CONGRESS GIVEN UNIFIED ANTI-DRUG LAW AGENCY PLAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000500340014-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2001
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: March 28, 1973
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2002/01/02 : CIA-RDP75B00 400 05003414-9
7
T HE L`1rVNTT1Vf-_ C T A T) TDATE Mtt
By GARNETT D. HORNER
Star-News Staff Writer
President Nixon sent Con-
gress today a reorganization
plan setting up a unified com-
mand in the Justice Depart-
ment for all U.S. anti-drug
law enforcement.,
The plan also would trans-
fer to the Treasury Depart-
.ment all functions of the
Justice Department's Immi-
gration and Naturalization
Service involving inspection
of persons or their documents
entering the country.
Left untouched by the order
is the White House Special
Action Office for Drug Abuse
Prevention. Nixon said it deals
mostly with treatment and
rehabilitation of drug victims
and added:
"'The proposed drug enforce-
ment administration, work-
ing as a team with the Spe-
cial Action office, would arm
Americans with a potent one-
two-punch to help us fight
back against the deadly
enemy of. drug abuse."
The changes will take effect
on July 1 unless disapproved
by either the Senate or House
within 60 days.
Nixon has named Myles J.
Ambrose, now head of the
Office for Drug Abuse Law
Enforcement, to be admin-
istrator of the new combined
agency during its formative
period.
The President proposed con-
solidating under a new Drug
Enforcement Administration
in the Justice Department:
? All functions of the Bureau
of Narcotics and Dangerous
Drugs.
? Those functions of the
Treasury's Bureau of Cus-
toms pertaining to drug in-
vestigations and intelligence.
? All functions of the Office
for Drug Abuse Law Enforce-
ment.
? All functions of the Office
of Natimial Narcotics I Intel-
ligence.
? '1:fesearch currently fundded
App
cfthf r agencies involving drug
law enforcement.
All of the agencies except
the Bureau of Customs are al-
ready located at Justice. But
Nixon said they now are
"fragmented forces" with no
over-all direction below the
level of the attorney general.
Nixon said he intended to
direct the Secretary of the
Treasury, when the plan takes
effect, to use the approxima-
tely 1,000 employes transfer-
red from the immigration and
Naturalization Service to aug-
ment the Customs Bureau's
staff.
Now when a traveler comes
into the United States his pass-
port and visa in case of a for-
eigner, is checked by an Im-
migration agent and his bag-
gage by a customs agent. Un-
der the President's proposal,
both functions would be under
the Customs Bureau.
Nixon said the grouping of
most port-of-entry inspections
in 'a single Cabinet depart-
ment would reduce the need
for much day-to-day interde-
partmental coordination, al-
low more efficient staffing at
some field locations, and re-
move the basis for "damaging
interagency rivalries."
He added that "an impor-
tant byproduct of the change
would be more convenient
service for travelers entering
and leaving the country."
Because both types of in-
spection now performed by
the INS and Customs have
numerous objectives besides,
drug law enforcement, Nixon
said "it is logical to vest them
in the Treasury Department
... as long as the inspections
are conducted with full aware-
ness of related drug con-
cerns."
Nixon said iris proposal
would "make possible a more
effective anti-drug role for the
FBI, especially in dealing
with. the relationship between
drug trafficking and organized
crime." I intend to see .that
co , F07 &VI
supporting the new Drug En-
forcement Administration."
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