White House Drug Control Policy Director Travels to Colombia to Discuss Efforts to Crack Down on Global Illicit Drug Trafficking
Last week, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta traveled to Colombia to discuss the bilateral counternarcotics relationship between the United States and Colombia. Dr. Gupta met with President Petro, members of his cabinet, regional and local officials, military leaders and law enforcement to highlight the critical importance of global efforts to disrupt illicit drug trafficking, strengthen rural development, promote licit economic opportunity, and save lives.
“Illicit drug trafficking and the transnational criminal organizations that perpetuate it are a global problem that demand global partnerships and solutions,” said ONDCP Director Dr. Rahul Gupta. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy emphasizes the importance of international partnerships and bilateral, regional, and multinational exchanges to address the global drug environment in a collaborative manner. Cocaine remains a major funding source for transnational criminal organizations, and its production and distribution perpetuate violence, crime, and death in the United States, Colombia, and surrounding countries in the region. We are committed to strengthening our bilateral counternarcotics relationship to save lives and protect our communities.”
On Monday, Dr. Gupta participated in a series of events to see firsthand implementation of the U.S.-Colombia counternarcotics strategy. Dr. Gupta visited a coca field in Caucasia, Antioquia to learn about the devastating consequences of illicit coca cultivation and cocaine production. Dr. Gupta also joined the Mayor of Caceres to award over 20 former coca-growing households with land titles, supported by assistance from the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Land for Prosperity program. The U.S. is committed to supporting the Government of Colombia to reduce cocaine production and trafficking, while strengthening local government capacity for land administration, and support for licit, non-drug economic development.
On Tuesday, Dr. Gupta met with President Petro and senior members of his administration to reiterate the United States’ continued commitment to partner with Colombia in a holistic approach that targets drug trafficking, while supporting greater security and prosperity in rural areas in Colombia. Dr. Gupta also met with Minister of Justice Néstor Osuna to discuss the implementation of Colombia’s drug policy, specifically efforts to advance rural justice, and Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development María Susana Muhamad to discuss the critical importance of securing Colombia’s protected areas from the devastation of coca cultivation.
On Thursday, Dr. Gupta visited the Bahia Malaga Naval Base to learn about the Navy’s maritime and riverine interdiction on Colombia’s Pacific coast, a critical effort to disrupt drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. Dr. Gupta also met with Ambassador Murillo and authorities of Chocó and Quibdó to discuss the catastrophic impacts that illegal mining causes to the environment and the impacts of narcotrafficking on the region’s youth.
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