DRUG TRAFFICKING

Drug Trafficking in the United States

[Students Name]

[Institution's Name]

Research Proposal

Illegal use of drugs is on the rise in the country, while the drug enforcement agencies are not able to counter the activities of the drug mafia that operates in a sophisticated manner. Various methods and routes are used to bring in cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and ecstasy into the U.S. The illegal trade is a multi-billion dollar business and has resulted in an increase in drug rated crimes. The paper addresses issues related to smuggling and reasons for the inability of law enforcement to counter the problem.

Literature review includes publications by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement agency and latest articles from online sources. The paper claims that the inability of customs and drug enforcement agencies to curb smuggling has led to the rise of drug trafficking in the country.

Studies in the research paper are focused on pointing out the areas of infiltration and the organization of gangs. The nature of the problem is deep rooted with professional criminal gangs operating a sophisticated network that is able to bypass law enforcement agencies.

The American drug market is one of the most lucrative markets in the world. Many gang leaders make billions of dollars each year smuggling and distributing drugs through an organized network. A UN report said the global drug trade generated an estimated US$321.6 billion in 2003 (Pollard, 2005). Drug enforcement agencies in U.S. are faced with a major challenge in encountering the problem. Many countries give a death penalty to drug offenders. In 2010, two people were sentenced to death in Malaysia for trafficking 1 kilogram/2.2 pounds of cannabis into the country (Bernama, 2010).

Sophisticated networks of smugglers operating from South America smuggle cocaine and heroin into the country using a variety of methods. Borders with Mexico, maritime ...