NCJ Number
172355
Date Published
1996
Length
347 pages
Annotation
This book chronicles the events that led to the demise of the huge maritime drug smuggling ventures of the 1970s and 1980s, forcing the cartels to seek an easier passage into the United States.
Abstract
The author, a special agent for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assigned to the National Narcotics Border Interdiction System staff and later to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, is credited with work that led to the conviction of more than 100 drug smugglers, the seizure of huge amounts of narcotics and the vessels carrying them, and the identification of new smuggling techniques. The narrative is set against the political background of the period and includes prison interviews the author conducted with veteran smugglers. The book not only covers the sea encounters with smugglers but details the violence in Florida that focused concern on the problem and led to the buildup of a counternarcotics force and the involvement of the military and intelligence communities. The book discusses the effectiveness of the coordination system and the later dismantling of many of the Nation's sea-interdiction capabilities, concluding with the warning that the country is once again vulnerable to a maritime drug assault. Photographs from the author's private collection accompany the text. Chapter notes, a 151-item bibliography, and a subject index