And cocaine traffickers denied the Andean Airbridge have turned to fastboats and other means of riverine transport. As competition grows, the traffickers are also using more sophisticated computer and encryption technology to protect and enhance their operations. Clearly, there are tough challenges ahead for intelligence and law enforcement. The stakes are extremely high not just for the United States but also for the Latin American nations which brings me back to my original argument about Latin America's political and economic turnaround. Drug traffickers have the will and capacity to corrupt political and economic systems.
Drug money has the potential to overwhelm local army, police, judges, and political parties.
And the threat increases when the traffickers forge links to insurgent and criminal groups. Against this backdrop, there is the potential that public support for national institutions and reforms will erode, thus threatening to undermine the positive trends underway in Latin America. The fact is that we live in a safer world today in part because the extraordinary efforts of men and women like you. In order to preserve your legacy, we must have a clear-eyed recognition of enduring challenges and new threats. And me must be able to outsmart our adversaries and anticipate their next step.