[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 43 (Monday, October 30, 1995)]
[Pages 1907-1909]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 12978--Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions With 
Significant Narcotics Traffickers

October 21, 1995

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, including the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the 
National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of 
title 3, United States Code.

[[Page 1908]]

    I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, 
find that the actions of significant foreign narcotics traffickers 
centered in Colombia, and the unparalleled violence, corruption, and 
harm that they cause in the United States and abroad, constitute an 
unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign 
policy, and economy of the United States, and hereby declare a national 
emergency to deal with that threat.
    Section 1. Except to the extent provided in section 203(b) of IEEPA 
(50 U.S.C. 1702(b)) and in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses 
that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any 
contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the 
effective date, I hereby order blocked all property and interests in 
property that are or hereafter come within the United States, or that 
are or hereafter come within the possession or control of United States 
persons, of:
    (a) the foreign persons listed in the Annex to this order;
    (b) foreign persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in 
consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State:
    (i) to play a significant role in international narcotics 
trafficking centered in Colombia; or
    (ii) materially to assist in, or provide financial or technological 
support for or goods or services in support of, the narcotics 
trafficking activities of persons designated in or pursuant to this 
order; and
    (c) persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in 
consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of State, to be 
owned or controlled by, or to act for or on behalf of, persons 
designated in or pursuant to this order.
    Sec. 2. Further, except to the extent provided in section 203(b) of 
IEEPA and in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be 
issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered 
into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date, I 
hereby prohibit the following:
    (a) any transaction or dealing by United States persons or within 
the United States in property or interests in property of the persons 
designated in or pursuant to this order;
    (b) any transaction by any United States person or within the United 
States that evades or avoids, or has the purpose of evading or avoiding, 
or attempts to violate, any of the prohibitions set forth in this order.
    Sec. 3. For the purposes of this order:
    (a) the term ``person'' means an individual or entity;
    (b) the term ``entity'' means a partnership, association, 
corporation, or other organization, group or subgroup;
    (c) the term ``United States person'' means any United States 
citizen or national, permanent resident alien, entity organized under 
the laws of the United States (including foreign branches), or any 
person in the United States:
    (d) the term ``foreign person'' means any citizen or national of a 
foreign state (including any such individual who is also a citizen or 
national of the United States) or any entity not organized solely under 
the laws of the United States, or existing solely in the United States, 
but does not include a foreign state; and
    (e) the term ``narcotics trafficking'' means any activity undertaken 
illicitly to cultivate, produce, manufacture, distribute, sell, finance 
or transport, or otherwise assist, abet, conspire, or collude with 
others in illicit activities relating to, narcotic drugs, including, but 
not limited to, cocaine.
    Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 
Attorney General and the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to 
take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, 
and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be 
necessary to carry out this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may 
redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the 
United States Government. All agencies of the United States Government 
are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their 
authority to carry out this order.
    Sec. 5. Nothing contained in this order shall create any right or 
benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party against the 
United States, its agencies or in- 

[[Page 1909]]

strumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
    Sec. 6. (a) This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight 
Time on October 22, 1995.
    (b) This order shall be transmitted to the Congress and published in 
the Federal Register.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
October 21, 1995.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:21 a.m., October 23, 
1995]

Note: This Executive order was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on October 22, and it was published with its annex in the 
Federal Register on October 24.