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By Mr. ROTH:
S. 1632. A bill to establish a Federal Strategic Drug Intelligence Center; to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has just held hearings this week on the structure and operations of the international drug trafficking operations. The subcommittee heard testimony from several important witnesses with firsthand knowledge of the structure and methods of operations of these organizations.
One of the most disturbing findings resulting from the subcommittee's 12-month investigation is the tremendous gap in our Government's knowledge about these organizations. Although we have learned a great deal, we have just touched the tip of the iceberg. Moreover, the information our law enforcement agencies and intelligence-gathering agencies do have is not always put to good use. What is clear is that amateur cocaine distributors of 15 years ago have developed into large, sophisticated, illegal conglomerates that routinely terrorize their adversaries whether they be rival gangs or government officials. These groups can easily absorb the costs of destroyed labs and arrests of mid-level traffickers as the cost of doing business. We have learned, in short, that we must change our strategy--we must think smart.
We have been hitting the enemy where it does not hurt. This must change. If we hope to succeed against the cocaine cartels, and we must succeed, we need a new approach to the war on drugs that emphasizes long-term strategy over bang-and-bust tactics. Our efforts thus far are reminiscent of the failed `body count' approach used in Vietnam. In order to identify, attack and dismantle these international drug organizations, we need a new coordinated intelligence strategy which will identify the enemy and its weaknesses. We must target the enemy's vulnerabilities whether it is transportation routes, money laundering or precursor chemicals. No general goes into battle without good intelligence.
The war on drugs is a full-scale war, not a partisan political issue. Now is the time to act, before these narco-traffickers gain control of entire regions of Latin America.
My bill would establish an executive agency called the Strategic Drug Intelligence Center. President Bush's drug strategy calls for a working group to consider the concept of such a center, now. All the witnesses at PSI's hearing this week supported the concept of a National Drug Intelligence Center. Though there may be some debate on the details, there is no debate on the concept. I believe we need to take the concept one step further and create this center. The sooner the center becomes operational, the sooner we can score victories against the enemy.
The purpose of the center is to create a much-needed, centralized computerized data base that will collect and collate information contributed by Federal law enforcement agencies and intelligence-gathering agencies. This information system will provide a comprehensive analysis of the structure and operations of the drug trafficking organizations so that we fully understand the weak chinks in the enemy's armor.
All Federal law enforcement agencies and other appropriate agencies will participate in the center. The center will be managed by an oversight board chaired by the Director of the National Drug Control Policy Board. Heads of participating agencies such as FBI, DEA, Customs, and CIA, will serve on the board. I am not proposing that we duplicate the efforts being made currently. My legislation will simply centralize all the drug intelligence available so that it can be more effectively utilized. It is a common-sense proposal.
The need for a strategic intelligence center is patently clear. Much of the relevant information on the drug organizations the Government possesses is contained in manual files that cannot be used easily or effectively. No single agency has ready access to all the data needed to produce a comprehensive understanding of the international and domestic drug trafficking organizations. This must change. Strategic intelligence is our `lethal weapon' against the enemy. Creation of the Strategic Drug Intelligence Center is the first step toward dismantling the organizations themselves. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Strategic Drug Intelligence Act of 1989'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
(1) much of the relevant information the Federal Government possesses related to foreign and domestic drug trafficking organizations is in manual files which cannot be used easily, quickly, or completely;
(2) each Federal agency maintains its own files which, by their nature, are difficult to share with other agencies;
(3) no Federal agency has ready access to all the data needed to produce a comprehensive understanding of the international and domestic trafficking organizations; and
(4) there is no centralized data base of information which can be fully utilized by responsible Federal agencies.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CENTER.
(a) Establishment of the Center.--There is established an executive agency to be known as the `Strategic Drug Intelligence Center' (referred to as the `Center').
(b) Responsibilities of the Center.--The Center shall--
(1) assimilate the collective information, data, intelligence, and analytical capabilities of National Drug Control Program agencies;
(2) produce the most comprehensive possible analysis of the foreign and domestic drug trafficking organizations and their operations;
(3) create and maintain a state-of-the-art computer data base for drug-related strategic intelligence; and
(4) disseminate comprehensive intelligence on drug organizations to appropriate intelligence and enforcement agencies.
(c) Date of Operation: The Center shall begin operations not later than 90 days after the Director of the Office of Drug Center Policy submits the plan referred to in section 5.
SEC. 4. MANAGEMENT OF CENTER.
(a) Establishment of Board.--There shall be at the head of the Center a board known as the `Strategic Drug Intelligence Board' (referred to as the `Board') which shall be responsible for the management of the Center. The Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy shall be the chairman of the Board. The heads of the other Federal agencies participating in the Center shall be members of the Board.
(b) Responsibilities of the Board.--The Board shall--
(1) allocate the Center's funding;
(2) determine the Center's priorities;
(3) select an executive agent for the Center from among the Board members who shall designate senior managers for the Center, subject to Board approval;
(4) design a format for information to be collected giving due regard to the sensitivity of certain information; and
(5) adopt procedures governing access to information contained in the data bases.
SEC. 5. PLAN FOR CENTER.
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of National Drug Control Policy shall develop and submit to Congress a plan for the management of the Center which shall include a design and format for each of the data bases to be established by the Center. The plan shall utilize existing intelligence resources and shall not duplicate current information systems.
SEC. 6. PARTICIPATING AGENCIES.
The following agencies shall participate in the establishment of the strategic drug intelligence data bases and shall contribute data as required by the Board:
(1) the Central Intelligence Agency;
(2) the Defense Intelligence Agency;
(3) the National Security Agency;
(4) the Drug Enforcement Administration;
(5) the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(6) the Internal Revenue Service;
(7) the Immigration and Naturalization Service;
(8) the Customs Service; and
(9) the Coast Guard.
SEC. 7. AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.
The information in each data base established by the Center shall be available to appropriate representatives from participating agencies pursuant to the procedures adopted by the Board.
SEC. 8. SECURITY OF CENTER.
The Congress finds that given the nature of the Center's mision, the threat to the Center's facilities and its personnel is of special concern. In order to protect the Center's facilities and personnel, the Board shall take reasonable, necessary actions to provide the appropriate and necessary degree of physical and personnel security.
SEC. 9. REPORTS AND EVALUATION.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and no later than March 1 of each year thereafter, the Director on National Drug Control Policy shall prepare and submit to Congress a report evaluating the performance of the Center and the participation of each of the contributors to the data bases of the Center.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
For purposes of carrying out this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1991 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years, which amounts shall remain available until expended.
END