IV

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 452

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States

should resume support of operations for the interdiction of illegal drug

trafficking in Andean and other foreign nations.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 10, 1994

Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mr. SENSENBRENNER) submitted the following

resolution; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Armed Services and Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that

the United States should resume support of operations

for the interdiction of illegal drug trafficking in Andean

and other foreign nations.

Whereas illegal drugs are a serious problem in the United

States, causing misery among users and their families,

inspiring violent crime, and destroying the social fabric of

the United States;

Whereas the overwhelming bulk of illegal drugs, particularly

cocaine, is imported into the United States from the Andean nations, and criminal drug lords in such nations are

amassing great wealth extracted from the misery of

Americans;
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Whereas the United States has long encouraged Andean nations to join in cooperative efforts to locate, interdict, and

destroy illegal drug operations at their sources, and the

United States has contributed to these efforts by providing United States aircraft, surveillance assets, intelligence, and other resources;

Whereas the Department of Defense and other agencies of

the United States have ceased to provide material assistance, based on legal memoranda and other advice issued

by the Department of Justice interpreting, among other

things, section 32(b) of title 18, United States Code, as

barring such aid and subjecting whoever provides it to

criminal prosecution;

Whereas the House of Representatives believes that any interpretation of section 32(b) of such title that purports

to extend the reach of such section to law enforcement

operations and actions taken by agencies of the United

States in support of such operations improperly construes

the meaning of the plain language and the intent of the

Congress in enacting such section; and

Whereas the erroneous and unduly expansive interpretation

of section 32(b) of such title adopted by the Department

of Justice presents a serious obstacle to effective interdiction of illegal drugs at their principal sources, and also

may be interpreted to hamper similar domestic operations

affecting foreign registered civil aircraft: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) the Department of Justice should repudiate

4 its interpretation of section 32(b) of title 18, United
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1 States Code, to extend the reach of such section to

2 law enforcement operations and actions taken by

3 agencies of the United States; and

4 (2) the Department of Defense and other de5 partments and agencies of the United States should

6 resume their former authorized practice of providing

7 aid, information, and material support to locate,

8 interdict, and prevent the operation of illegal drug

9 producers and traffickers in the Andean nations,

10 and wherever else such operations have been im11 peded by the erroneous interpretation of section

12 32(b) of such title.

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