Paul Coverdell: “More Americans die each year from the use of cocaine, heroin, and other illicit drugs than from international terrorism.…”

“More Americans die each year from the use of cocaine, heroin, and other illicit drugs than from international terrorism. One hundred percent of the world's cocaine comes from South America. Realizing this, one can conceptualize possible centers of gravity where we can reach out and disrupt the drug cartel's operations. It is imperative that we take the fight to the drug cartels. We can target the illicit drug industry itself; drug transshipment areas, airfields, navigational equipment, drug labs, and drug cache sites. As the Honorable William Perry, Secretary of Defense has been quoted as saying, 'Narco-traffickers don't think in terms of borders. Indeed, they take advantage of this mind set. They violate sovereignty. So the only way to deal with the narco-trafficking problem is to treat it as a regional problem.' With this concept in mind, I am concerned that there is a great deal of stratification and duplication of effort within U.S. governmental agencies. On Capitol Hill alone, there are over 74 congressional drug oversight and review committees. To stem the tide of illicit drug trafficking, sale, and use, we must maximize our potential and our limited resources. As chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, I feel that a logical place to begin consolidating command and control, to better curb the flow of illicit drugs from the southern portion of the Western Hemisphere, is within the department of Defense.”