World Issues: Drug Trafficking

The definition of a world issue is something that affects every living organism on the planet. In this presentation, I want to talk about is the illegal drug trade. The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to manufacturing, distribution, and sale of drugs, which are subject to drug prohibition laws. A UN report said "the global drug trade generated an estimated US$321. 6 billion in 2003. " With a world GDP of US$36 trillion in the same year, the illegal drug trade may be estimated as slightly less than 1% (0.

893%) of total global output. Illegal drug consumption occurs worldwide, too.

Facts about Cocaine Trafficking in the United States The primary way that cocaine enters the United States is via the border between the U. S. and Mexico (65% of all cocaine that comes in does so at the Southwestern U. S border) The major suppliers of cocaine in the U. S. are Colombia drug gangs and drug lords. The Colombians uses drug smugglers in Mexico to transport cocaine over the border.

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The Colombians control the bulk of the cocaine trade in major cities such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Miami. Mexican drug cartels have started to run and produce cocaine themselves and now control the drug trade in major Western U. S. cities such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco.

Despite the best efforts of the Unites States’ “War on Drugs”, the cost of cocaine is lower than ever and the availability is greater than it was 25 years ago.

The U. S. government agencies primarily responsible for apprehending cocaine traffickers are the U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation, U. S. Customs Service, U. S. Border Patrol, and the U. S. Coast Guard. In 2006, these agencies seized over 150,000 kilograms of cocaine in the United States and surrounding waters and territories.

The price of powder cocaine in the United States varies greatly by location, and is less expensive in those areas closest to the hubs of drug smuggling and criminal activity. For example, a single gram of cocaine costs between $20 and $30 in New York City, but that same gram can cost upwards of $100 in upstate Maine. In 2006 there were approximately 5,000 cocaine-trafficking-related arrests made in the United States. This number is significantly lower than in 2004, when almost 11,000 such arrests were made by various US drug officials.