cannabisnews.com: U.S. Drug Czar Says Drug Trafficking Shifting U.S. Drug Czar Says Drug Trafficking Shifting Posted by FoM on February 10, 2000 at 13:38:45 PT By Mark Stevenson Source: NandoTimes Drug traffickers outside the United States have forced American gangs out of the wholesale drug trade in their own country, U.S. drug czar Barry McCaffrey said Wednesday. "The gringos just can't compete," McCaffrey said, noting that American traffickers are more easily detected and are less likely to pile up the proceeds in accounts hidden abroad. McCaffrey said the U.S. competition was coming from traffickers hailing from the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico and Nigeria. He cited the latest intelligence reports to show that drug trafficking is more complex than commonly thought. He said leftist rebels in Colombia protect cocaine shipments - and even coordinate planting the crop and move shipments. But right-wing paramilitary groups fighting the rebels also operate cocaine processing labs, he said. Traffickers are also beginning to target Panama as a transfer point for heroin shipments to Central America and the Caribbean, taking advantage of gaps in that country's security forces, he said. McCaffrey said the influx of drugs into Panama was not a direct result of the U.S. withdrawal from the Canal Zone in December, but rather because of the Panama's border with Colombia and airline flights from Panama City to other parts of Latin America. McCaffrey spoke to reporters during a three-day visit to talk with Mexican leaders about the new U.S."drug kingpin" law. The law, which takes effect June 1, will allow for the freezing of U.S. assets of foreigners linked to drug trafficking. McCaffrey said the about 55 percent of the cocaine used in the United States is shipped through Mexico or Mexican waters. Previous estimates placed that figure at 70 percent. The retired Army general said Mexico's Pacific coast has become the largest route for cocaine shipments, usually aboard fishing boats far offshore. The second most popular route, he said, was to ship cocaine from Colombia to Central America, and from there to Haiti or Jamaica, and on to U.S. ports. Mexico CityPublished: February 10, 2000Copyright © 2000 Nando MediaCopyright © 2000 Associated PressRelated Articles:Jamaica Struggles to Contain Boom - Coke Smugglinghttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4655.shtmlU.S. Czar: Drug War is No Real Warhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4652.shtmlCannabisNews McCaffrey Archives:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/list/McCaffrey.shtmlCannabisNews Articles On Barry McCaffrey:http://www.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/asearch?type=all&query=cannabisnews+McCaffrey Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by FoM on February 11, 2000 at 09:25:43 PT Rainbow I could post an animation as a link but I can't within CannabisNews' program. Any animation or one in particular? Let me know if not here on another news article.Peace, FoM! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Rainbow on February 10, 2000 at 20:50:25 PT animations FoMwould you post an animation? I learned how to make them a bit ago.Rainbow [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on February 10, 2000 at 15:32:41 PT Tomatoes, anyone? In re: McCaffrey's face. It would be nice if there were some kind of game such as you see on other websites, like 'punch the monkey' (singularly apt, indeed) or 'elf bowling' where you could hit the spacebar and Barry's foot would jam into his mouth. Or a tomato projector would splatter that smug visage with rotten beefsteaks? Or perhaps a giant hammer engraved with the word 'truth' smashing him flat?All in good fun, of course. But when I think of all the suffering that man has aided and abetted, with his smiling, faux-earnest look of caring about sick people and then having his minions locking them up, he deserves a lot more than a harmless pie in the face. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on February 10, 2000 at 14:25:46 PT Rainbow Hi Rainbow,I didn't forget about using McCaffrey's picture and most times I use Cannabis News but sometime I miss his smiling face! Only kidding! Take care! FoM! [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Rainbow on February 10, 2000 at 14:13:04 PT Prohibition routes The routes that barry is citing sound vaguely familiar to routes used in the alcohol prohibition time.It was boats coming up the Ca. coast or was that a movie I watched a long time ago. Hard to tell the propaganda from the real stuff :-)Rainbow [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: