GAO STUDY OF THE CAPABILITIES OF THE UNITED STATES TO CONTROL DRUG SMUGGLING INTO THE UNITED STATES

SEC. 1241. GAO STUDY OF THE CAPABILITIES OF THE UNITED STATES TO CONTROL DRUG SMUGGLING INTO THE UNITED STATES (a) Study Requirement.—The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a comprehensive study regarding smuggling of illegal drugs into the United States and the current capabilities of the United States to deter such smuggling. In carrying out such study, the Comptroller General shall— (1) assess the national security implications of the smuggling of illegal drugs into the United States; (2) assess the magnitude, nature, and operational impact that current resource limitations have on the drug smuggling interdiction efforts of Federal law enforcement agencies and the capability of the Department of Defense to respond to requests for assistance from those law enforcement agencies; (3) assess the effect on military readiness, the costs that would be incurred, the operational effects on military and civilian agencies, the potential for improving drug interdiction operations, and the methods for implementing increased drug law enforcement assistance by the Department of Defense under section 825 of H.R. 1748 as passed the House of Representatives on May 20, 1987, as if such section were enacted into law and were to become effective on January 1, 1988; (4) assess results of a cooperative drug enforcement operation between the United States Customs Service and National Guard units from the States of Arizona, Utah, Missouri, and Wisconsin conducted along the United States-Mexico border beginning on August 29, 1987, and include in the assessment information relating to the cost of conducting the operation, the personnel and equipment used in such operation, the command and control relationships in such operation, and the legal issues involved in such operation; (5) determine whether giving the Armed Forces a more direct, active role in drug interdiction activities would enhance the morale and readiness of the Armed Forces; (6) determine what assets are currently available to and under consideration for the Department of Defense, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Treasury for the detection of airborne drug smugglers; (7) assess the current plan of the Customs Service for the coordinated use of such assets; (8) determine the cost effectiveness and the capability of the Customs Service to use effectively the information generated by the systems employed by or planned for the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, and the Customs Service, respectively, to detect airborne drug smugglers; (9) determine the availability of current and anticipated tracking, pursuit, and apprehension resources to use the capabilities of such systems; (10) at a minimum, assess the detection capabilities of the Over-the-Horizon Backscatter radar (OTH-B), ROTHR, aerostats, airships, and the E-3A, E-2C, P-3, and P-3 Airborne Early Warning aircraft (including any variant of the P-3 Airborne Early Warning aircraft). 101 STAT. 1163 (b) Reports.—(1) Not later than April 30, 1988, the Comptroller General shall, as provided in paragraph (3), submit a report on the results of the study required by subsection (a) with respect to the elements of the study specified in paragraphs (1) through (5) of that subsection. (2) As soon as practicable after the report under paragraph (1) is submitted, and not later than March 31, 1989, the Comptroller General shall, as provided in paragraph (3), submit a report on the results of the study required by subsection (a) with respect to the elements of the study specified in paragraphs (6) through (10) of that subsection. (3) The reports under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be submitted to— (A) the Committees on Armed Services, the Judiciary, Foreign Relations, and Appropriations of the Senate; (B) the Committees on Armed Services, the Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, and Appropriations of the House of Representatives; (C) the members of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control; and (D) the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control of the House of Representatives. (4) The reports under this subsection shall be submitted in both classified and unclassified forms and shall include such comments and recommendations as the Comptroller General considers appropriate.