[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 26, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5930-H5936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT VENEZUELA SHOULD SUPPORT STRATEGIES
FOR ENSURING SECURE AIRPORT FACILITIES
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 400) expressing the
sense of Congress that the Government of Venezuela should actively
support strategies for ensuring secure airport facilities that meet
international certifications to prevent trafficking of controlled
substances, narcotics, and laundered money, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 400
Whereas the United States is strongly committed to working
with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that have a
shared interest in promoting regional stability;
Whereas the United States is strongly committed to working
with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that are
combating the scourge of drugs and the violence and social
degradation caused by narcotics trafficking;
Whereas the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a party to
the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988 UN Drug
Convention);
Whereas Venezuela is a key transit point for drugs leaving
Colombia--the world's primary source of cocaine and South
America's top producer of heroin;
[[Page H5931]]
Whereas drug trafficking through Venezuela significantly
increased in 2005;
Whereas weak law enforcement, corruption, and a weak
judicial system in Venezuela allow criminal organizations to
act with impunity;
Whereas the Department of State's International Narcotics
Control Strategy Report of 2006 reports that Colombian
cartels, guerrilla groups, and paramilitary organizations and
Venezuelan criminal organizations (among other smugglers)
routinely exploit a variety of routes and methods to move
hundreds of tons of illegal drugs into Venezuela every year,
and organized crime in Venezuela has begun to set up
operations in foreign countries to receive and distribute
drugs in addition to providing transportation services;
Whereas in September 2005, the Government of the United
States determined that Venezuela had failed demonstrably to
meet its counternarcotics obligations and that Venezuela
could no longer be certified as an ally in the war on drugs;
Whereas the promulgation by Venezuela of two new laws in
October 2005, the ``Law against Organized Crime'' and the
``Law against the Trafficking and Consumption of Narcotics
and Psychotropic Substances'', brought Venezuelan law into
compliance with the 1988 UN Drug Convention; however, it is
not certain, according to the Department of State, whether
Venezuela's political and judicial institutions are up to the
task of vigorous and impartial implementation of such new
laws;
Whereas on April 11, 2006, a commercial plane originating
in Venezuela was seized in Mexico at the airport of Ciudad
del Carmen, carrying 5.6 tons of cocaine with an estimated
street value of $100 million;
Whereas seizure statistics at the Simon Bolivar
International Airport in Caracas are not available because
the Government of Venezuela does not publicize such
statistics;
Whereas estimates indicate that as much as 90 percent of
the cocaine and heroin trafficked through the Simon Bolivar
International Airport over the last 12 months was not
intercepted;
Whereas the Government of Venezuela continues to fail to
effectively utilize several airport security systems provided
by the United States specifically aimed at increasing the
Simon Bolivar International Airport counternarcotics
capabilities;
Whereas the Government of Venezuela has not taken any steps
unilaterally to prosecute any corrupt airport officials
relating to cases of money laundering or drug trafficking at
the airport despite credible intelligence estimates that
there is potentially millions of dollars in narcotics
proceeds passing through Simon Bolivar International Airport
and Venezuela; and
Whereas the Government of Venezuela and the Venezuela
National Anti-Drug Office (ONA) have officially reported only
two seizures of currency in 2006, one for $13,865 in United
States currency and the other for 7,000 euros: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That--
(1) Congress--
(A) strongly condemns the actions and inactions of the
Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela which have
created fertile ground for criminal drug trafficking
organizations;
(B) strongly condemns the failures on the part of the
Government of Venezuela to stem the flow of illicit narcotics
through its territory; and
(C) strongly condemns the complicity of senior Venezuelan
Government law enforcement officials and transportation
officials who are effectively enabling large scale shipments
of both cocaine and heroin at the Simon Bolivar International
Airport and other transit points; and
(2) it is the sense of Congress that--
(A) it should continue to be the policy of the United
States to support cooperation between Venezuela and partners
in the Andean region to combat trafficking in narcotics and
other controlled substances;
(B) steps should continue to be taken to restore bilateral
law enforcement cooperation between Venezuela and the United
States Drug Enforcement Administration;
(C) it should continue to be the policy of the United
States to work with the international community, including
the Organization of American States (OAS), to assist with a
thorough review of the measures in place at the Simon Bolivar
International Airport in Caracas;
(D) it should continue to be the policy of the United
States to work with other member states of OAS to bring
Venezuela into compliance and fully adhere to OAS conventions
and comprehensive treaties to prevent, punish, and eliminate
narco-terrorism, which constitutes ``a serious threat to
democratic values and to international peace and security'';
(E) the Secretary of Transportation should provide to
Congress not later than 180 days after the date of the
adoption of this resolution, on behalf of the Department of
State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of
Justice, and the Department of Transportation, a report with
an assessment of the process undertaken by the Government of
Venezuela toward restoring airport security measures and
controls that meet international standards of safety; and
(F) the Secretary of State should provide to Congress not
later than 180 days after the date of the adoption of this
resolution a report on Venezuela's compliance with its
responsibilities under international counternarcotics
treaties.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Burton) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr.
Delahunt) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana.
General Leave
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mack).
Mr. MACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the
resolution that is in front of us. Hugo Chavez every step of the way
has gone against the grain when it comes to the ideals that we believe
in as Americans. The ideals of freedom and democracy, liberty, the rule
of law, and the trusting of people.
Hugo Chavez from the beginning has tried to make an enemy of the
United States. In his own words, he talks about anti-American, anti-
freedom. In his own words, out of his own mouth. Today's resolution is
about drug trafficking.
Over 30 percent of the cocaine that comes into the United States
comes through Venezuela. That is a huge number. We can no longer allow
Hugo Chavez to manipulate the minds and the hearts and the dreams of
not only his own people, but the people of the United States.
Mr. Chairman, whether it is siding with Iran in trying to purchase
military aircraft and weapons, his desire for nuclear technology,
trying to intimidate the media in his own country, Hugo Chavez is not a
friend of the United States.
In fact, he is doing everything he can to turn away from freedom and
democracy. I strongly support the resolution in front of us. I hope
that Hugo Chavez will wake up and understand that it is better to be a
friend with the United States, it is better to be a friend and believer
in the ideals of freedom, security and prosperity. I hope one day that
he will understand that he has made major mistakes and that it is time
to come back to what was once a Venezuela that believed in freedom and
democracy.
Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the resolution. While I have
disagreements with some of the provisions in the preamble, and with the
accusatory tone of some of the ``resolves'' clauses, what concerns me
most is the timing of its consideration. Because a draft agreement
between the Drug Enforcement Agency of the United States, and the
Venezuelan antidrug office hangs in the balance.
Now, there has been considerable time and effort invested by both
sides in this initiative, which I believe and I know others do, would
be mutually beneficial to both Venezuela and the United States. But the
passage of this resolution puts that at risk.
Because we all know that what we do here tonight will be interpreted
in Caracas as a political statement to embarrass and intimidate the
Chavez Government. That is simply the reality. And to think otherwise
would be naive in the extreme.
Let us be candid. And my friend and colleague from Florida touched on
many aspects of the relationship. But every one on the planet knows
that the relationship between the Presidents of the United States, and
Venezuela is poor. Prior to the coup in 2002, it was practically
nonexistent.
But when it appeared to the Venezuelans that the Bush administration
appeared to applaud the coup, that relationship proceeded to
deteriorate to the point where it can only be described as bitter and
hostile.
The rhetoric has become incendiary and insulting. And every action on
either side is perceived to be motivated by hostility and political
calculation. The unfortunate result is that what has evolved is a
relationship that is hardened into profound mutual animosity that is
having long-lasting and real world implications, whether it implicates
terrorism, or drugs or anything.
[[Page H5932]]
We all know that while this resolution will be hardly noticed in this
country, its language condemning the Chavez Government will provoke
headlines in Venezuela, that will be used by Chavez's opponents in the
forthcoming presidential campaign, and undoubtedly there will be a
reaction from the Chavez Government.
Without a working, transparent and viable relationship between the
Drug Enforcement Agency and Venezuela, there will be serious
consequences to both countries. As I just said, I have no doubt that
what we do here today will be interpreted in Caracas as yet another
insult, which will provoke more inflammatory rhetoric, and make any
potential constructive relationship on this particular issue much more
difficult to achieve.
Now, let me be very clear. I know that that is not the intention of
the chairman who has offered this resolution. But I am also confident,
and I hope I am wrong, that this draft agreement will be the victim of
this poisonous relationship and atmosphere that exists.
Let me emphasize, I am not giving up on the agreement. Earlier today
I had a conversation with my friend and colleague from New York,
Representative Meeks. We agreed that this is simply too important. This
agreement is simply too important not to make a final effort.
And we will go down, and we will encourage the government of
Venezuela to finally sign the agreement, which hopefully will restore a
working relationship between the DEA and the anti-drug office in
Venezuela.
{time} 2130
But I am not hopeful. Because I believe that the language in this
resolution, whether it is intended or not, will exacerbate the tension
that clearly exists. And the tragedy is that the people in both
countries will pay a price, and that is sad.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to my vice
chairman of the committee, Mr. Weller, let me just make a couple of
points.
First of all, I have high regard for my Democrat friend from
Massachusetts. He and I are friends. We have a strong disagreement on
this issue.
Let me just make a couple of points.
First of all, we were told by the Venezuelan government and the DEA
was told by the Venezuelan government that they were going to work to
reach an agreement on this draft agreement some time ago. Then they
asked for an extension to July 8. And we were going to bring this
resolution to the floor some time ago, and we decided, okay, we will
wait until July 8. My friend from Massachusetts and Mr. Meeks asked me
to hold up on this. I think Mr. Meeks asked. I can't remember. Mr.
Delahunt did. And we held the resolution until July 8. We pulled it off
the calendar and held it until July 8.
July 8 came, and we were told by the DEA that they refused to sign
it, and Hugo Chavez said that he was not going to give us a time frame
within which he would even consider signing it. So they asked for more
time, we gave them more time, and when the time came they refused to
sign, it and they won't give us a date to sign it now.
Now we are not trying to embarrass the government of Venezuela, but
they have done such things as accused our DEA agents, who are fighting
the drug war for the people of this country, of being spies for the
United States. They have done everything they can to hamper the DEA's
operation down there. And there have been $100 million of cocaine that
was confiscated at the Mexican airport that came from the Caracas
Venezuela airport. And so we have not had any cooperation whatsoever.
I don't know much about what kind of publicity this is going to
generate in Venezuela, but the fact of the matter is Mr. Chavez needs
to be put on notice that the American people are not going to stand
idly by and let Venezuela be a transit point for drugs into this
country and killing American people.
Mr. Speaker, I will now yield to my colleague, Mr. Weller, for 2\1/2\
minutes.
Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con.
Res. 400 and commend my chairman, Mr. Burton, for his leadership on
this issue.
This important resolution expresses this Congress's concern and
frustration about the rising proliferation of narcotics from Venezuela
and reaffirms the United States' commitment to stability and freedom in
the Western Hemisphere.
Venezuela historically has the potential to be a key ally in the
global war against the narcotics trade. However, its government is not
stepping up to the plate. According to the State Department,
approximately 150 metric tons of cocaine and increasing quantities of
heroin move through its territory annually. Mr. Speaker, Venezuela is
becoming a safe haven for the drug trade and those who profit from it.
Corruption is a growing problem in the Venezuelan government, and the
airports are not immune. Simon Bolivar International Airport is
becoming a haven for crime, where personal property theft, muggings and
``express kidnappings'' have become the norm. One of the nation's main
transportation hubs, this airport has millions of dollars of narcotics
flowing through it annually, and in the past year an estimated 90
percent of the cocaine and heroin trafficked through this airport have
not been intercepted. These illicit drugs are headed to locations
through our hemisphere and pose a significant threat to the health and
safety of U.S. citizens.
The Government of Venezuela has failed to adhere to its obligations
under international narcotics agreements; and, despite credible
evidence that the airport is a transit point for the trade, they have
not taken any unilateral steps on their part to prosecute corrupt
airport officials involved in drug trafficking.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Venezuela has repeatedly assured us
they would sign the new DEA Implementing Accord, an affirmation that
Venezuelan and U.S. law enforcement would cooperate to combat
trafficking and distribution of narcotics. The signing date for this
accord has come and gone with no satisfactory explanation and no new
firm signing date. With this resolution, we are expressing our
apprehension over the lack of law enforcement cooperation the
Government of Venezuela will allow and our concern about the growing
use of Venezuelan territory as a transit route for drug trade in our
hemisphere.
Mr. Speaker, the United States and Venezuela cooperated successfully
historically in the past; and we need to continue to do so in the
future. Narcotrafficking is a direct threat to democracy, a threat to
peace, a threat to security within the Western Hemisphere, and together
the U.S. and Venezuela must work together to combat it.
I sincerely hope that Venezuela will step up to its responsibility as
a leader in our hemisphere by restoring cooperation with U.S. law
enforcement and fulfilling its obligation to combat narcotrafficking
within its own borders.
Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to
my friend and colleague who serves on the Western Hemisphere
Subcommittee and has spent considerable time in Venezuela and is
familiar with the nuances of that relationship, my friend, Mr. Meeks.
Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I understand the concerns of the
chairman; and I believe I understand his intent for introducing this
piece of legislation. But the bottom line is we have got to make sure
that we accomplish something here.
The real deal here is not about the chatter between President Chavez
and President Bush and the statements that have gone back and forth.
The bottom line here is, what do we do to make sure that we are
stopping the flow of drugs?
While we are here debating the merits of this resolution, the experts
are still in Venezuela completing the specifics of an agreement that
would reestablish the relationship between the Drug Enforcement Agency
and the appropriate Venezuelan authorities. The fact that we are
debating it on the floor today, as Mr. Delahunt says, it really
threatens our relationship and makes it so that the possibility of
getting this thing done becomes remote at best.
We don't need to continue to politicize this issue. What we need to
do is to make sure that we are staying out of it, actually, and
allowing the experts to really sit down to work to complete their job.
[[Page H5933]]
The Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Affairs of 2006 reported and identified 20 countries as
major drug transit or major illicit drug-producing countries, despite
increased drug seizures during the past 4 years; and these are the real
facts.
In an effort to reduce the proliferation of drugs throughout the
region and into the United States, the presidents of Venezuela and
Colombia have started a process of military modernization to shore up
the fence along their countries' borders; and Venezuela has extradited
a number of leading armed actors from the ELN and the FARC to Colombia.
In fact, I spoke with DEA officials in my office, and I know they
want this agreement signed so that they can continue to do their jobs.
I also have been in communication with the Venezuelans; and they have
expressed, I believe, a sincere desire to finally get this agreement
signed.
Our actions today condemning the Venezuelan government for being
complicit in efforts to secure airport facilities to prevent
trafficking of controlled substances, narcotics and laundered money
does not fit the action of negotiating in good faith to finalize this
agreement. We cannot play into the hands of being somewhat
obstructionist and widen the gap between our two governments, which
already has a very strained relationship.
In the resolution itself, Mr. Speaker, it urges Venezuela to support
strategies for ensuring secure airport facilities that meet
international certifications to prevent trafficking of controlled
substances, narcotics and laundered money. However, when the data-
sharing agreement is signed, according to the DEA mandate, title 21,
chapter 13, subchapter 1, part E, this concern will be addressed and
covered. So passage of this resolution will either prevent or
substantially delay this agreement from being signed.
The resolution also, you know, there is some truth, but sometimes the
truths are half-truths. It states, drug trafficking through Venezuela
significantly increased in 2005, when in fact over 25 percent of drug
seizures occurred at the Simon Bolivar Airport in 2005, and 2005 also
witnessed a 58 percent increase in drug seizures compared to the
previous year. In addition, drug seizures are up in Venezuela compared
to this time last year by as much as 30 percent.
The resolution further identified that on April 11 of this year, a
commercial plane originating in Venezuela was seized in Mexico at the
airport of Ciudad del Carmen, carrying 5.6 tons of cocaine with an
estimated street value of $100 million. Well, Mr. Speaker, the truth of
the matter is, according to Mexico's Defense Department, the army was
waiting for the plane on Monday at the Airport del Carmen 550 miles
east of Mexico City after receiving information from the Venezuelan
Government and U.S. authorities; and this is according to Mexican Army
General Carlos Gaytan.
Mr. Speaker, I have a newspaper article that I would ask unanimous
consent to have added to the Record indicating the very same with
quotations from the general.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mack). Is there objection to the request
of the gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mexico Army Seizes Huge Cocaine Haul on Plane
Mexico City.--Mexican soldiers seized 5\1/2\ tons of
cocaine worth more than $100 million from a commercial plane
arriving from Venezuela, Mexico's Defense Department
announced Tuesday.
The army was waiting for the plane on Monday at the airport
of Cuidad de Carmen, 550 miles east of Mexico City, after
receiving information from Venezuelan and U.S. authorities,
Gen. Carlos Gaytan told a news conference.
The cocaine was stacked in 128 black suitcases marked
private.
Soldiers arrested Colombian Miguel Vazquez, 47, who was the
plane's co-pilot, but the pilot escaped, Gaytan said. There
were no passengers.
The soldiers also arrested two Mexicans who were waiting at
the airport with another plane.
Gaytan said airport officials initially stopped soldiers
from approaching the plane, claiming there was an oil leak
and that it might explode. The officials are being
investigated to see if they were in league with the
traffickers, said Mexico's top drug prosecutor, Jose Luis
Santiago Vasconcelos.
U.S. and Mexican officials say that cocaine and heroin is
increasingly passing from Colombia through Venezuela to
Mexico where it is smuggled into the United States. While
drug traffickers used planes to smuggle large quantities of
drugs in the 1990s, most Mexican traffickers now use land and
sea routes.
A U.S. State Department report released in March said that
Venezuela has become a key transit point for drugs because of
``rampant corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement
and a weak judicial system.''
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez suspended cooperation with
the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in August, accusing
its agents of spying.
Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, we are also told that statistics
on drug seizures at the Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas
are not available, but the truth of the matter is no one must have
asked for the information. Because I called and asked for the
information, and they provided me with the following, and I have charts
that I would like to present for the Record.
There is a chart identifying where seizures took place in 2005, two
charts define how much cocaine and heroin was seized at the airport and
at Santiago Marino Airport since 2002. I have a chart identifying
nationality of individuals involved in drugs and have been caught since
2002. And I have several charts identifying the type of drug and the
quantity confiscated in Venezuela in 2005, the number of security
agencies and personnel involved in drug confiscation throughout
Venezuela, persons from Venezuela arrested for drugs in Venezuela, and
the number of foreigners arrested for drugs in Venezuela. So I have all
of these that I would also like to submit at the end for the Record.
Their information is available. They have been sharing this with us.
This resolution further threatens the delicate relationship between
our two countries. And, consequently, for me, I am really concerned. I
happen to represent an international airport, JFK, John F. Kennedy
International Airport; and I understand the importance of keeping drugs
out. To me, that is what the bottom line is. This isn't about us
against them. For me, it is about securing our country so that we can
keep the drugs from coming in and doing what we have to do.
The resolution basically I think, and I hope I am wrong, as Mr.
Delahunt said, what it will do is it will assure that we won't have an
agreement. And if we don't have an agreement, then what we have
accomplished is that there can be more drugs getting into this country.
We have got to do just the opposite. We have got to make sure that we
do everything that we possibly can to secure and to prevent drugs from
entering into the United States of America. I think that this is the
wrong way of doing it, so therefore I will oppose this resolution and
ask all Members that, if you truly want to stop drugs, we need to get
an agreement with Venezuela.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to my colleague
from California, let me just take 1 minute.
First of all, when my colleague and good friend (Mr. Meeks) says that
we have a delicate relationship with Venezuela, I would like to point
out to him that President Chavez is in Tehran today. He is over there
talking to the ayatollahs who he has invited to Venezuela. He has been
buying thousands of AK-47s. He is trying to expand his military
operation down there. He goes on television every Sunday for 5 hours,
and he calls the President of the United States a donkey and other
names.
So if you are talking about a delicate relationship being in
jeopardy, let me just say the reason for the delicate relationship
being in jeopardy is because Mr. Chavez is shooting off his mouth. I
have met with him several times with you folks, and he always says he
is going to tone down the rhetoric, and he never does.
Regarding the $100 million of cocaine that came out of Venezuela into
the Mexican airport, we have talked to intelligence sources and they
said there was no information coming from Venezuela about that
shipment. They said that is totally false.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to my good friend from California (Mr. Royce)
for 2 minutes.
{time} 2145
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
[[Page H5934]]
Let me say that last week the Subcommittee on International Terrorism
that I chair held a hearing on Venezuela's link to terrorism. On May
15, the State Department designated Venezuela as not cooperating fully
with U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. Mr. Speaker, from what we heard from
the Department officials, it is not that Venezuela is not cooperating
fully, it is that Venezuela is not cooperating at all.
Disconcerting was the testimony we heard from the State Department
that Venezuelan passports can be forged with child-like ease and that
the U.S. is detaining at our borders an increasing number of third
country aliens carrying false Venezuelan documents. According to a 2003
U.S. news report, thousands of Venezuelan identity documents are being
distributed to foreigners from Middle Eastern nations including Syria,
Pakistan, Egypt and Lebanon.
It is not just anti-terrorism in which we see no cooperation, as
pointed out in this resolution, it is also counternarcotics, and today,
Hugo Chavez, President Chavez, is in Moscow signing a multibillion
dollar agreement for advanced fighter jets for attack helicopters, for
100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles and a license to build a Kalashnikov
factory in Venezuela. He is trying to negotiate two or three
submarines, and frankly, these are not helpful in terms of regional
stability.
It is not helpful that he is traveling to Iran and to North Korea,
and it is not helpful when he says he is trying to create a common
ideological front against the United States.
Frankly, these weapons are to allow his self-described socialist
revolution to become a military force to be reckoned with in Latin
America. This resolution is an important one, and I urge its adoption.
Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I intend to yield to the gentleman from Ohio, but I am very glad that
my friends raise the issue of Iran and Tehran, because the gentleman
that spoke here today, that spoke in this, to this House, in this
institution, has yet to denounce the military cooperation agreement
between Iran and Iraq that exists as we speak.
Let me remind my friends, too, that the foreign minister of Iraq by
the name of Zebari made this statement to the international community:
We should not press Tehran about their nuclear program because they
tell us that it is for peaceful purposes. We do not need a guarantee,
let us just simply accept, accept what they say.
I am really glad you brought up Tehran because what I am beginning to
see is an emerging relationship, if not an alliance, between Iraq and
Iran. It is clear that there is a huge Iranian influence in Iraq today,
a place where we have lost over 2,500 men and women, where we have
expended hundreds of billions of dollars. And yet what do we hear?
Nothing about Iran. We hear no condemnation of Hezbollah, none
whatsoever.
I am glad you brought up Iran. Go back and check about that bilateral
military cooperation agreement. I know one does not currently exist
between Iran and Venezuela, but it does between our friends in Iraq and
Iran. We have really created a hegemony in the Middle East, Iran.
But also, I think it is important that because the chairman spoke
about the DEA, and I am sure they have gone through and I understand
they have verified or they have had serious consultations. As a matter
of record, if the chairman tells me, I will accept it, does the Drug
Enforcement Administration believe that the passage of this resolution
will accelerate the signing of this agreement?
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. DELAHUNT. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, in answer to your question, I do
not think anything is going to accelerate this until Mr. Chavez decides
what he wants to do, and Mr. Chavez was given, if the gentleman will
let me finish, Mr. Chavez and you, my good friend, asked for us to give
them an extension to July 8. We did that, and on July 8, they did not
sign it, and they would not give us a date after that. You know that.
So what we are trying to do is point out to the United States and the
Venezuelan people that they reneged on their commitment.
Mr. DELAHUNT. Reclaiming my time, there was, and I would remind my
friend that there was a very tense issue between Venezuela and the
United States regarding air traffic between our countries. Quiet
diplomacy, patience, restraint resulted in the resolution of that
problem. So that today between Venezuela and the United States, there
is air travel, it is working. So accord can happen.
I share the frustration of my friend from Indiana. I know that he is
someone who is a very can-do kind of guy, and at times, one might
describe his temperament as somewhat impetuous. Unfortunately,
diplomacy does not necessarily work that way.
Now, I understand, too, that the State Department INL had this to
say. I am quoting from our own State Department. This is after all of
the problems that you described between the DEA and the anti-drug
officer of Venezuela. This is a quote. ``In spite of the political
tensions, DEA continued working with its law enforcement contacts,
developing information and leads that have contributed,'' listen
carefully, ``have contributed to record seizures by Venezuelan law
enforcement.'' The DEA is acknowledging that there have been record
seizures, according to their own official report, the INL. ``After
decertification, political sniping faded and government officials
expressed renewed willingness to cooperate. Government of Venezuela
officials have linked cooperation to the signing of a new bilateral
counternarcotics working arrangement.''
That is what we all want, and if we can achieve that, we have done
something positive. We know the rhetoric is going to fly back and
forth. We know there is going to be finger-pointing and all kinds of
nasty words spoken on either side, but what is most important, what is
most important is that we protect our own children.
I think the decertification process, I wonder if we have any
standards for ourselves. In the last 6 years, have we taken steps to
adequately decline, to adequately reduce the demand that fuels the
narcotics coming in to this country?
Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield the balance of my time to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), my friend.
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
When you look at the resolution, and it says in part, ``steps should
continue to be taken to restore cooperation between Venezuela and the
United States Drug Enforcement Administration,'' I think everyone in
this Congress would readily agree with that, but the language and
condemnation actually separates us from that goal.
I think this is a consistent problem that we face here in the
Congress. We desire a certain type of behavior from another government
and then we tear them to shreds with our rhetoric. So it may be that we
need to think again about our approach towards diplomacy and the
approach that we take in these resolutions.
I understand the intention of my friend from Indiana who is a good
man and who has been consistent in challenging illegal drug trafficking
into the country, but I also understand that we need to look at the
approach we are taking and see if this kind of approach is where a
resolution is going to be most effective.
Echoing what Mr. Delahunt said, we need to also take a look very deep
into our souls about what is driving this demand in this country for
cocaine.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman
from California (Mr. Royce).
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.
Concerning, Mr. Speaker, the relationship between Hugo Chavez and
Iran, let me explain why this is actually problematic, and we had an
effort to bring pressure at the IAEA. We had the board of governors in
an attempt by countries to pressure Iran not to go forward with its
nuclear proliferation program. It was Venezuela, along with Cuba and
one other country, I think it was Belarus, that voted against that
effort.
Why are these points important? In the fall, there will be a seat on
the Security Council that will open up. Venezuela is actively lobbying
for that seat.
[[Page H5935]]
In light of this type of conduct, it is quite important that we point
out the facts about the current efforts with Venezuela.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I have listened to with great interest the rhetoric coming from the
other side, and now I intend to get to the facts of the matter. So I
hope my friend from Massachusetts will indulge me and listen to me as
attentively as I have listened to him.
First of all, let me just show, we have here a map from the maritime
authorities, the Joint Interagency Task Force, showing from January 1
to December 31, 2005, the number of maritime trips involving drug
activity originating in Venezuela, and it is 385 times.
Suspected air activity from January 1 to December 31, 2005, again
from the Joint Interagency Task Force, 137 trips involving drug
trafficking originating in Venezuela.
Let me just go through some of the issues that are very, very
important to this debate.
First of all, DEA agents in August 2005 were accused of being spies
for the United States and not doing their job as DEA agents. The fact
of the matter is that was not the case. Nobody has proven or really
indicated with any degree of authority that our DEA agents are doing
anything more than trying to interdict drugs coming into the United
States.
We received credible reports that traffickers are paying Venezuelan
airport authorities a percentage of the money and drugs transported
through the Simon Bolivar International Airport. Furthermore, the
government of Venezuela has not taken any steps, any at all,
unilaterally to prosecute any corrupt airport officials.
There are estimates that as much as 2,000 kilograms of cocaine and
200 kilograms of heroin were seized at the Simon Bolivar International
Airport over the last 12 months. There are almost estimates there are
10 times that amount of cocaine, perhaps 20 times that amount of
heroin, could be smuggled through that airport.
Seizure statistics at the Simon Bolivar Airport are not produced by
the Venezuelans. The Venezuelan government does not track those
statistics. Information regarding any seizures at the airport were not
shared by the Venezuelan government with the DEA last year.
{time} 2200
On April 11, 2006, a commercial plane, which we talked about earlier,
originating in Caracas was seized in Mexico carrying 5.6 tons, tons of
cocaine with an estimated street value of $100 million.
Counternarcotics experts who we consulted agreed a 5.6 ton load of
cocaine is not a test run. We can only speculate how this route was
exploited by traffickers previously, how many millions of dollars and
hundreds of tons of cocaine came through that route. And we know, as I
said, there were 137 trips on that route last year.
The Venezuelan government has claimed the interdiction in Mexico was
the result of a Venezuelan tip-off. That is what they said. So we
checked. We have received assurances from our intelligence sources and
other intelligence sources that those claims are categorically false.
The Mexican police and government found that when that plane landed.
They were not tipped off by anybody in Venezuela. Quite the contrary.
The belief is that the Venezuelan people who are working at the airport
were involved in the transport of these drugs amounting to $100
billion.
It is widely reported that the government of Venezuela is providing
safe haven and logistical support to members of the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia, FARC, the FARC guerrillas, which is designated as a
foreign terrorist organization and was in 1997. And there is strong
evidence that the Venezuelans are supporting the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia, the FARC, with ammunition, safe houses,
documentation, training, and weapons.
There is no formal mechanism to designate entities as drug
trafficking organizations, but links between the FARC and drug
trafficking were evident as far back as the mid to late 1980s,
according to our State Department. It is precisely through this support
for the FARC that we have estimates of as much as half of the Colombian
cocaine moving to the United States and Europe as passing through
Venezuela. Almost half of the cocaine coming into this country is
coming through Venezuela.
You know, I have had the opportunity, with Mr. Delahunt and Mr.
Meeks, to go down and meet with President Chavez in Venezuela, and at
the U.N. in New York. He is a very engaging fellow. He is Clintonesque,
if you will, in the way he meets people. He was very engaging. I was
impressed with the fella. When we talked to him about toning down the
rhetoric that would lead to a better relationship, or a relationship
between Venezuela and the United States, he said he was going to do
that. But he didn't.
Every week on television, for 5 hours, and I watched the tapes and I
have listened to the translations, he maligns and beats up on not only
the President but the Secretary of State. He says very demeaning things
about Condoleezza Rice, our Secretary of State, and they are things
that don't lead to any kind of a relationship between us and the
Venezuelan leadership.
In addition to that, he is tied in very closely and he considers
Fidel Castro, a Communist leader who wanted to revolutionize all of
South America, he sent Che Guevara down there back in the 1980s to try
to destroy any semblance of democracy throughout our hemisphere, and
Che Guevara was killed. Now Chavez' mentor is Fidel Castro.
He is also tied in with Daniel Ortega and Mr. Morales of Bolivia, and
all of these people want to move the South American continent to the
left. And these are things we cannot tolerate. So the drug trafficking
is only part of it.
Regarding Chavez' current trip, he is going to North Korea, he is
going to Tehran, and he is meeting with what we consider the cabal of
terrorists. He has also invited these people to visit him in Venezuela.
In addition, as my colleague from California said a while ago, he is
buying all kinds of military equipment, which really isn't necessary
because there is no big threat to him down there, all kinds of military
equipment to build up a huge military operation in South America and
Venezuela.
We have got big problems down there. We want to talk to Mr. Chavez.
We want to work with Mr. Chavez, but when we say to him we have an
agreement that we have worked out, and his people hammered out the
agreement with us, and he said he needed more time, until July 8, and
you asked me for more time, Mr. Delahunt, we gave them more time, and
when July 8 came, they would not sign the agreement nor would they give
us a date certain when they would sign the agreement, and that is why
this resolution is here on the floor tonight.
We want to have peace in our hemisphere. We want to work with all the
presidents in our hemisphere, but we don't want revolution and we
certainly don't want drugs coming through Venezuela into the United
States damaging American women and children and hurting their families.
Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I will yield for one question, yes.
Mr. DELAHUNT. First of all, my friend made a misstatement about
Chavez going to North Korea, but that is irrelevant to the revolution.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. He is not going to North Korea?
Mr. DELAHUNT. He is not going to North Korea, but let me focus on
something.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. He is not going to Tehran, either?
Mr. DELAHUNT. He has been to Tehran, like Mr. Maliki has been to
Tehran, and Mr. Zebari and Mr. Chalabi, all of the friends of the
neoconservative movement, they have lived in Tehran for a considerable
period of time.
But let us talk about this today. The rhetoric that we have heard
about is about terrorists, it is about, this is not within the purview
of this thing. But I have to tell you something, when this plays down
in Caracas, like I said in my opening remarks, it is just going to make
it impossible.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Reclaiming my time, and I just want to say
this. If there is a problem that has evolved out
[[Page H5936]]
of this discussion tonight, it lays at the feet of Hugo Chavez. It lays
at his feet. Because there was an agreement that was hammered out
between his people and the DEA here in the United States. He asked for
more time, we gave them more time. He wouldn't sign it nor would he
give us a date certain when he would sign it.
How long do you wait? How long do you wait for drugs to continue to
come into the United States before we get an agreement saying we are
going to allow the DEA to do their job?
Mr. DELAHUNT. Today is the 26th of July, Mr. Speaker. The 26th of
July. You know that I, and hopefully accompanied by others, was going
to go to Caracas this August, have a conversation, and come back with a
signed agreement. That is the hope. But with this language in this
particular resolution, I will tell you what we have done. We have
buried that agreement. And that is a tragedy because drugs will come
into this country. That is the sadness.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Well, I didn't yield any more time to my
colleague, he just started talking. But that is okay, I have a high
regard for him.
Let me just say once again that we have gone the extra mile on this
agreement with Mr. Chavez. He wouldn't sign it, nor would he give us a
date certain when he would sign it. We adhered to my colleague and
others' requests to extend the time period, he wouldn't sign it, and
that is why we have this resolution tonight.
I don't know how it is going to play in Caracas, all I can say is it
is time we get an agreement, and the DEA needs to be able to do its
job.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.
Con. Res. 400, to express my concern that the government of Venezuela
do what it can to secure its airport facilities from the trafficking of
illegal goods. It is always essential to restrict the transport of
these substances and the transport of laundered money from their sales.
International certifications in airport facilities help to ensure
that such restrictions are in place. Recent evidence shows a general
lack of enforcement in Venezuela of the measures necessary to avoid the
trafficking of narcotics and other controlled substances. Especially in
light of the discovery in April of a Venezuelan plane filled with
narcotics en route to Mexico, we must seriously question the compliance
of Venezuela's airports with such standards. I ask that my colleagues
join me in requesting that the government of Venezuela exercise more
effort in the future to ensure the security of their airport
facilities.
This resolution would also express our wish to work closely with
Venezuela and the other nations of this region that are so severely
affected by this issue to combat the trafficking of narcotics and other
controlled substances. It is not only out of concern for the welfare of
our own Nation if illegal substances and laundered money are allowed
safe passage here; we must also express our concern for the welfare of
Venezuelans and others around the world. The control of harmful
substances is an international effort in which we must all take part.
It should be the policy of the United States to work with the
international community in ensuring adherence to the Organization of
American States conventions and comprehensive treaties on narco-
terrorism. This concurrent resolution serves to respect this and to
assist in a review of the Simon Bolivar International Airport in
Caracas in particular, in light of recent events.
I thank my colleagues on the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the
Committee on International Relations for drafting this resolution and
urge my other colleagues in the House to support this legislation.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 400, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as
amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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