen policy. Spartanburg Herald - Journal. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/916579090?accountid=45049 Read More