[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 187 (Thursday, September 28, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 45413-45414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21028]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 45413]]


                Presidential Determination No. 2017-12 of September 13, 
                2017

                
Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit 
                or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal 
                Year 2018

                Memorandum for the Secretary of State

                Pursuant to section 706(1) of the Foreign Relations 
                Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-
                228) (FRAA), I hereby identify the following countries 
                as major drug transit and/or major illicit drug 
                producing countries: Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, 
                Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican 
                Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, 
                Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, 
                Pakistan, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

                A country's presence on the foregoing list is not 
                necessarily a reflection of its government's 
                counternarcotics efforts or level of cooperation with 
                the United States. Consistent with the statutory 
                definition of a major drug transit or drug producing 
                country set forth in section 481(e)(2) and (5) of the 
                Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), the 
                reason major drug transit or illicit drug producing 
                countries are placed on the list is the combination of 
                geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow 
                drugs to transit or be produced, even if a government 
                has carried out the most assiduous narcotics control 
                law enforcement measures.

                Pursuant to section 706(2)(A) of the FRAA, I hereby 
                designate Bolivia and Venezuela as countries that have 
                failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to 
                adhere to their obligations under international 
                counternarcotics agreements, and to take the measures 
                required by section 489(a)(1) of the FAA. Included with 
                this determination are justifications for the 
                designations of Bolivia and Venezuela, as required by 
                section 706(2)(B) of the FRAA.

                In addition, the United States Government seriously 
                considered designating Colombia as a country that has 
                failed demonstrably to adhere to its obligations under 
                international counternarcotics agreements due to the 
                extraordinary growth of coca cultivation and cocaine 
                production over the past 3 years, including record 
                cultivation during the last 12 months. Ultimately, 
                Colombia is not designated because the Colombian 
                National Police and Armed Forces are close law 
                enforcement and security partners of the United States 
                in the Western Hemisphere, they are improving 
                interdiction efforts, and have restarted some 
                eradication that they had significantly curtailed 
                beginning in 2013. I will, however, keep this 
                designation under section 706(2)(A) of the FRAA as an 
                option, and expect Colombia to make significant 
                progress in reducing coca cultivation and production of 
                cocaine.

                I have also determined, in accordance with provisions 
                of section 706(3)(A) of the FRAA, that support for 
                programs to aid the people of Venezuela are vital to 
                the national interests of the United States.

[[Page 45414]]

                You are hereby authorized and directed to submit this 
                designation, with its Bolivia and Venezuela memoranda 
                of justification, under section 706 of the FRAA, to the 
                Congress, and publish it in the Federal Register.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, September 13, 2017

[FR Doc. 2017-21028
Filed 9-27-17; 11:15 am]
Billing code 4710-10-P