Cornyn Hosts Meeting With Counternarcotics Director

Press Release

Cornyn Hosts Meeting With Counternarcotics Director

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, hosted a meeting on Wednesday with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Director of Counternarcotics Enforcement, Uttam Dhillon, to discuss combating drug smuggling in Texas and across the nation.

"This meeting was a good opportunity to discuss the latest efforts to crack down on drug smuggling across Texas and the nation," Sen. Cornyn said. "Our law enforcement community also faces various challenges in combating drug-related violence and even possible terrorist activity. Officials on the federal, state and local levels must continue working together to fight this problem and keep our communities safe, particularly along the border."

Sen. Cornyn and Dhillon discussed DHS's Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), formerly known as "Operation Blackjack," which targets the leadership and supporting infrastructure of violent criminal organizations operating along the border. Since its inception in July 2005 in Laredo, BEST has made numerous arrests and captured assault rifles, handguns, silencers, and a large quantity of weapons components and ammunition.

Also on the meeting agenda were updates on drug seizures along the Texas-Mexico border. In addition, they discussed the latest on repairs being made to the Customs and Border Protection P-3 aircraft in Corpus Christi. Sen. Cornyn helped secure funding for these planes last year, which have been instrumental in counternarcotic efforts.

On a related note, Sen. Cornyn introduced narco-terror legislation in the previous Congress to address drug-related violence and drug smuggling in connection with terrorism, particularly along the border. It was included and passed in the Patriot Act reauthorization.

In addition, last week Sen. Cornyn successfully inserted a provision in the Gang Abatement and Prevention Act, combating "cheese" heroin, a lethal drug causing addiction and death among a growing number of Texas youths. His measure adds the drug to the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, which will raise awareness and help fight the drug on a local level throughout Texas. The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced the anti-gang bill last Thursday to the full Senate for consideration.

Dhillon was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate last year to serve as the first director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement at DHS. He serves as the primary policy adviser to the Secretary for counternarcotics issues and coordinates efforts to monitor and combat connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism.

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