The drug-crime relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The drug-crime relationship - Essay Example The act aimed at curtailing terrorism is also charged with stopping drug smugglers before they cross the borders. On January 9, 2005, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced the creation of new Border Enforcement and Security Task Forces, to increase control at the border. The groups will be nationally integrated teams with federal, state, and local representation specifically directed at cross-border criminal activity (DHS, 2005 http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic). Chertoff said: "These new task forces will take a comprehensive approach to dismantling criminal organizations that exploit our border. The task forces will be charged with sharing information, developing priority targets, and carrying out coordinated law enforcement operations that will enhance border security." ((DHS, 2005 http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic). However, prior to this recent development, The Homeland Security Act had already begun working to protect Americans. In the days following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Americans began questioning the security of our borders and the legislation in place aimed at keeping our country safe. In 20002, Congress passed the Homeland Security Act, a multi-layered approach to protecting Americans. The act did several things, but most importantly, it created a Department of Homeland Security with a mission â€Å"preventing terrorist attacks within the United States, reducing the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism at home, and minimizing the damage and assisting in the recovery from any attacks that may occur† (http://www.whitehouse.gov/deptofhomeland/analysis/title1.html#101, paragraph 1). The Department of Homeland Security was given five primary responsabilities: information analysis and infrastructure protection; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and related countermeasures; border and transportation security; emergency preparedness and response; and coordination with other parts of the federal government (http://www.whitehouse.gov/deptofhomeland/analysis/title1.html#101, paragraph 1). It is under its border transportation and security mission that the act has impacted the drug-crime relationship. The Homeland Security Act consolidated many governmental departments under one Homeland Security Department heading. Among the departments effected were U.S. Customs and U.S. Border Patrol, two agencies charged with stemming the flow of drugs at the border. Although the two agencies had similar missions, they reported to different departments, and U.S. Border Patrol was an arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration. Following the passage of the Homeland Security Act, the two departments were merged together under a new heading: U.S. Custom and Border Protection. From that, two new arms of the department were created, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Protection. The new department was given a new mission; "keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States - places CBP on the frontline of the war on terrorism. As the nation's unified border agency, CBP is strategically positioned at and between our ports of entry to prevent further terr orist attacks on our nation. This includes carrying out our traditional border-related