§ 1710. Drug Interdiction Coordinator and Committee

(a) United States Interdiction Coordinator

(1) In general

The United States Interdiction Coordinator shall perform the duties of that position described in paragraph (2) and such other duties as may be determined by the Director with respect to coordination of efforts to interdict illicit drugs from entering the United States.

(2) Responsibilities

The United States Interdiction Coordinator shall be responsible to the Director for—

(A) coordinating the interdiction activities of the National Drug Control Program agencies to ensure consistency with the National Drug Control Strategy;

(B) on behalf of the Director, developing and issuing, on or before March 1 of each year and in accordance with paragraph (3), a National Interdiction Command and Control Plan to ensure the coordination and consistency described in subparagraph (A);

(C) assessing the sufficiency of assets committed to illicit drug interdiction by the relevant National Drug Control Program agencies; and

(D) advising the Director on the efforts of each National Drug Control Program agency to implement the National Interdiction Command and Control Plan.

(3) Staff

The Director shall assign such permanent staff of the Office as he considers appropriate to assist the United States Interdiction Coordinator to carry out the responsibilities described in paragraph (2), and may also, at his discretion, request that appropriate National Drug Control Program agencies detail or assign staff to the Office of Supply Reduction for that purpose.

(4) National Interdiction Command and Control Plan

(A) Purposes

The National Interdiction Command and Control Plan shall—

(i) set forth the Government’s strategy for drug interdiction;

(ii) state the specific roles and responsibilities of the relevant National Drug Control Program agencies for implementing that strategy; and

(iii) identify the specific resources required to enable the relevant National Drug Control Program agencies to implement that strategy.

(B) Consultation with other agencies

The United States Interdiction Coordinator shall issue the National Interdiction Command and Control Plan in consultation with the other members of the Interdiction Committee described in subsection (b).

The National Interdiction Command and Control Plan shall not change existing agency authorities or the laws governing interagency relationships, but may include recommendations about changes to such authorities or laws.

(D) Report to Congress

On or before March 1 of each year, the United States Interdiction Coordinator shall provide a report on behalf of the Director to the appropriate congressional committees, to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, which shall include—

(i) a copy of that year’s National Interdiction Command and Control Plan;

(ii) information for the previous 10 years regarding the number and type of seizures of drugs by each National Drug Control Program agency conducting drug interdiction activities, as well as statistical information on the geographic areas of such seizures; and

(iii) information for the previous 10 years regarding the number of air and maritime patrol hours undertaken by each National Drug Control Program agency conducting drug interdiction activities, as well as statistical information on the geographic areas in which such patrol hours took place.

(E) Treatment of classified or law enforcement sensitive information

Any content of the report described in subparagraph (D) that involves information classified under criteria established by an Executive order, or the public disclosure of which, as determined by the Director, the Director of National Intelligence, or the head of any Federal Government agency the activities of which are described in the plan, would be detrimental to the law enforcement or national security activities of any Federal, State, or local agency, shall be presented to Congress separately from the rest of the report.

(b) Interdiction Committee

(1) In general

The Interdiction Committee shall meet to—

(A) discuss and resolve issues related to the coordination, oversight and integration of international, border, and domestic drug interdiction efforts in support of the National Drug Control Strategy;

(B) review the annual National Interdiction Command and Control Plan, and provide advice to the Director and the United States Interdiction Coordinator concerning that plan; and

(C) provide such other advice to the Director concerning drug interdiction strategy and policies as the committee determines is appropriate.

(2) Chairman

The Director shall designate one of the members of the Interdiction Committee to serve as chairman.

(3) Meetings

The members of the Interdiction Committee shall meet, in person and not through any delegate or representative, at least once per calendar year, prior to March 1. At the call of either the Director or the current chairman, the Interdiction Committee may hold additional meetings, which shall be attended by the members either in person, or through such delegates or representatives as they may choose.

(4) Report

Not later than September 30 of each year, the chairman of the Interdiction Committee shall submit a report to the Director and to the appropriate congressional committees describing the results of the meetings and any significant findings of the Committee during the previous 12 months. Any content of such a report that involves information classified under criteria established by an Executive order, or whose public disclosure, as determined by the Director, the chairman, or any member, would be detrimental to the law enforcement or national security activities of any Federal, State, local, or tribal agency, shall be presented to Congress separately from the rest of the report.

U.S. Code

§ 1710. Drug Interdiction Coordinator and Committee