U.S. Military Evolution in Counternarcotics Operations in Latin America
Abstract
The role of the U.S. Military in counternarcotics operations in Latin America has evolved significantly since its first -tentative efforts in 1977. As an institution it has changed from a reluctant participant to an active leader in the counter drug arena. This study will explore the military's evolution in stemming the flow of illicit narcotics from Latin America, and the current model of participation in order to determine first, its level of criticality to the national counter drug effort, second, if it has been successful in accomplishing Congressionally mandated tasks, and third, if it is an appropriate model to accomplish national counter narcotics (CN) strategy for supply suppression. Critical to this study will be an analysis of the DOD's participation in the interagency process at the sub-national and sub-institutional levels, and an assessment of the military's unit selection and command structure choices. My hypothesis is that the current organizational model for DOD involvement in CN efforts is fundamentally flawed, because it has allowed short-term tactical and operational successes, but has not permitted long-term strategic success in supply suppression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 10, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA391652
Entities
People
- Juan L. Orama
Organizations
- United States Army War College