The power of international drug traffickers is truly immense.
During his reign as the leader of the most powerful drug cartel in Colombia, Pablo Escobar supplied approximately 80 percent of the cocaine entering the United States. His personal wealth was estimated to be $4 billion. In support of his operations, he paid $1 million a day to Colombian authorities to prevent his capture. In addition, he ordered the assassination of the Colombian Minister of Justice, three presidential candidates and hundreds of police officers, judges and journalists. In 1991, he negotiated his surrender with Colombian authorities. In return, he was allowed to construct his own prison, complete with a hot tub and advanced communications equipment. Despite his arrest, he continued to conduct drug operations from within his prison. When Colombian authorities decided to move Escobar to a more secure facility, he escaped in July 1992 and eluded capture for 15 months. On December 2, 1993, Escobar was killed by the Colombian military in an operation supported by US military and paramilitary forces.
Trade in illegal drugs is worth approximately $500 billion a year. The United States alone accounts for approximately 65 percent of illegal drug use worldwide. According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, US citizens spend more on drugs, drug prevention and rehabilitation than they spend on national defense. However, the consequences of the illegal drug trade extend beyond consumer nations. Many countries that produce illegal drugs are mired in corruption and death. Corruption of senior government officials has been identified in numerous states including Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Turkey, Morocco and Thailand. In Colombia, the drug cartels wield enormous power and have been referred to as "an organization stronger than the state." Indeed, at one time, the leaders of the Colombian drug cartels offered to pay off the entire Colombian national debt in return for immunity from prosecution.
Because of the enormous power of the drug cartels and the consequences of the drug trade, the international community has attempted to address these issues on several fronts.
Since 1945, the United Nations has sponsored several international efforts to control drug trafficking. These include the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. In 1988, the United Nations sponsored an international conference on drug trafficking. At the conclusion of the conference, the parties signed the Convention on Illicit Drug Trafficking and Psychotropic Substances, which became binding on November 11, 1990. The convention was signed because member states were concerned about the problems raised by the production and use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. According to the convention, illegal drugs pose a serious threat to the health and welfare of mankind and adversely affect the economic and political foundations of society. Thus, the purpose of the convention "is to promote co-operation among the Parties so that they may address more effectively the various aspects of illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances having an international dimension." The convention requires member states to prosecute individuals who manufacture or distribute illegal drugs or who seek to transport them across national borders. It also encourages greater cooperation between member states in the struggle against international drug trafficking.
The United Nations has also established several agencies to address the problems raised by international drug trafficking. In 1946, the Economic and Social Council established the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to supervise the international conventions on illegal drug trafficking. The Division of Narcotic Drugs was also established in 1946 to act as the secretariat for the commission. In 1968, the International Narcotics Control Board was established to evaluate and supervise government implementation of drug trafficking agreements. The board examines whether member states are complying with international agreements relating to illegal drug trafficking and may request governments to take remedial efforts to improve their compliance. The General Assembly created the United Nations Fund of Drug Abuse Control in 1971 to provide financial assistance to states seeking to address the domestic causes and consequences of international drug trafficking. This may include drug rehabilitation centers, specialized law enforcement training, and providing subsidies to farmers that traditionally produce opium and coca leaves. In 1991, the United Nations International Drug Control Program was established to coordinate UN drug control activities.
In addition to these efforts, the United Nations also participates in the broader struggle against crime. The United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders was established in 1955 by the General Assembly to provide a forum for the exchange of information on crime issues. The congress meets every five years to identify and address new issues in the ongoing struggle against crime. Several UN institutes also address crime issues including the United Nations Social Defense Research Institute, the Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, the Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders and the Helsinki Institute for Crime Prevention. The United Nations also cooperates with other organizations to address crime issues, including the World Health Organization and the Alliance of Nongovernmental Organizations in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
While these efforts have made a significant contribution in the struggle against international drug trafficking, the drug traffickers still wield enormous power and, therefore, remain a significant threat.
On July 4, 1995, Jose Santacruz Londono, one of the world's most important drug traffickers, was captured by Colombian police. Londono was a leader of a Cali drug cartel and the chief operator of the largest cocaine processing and distribution network in the United States. The arrest was hailed by many as a victory for international law enforcement efforts and a significant blow to the Colombian drug cartels. On January 11, 1996, despite extensive precautions, Londono escaped undetected from a maximum security prison in Bogota.
