![]() Possession of crack, which is cheaper, results in a harsher sentence the majority of crack users are lower income.įebruary 1987: In February, Carlos Lehder is captured by the Colombian National Police and extradited to the United States, where he's convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus an additional 135 years. The bill also creates mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenses, which are increasingly criticized for promoting significant racial disparities in the prison population because of the differences in sentencing for crack and powder cocaine. October 1986: Reagan signs the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which appropriates $1.7 billion to fight the drug war. Crack, a cheap, addictive and potent form of cocaine, is first developed in the early '80s it becomes popular in the New York region, devastating inner-city neighborhoods. The Mexican border becomes the major point of entry for cocaine headed into the United States. ![]() Mid-1980s: Because of the South Florida Drug Task Force's work, cocaine trafficking slowly changes transport routes. officials discover that the Medellin cartel has a "hit list" that includes embassy members, their families, U.S. (In February 1986, Seal is assassinated in Baton Rouge, La., by gunmen hired by the cartel.)ġ985: Colombia extradites drug traffickers to the United States for the first time. As a result of Seal's evidence, a Miami federal grand jury indicts Carlos Lehder, Pablo Escobar, Jorge Ochoa and Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha. The story shows that Nicaraguan Sandanistas are involved in the drug trade. In July, The Washington Times publishes a story about DEA informant Barry Seal's infiltration of the Medellin cartel's operations in Panama. He's driven out of Congress the following year by Colombia's minister of justice.ġ984: Nancy Reagan launches her "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign. In March, Pablo Escobar is elected to the Colombian congress he gained support by building low-income housing, doling out money in Medellin slums and campaigning with Catholic priests. Bush combines agents from multiple agencies and military branches to form the South Florida Drug Task Force, Miami being the main entry point at the time. In the United States, Vice-President George H.W. Manuel Noriega allows Pablo Escobar to ship cocaine through Panama. The United States and Colombia ratify a bilateral extradition treaty.ġ982: Panamanian leader Gen. The drug kingpins work together to manufacture, transport and market cocaine. The alliance includes the Ochoa family, Pablo Escobar, Carolos Lehder and Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha. Operations continue on the island until 1983.ġ981: The Medellin cartel rises to power. Small planes transporting drugs from Colombia to the United States use the island to refuel. Jimmy Carter campaigns for president on a platform that includes decriminalizing marijuana and ending federal criminal penalties for possession of up to 1 ounce of the drug.ġ979: Carlos Lehder, co-founder of the Medellin cartel, purchases a 165-acre island in the Bahamas. Drug traffickers respond with a vendetta, killing 40 people in one weekend in what's known as the "Medellin Massacre." The event signals the new power of Colombia's cocaine industry, headquartered in Medellin.ġ976: Former Georgia Gov. November 1975: Colombian police seize 600 kilograms of cocaine - the largest seizure to date - from a small plane. ![]() July 1973: Nixon creates the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to coordinate the efforts of all other agencies. June 1971: Nixon officially declares a "war on drugs," identifying drug abuse as "public enemy No. July 14, 1969: In a special message to Congress, President Richard Nixon identifies drug abuse as "a serious national threat." Citing a dramatic jump in drug-related juvenile arrests and street crime between 19, Nixon calls for a national anti-drug policy at the state and federal level. government declared a "war on drugs." From the rise and fall of kingpins to current efforts to interdict and stamp out drugs, follow events so far: More than 1,650 pounds of opium were siezed from inside a fuel tanker in May 2005 in Kabul, Afghanistan.įour decades ago, the U.S. An Afghan Counter Narcotics Police officer guards plastic bags of opium.
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