No matter what interdiction measures are taken, the drug smuggling trade is going to adapt. When the pressure in South Florida got too hot and too many high speed boats with their loads of cocaine were intercepted, drug traffickers took to overland smuggling routes. Drug seizures along the southern U.S. border increased as border and custom agents found more drugs in cars and trucks.
Now, federal officials are planning to invest millions of dollars in more border agents and technology to stem the flow of drugs north and the flow of guns and money south. But the battle by traffickers to keep drugs flowing means that they constantly search for new methods to escape detection and keep their business growing.
One of the latest developments is the discovery of “semisubmersibles” – homemade submarines that run just under the surface of the water with air tubes protruding above the water. These craft are being manufactured in the jungles of Columbia for about a half million dollars each. Each semisubmersible is capable of carrying more than $190 million in cocaine and is normally scuttled after delivery. It’s estimated that 70 of them will be manufactured this year compared to 45 in 2007. It’s also estimated that perhaps 30 percent of Columbia’s cocaine exports are now carried in these semisubmersibles that are so hard to detect by usual methods.
“Whatever we do to try to keep drugs out, those who are making billions on the drug trade are going to find another way to get them in,” said Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions and Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s largest drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma.
“The only lasting solutions to the demand for cocaine and other drugs are effective rehabilitation of those who are addicted and drug education that keeps people from starting a drug habit in the first place,” added Mr. Hallmark. “We are very pleased with our success in offering both solutions.” The Narconon program is an alternative, long-term residential program that utilizes a dry-heat sauna to ensure that a thorough detoxification of drug residues takes place. This detoxification is commonly associated with lowered or eliminated drug cravings. Participants in this program go on to learn the communication and life skills that will enable them to make drug-free decisions. Seven out of ten of Narconon graduates go on to live drug-free lives.
To find immediate help for anyone who is having a problem with drugs or alcohol, contact Narconon’s free addiction consultation and referral helpline at 1-800-248-6933 or visit their website at http://www.stopaddiction.com/. The Narconon program was founded in 1966 by William Benitez in Arizona State Prison and is based on the humanitarian works of L. Ron Hubbard. In more than 120 centers around the world, Narconon programs restore drug and alcohol abusers and addicts to clean and sober lives.
