[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 108 (Tuesday, August 4, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H7002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THE IMPACT OF NAFTA ON CROSS-BORDER DRUG TRAFFICKING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Morella). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 21, 1997, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call on the Customs 
Department to release its findings regarding the effects of the North 
American Free Trade Agreement on our Nation's war against drugs. 
Americans have been concerned since the beginning of NAFTA, since early 
1994, about NAFTA's impact on truck safety, NAFTA's impact on jobs, 
NAFTA's impact on food safety, and especially NAFTA's impact on illegal 
drugs coming across the border.
  Entitled ``Drug Trafficking, Commercial Trade and NAFTA on the 
Southwest Border,'' the 63-page Customs Department report confirms that 
NAFTA has made it easier than ever for Mexican traffickers to smuggle 
drugs into the United States. Further, it found that Mexican and 
American authorities are not doing enough to counter this fast-growing 
threat to our Nation's children.
  NAFTA has opened the floodgates as more and more illegal substances 
are pouring from Mexico into the United States. Mexican traffickers are 
believed to smuggle about 330 tons of cocaine, 14 tons of heroin, and 
hundreds of tons of marijuana into the United States every year.
  Sophisticated drug gangs are investing in trucking and shipping 
companies, rail lines and warehouses to shield their trafficking 
activities. They use these legitimate business operations to shield 
those trafficking activities.
  Mexican smugglers have even been busy hiring consultants to learn how 
to take advantage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, some 
former drug agents have said. A former high-level DEA official has 
proclaimed that for Mexico's drug gangs, ``NAFTA is a deal made in 
narco-heaven.''
  Another former high-level DEA official remarked that if you believe 
NAFTA has not adversely affected the fight against drug traffickers, 
``then you must believe in the tooth fairy.''
  In light of these allegations, I submitted a letter to the 
Commissioner of Customs regarding a copy of this report in May. In a 
June letter of reply, I was notified that the report contains 
``sensitive information'' and is not ``releasable.'' Former DEA agents 
have alleged they were under strict orders not to say anything negative 
about our current drug policies with Mexico. Hard-working Americans who 
want to protect their children from the scourge of drugs have taken a 
back seat to free trade.
  Madam Speaker, it is troubling that Customs refuses to release this 
taxpayer-funded report to the American public. By ignoring the flood of 
illegal drugs from Mexico, we are sacrificing the future of countless 
American kids on the altar of free trade.
  Madam Speaker, I call on Customs again today to release this report 
immediately so we can move to fix NAFTA or to pull America out of this 
failed trade agreement.

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