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 Serv-
ices 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 An-
dean 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 na-
tions 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 provid-
ing United States aircraft, surveillance assets, intel-
ligence, and other resources;
Whereas the Department of Defense and other agencies of
the United States have ceased to provide material assist-
ance, 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 in-
terpretation 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 interdic-
tion 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
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that—
(1) the Department of Justice should repudiate
its interpretation of section 32(b) of title 18, United
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States Code, to extend the reach of such section to
law enforcement operations and actions taken by
agencies of the United States; and
(2) the Department of Defense and other de-
partments and agencies of the United States should
resume their former authorized practice of providing
aid, information, and material support to locate,
interdict, and prevent the operation of illegal drug
producers and traffickers in the Andean nations,
and wherever else such operations have been im-
peded by the erroneous interpretation of section
32(b) of such title.
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