Binging Griselda? Let’s Talk Drug Trafficking Sanctions
How the United States Uses Sanctions to Counter Narcotics Trafficking
📅 March 7, 2024
Netflix’s new series Griselda tells the story of Griselda Blanco. Known as the “Godmother of Cocaine,” Blanco trafficked cocaine from Colombia to Miami from the 1970s to the early 2000s. Despite her criminal activities, Blanco managed to evade law enforcement for many years. She was eventually arrested in 1985 in connection with drug trafficking and sentenced to 15 years in prison. There were no sanctions against Blanco at the time, since the Kingpin Act, a U.S. law aimed at combating international drug trafficking and organized crime, was enacted in 1999 after Blanco’s sentencing.
In the realm of global criminal activity, drug trafficking emerges as a pervasive and intricate issue that transcends international borders, casting its disruptive shadow upon societies and economies worldwide.
In response to the multifaceted challenges posed by this illicit trade, nations have strategically employed sanctions as a pivotal tool in their efforts to combat those who profit from the widespread suffering narcotics trafficking inflicts. Understanding the complexities surrounding drug trafficking sanctions, their efficacy, and the evolving landscape of international cooperation is key to sanctions compliance.
Counternarcotics sanctions are some of the earliest forms of list-based sanctions imposed by the United States. The U.S. government has the authority to freeze assets, prohibit transactions, and impose financial sanctions on those designated as significant narcotics traffickers.
The illicit drug trade remains a global issue causing thousands of deaths annually. The Biden administration in 2023 announced plans to further strengthen its approach toward disrupting fentanyl and other drug supply chains in collaboration with other global authorities. The approach includes a coordinated global effort to disrupt the synthetic drug trade, strengthening coordination and information-sharing among U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, increasing engagement with the private sector globally to fight illicit drugs, and protect the U.S. financial system from abuse by drug trafficking organizations.
As of February 2024, there are over 200 individuals and entities designated as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers (SDNTs) and over 1,400 Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker Kingpins (SDNTKs). Both terms are used to designate individuals and entities involved in significant narcotics trafficking, but “SDNT” is a broader designation, while “SDNTK” specifically refers to high-profile individuals and organizations involved in narcotics trafficking, often associated with major drug cartels.
OFAC and its U.S. partner agencies employ diverse methods to enforce sanctions under the Kingpin Act. However, assessing the Act’s overall effectiveness is challenging, because isolating its impact from other counternarcotics initiatives is challenging. Reported outcomes indicate the designation of over 2,000 individuals as Kingpins and their supporters, along with the freezing of assets exceeding half a billion dollars between 2000 and 2019.
Through disrupting their operations and imposing financial repercussions, counternarcotics sanctions have effectively discouraged the influx of drugs, notably opioids and fentanyl, into the country. Moreover, the rigorous enforcement of these measures has played a role in dismantling trafficking networks and diminishing the prevalence of narcotics and controlled substances within U.S. borders. This has, in turn, contributed to safeguarding public health and bolstering national security. However, more work must be done to continue fighting narcotics trafficking to the United States. The United States and China in November restarted bilateral cooperation on counternarcotics, focusing on reducing the flow of precursor chemicals for illicit fentanyl and other synthetic drug production. Increased engagement with other countries that are high-risk for illicit drugs and enhanced information-sharing among U.S. stakeholders will help in the battle. Since Griselda Blanco’s prosecution, U.S. sanctions have provided additional tools not just to criminally prosecute drug traffickers, but also cut off their access to the global financial system and protect the U.S. financial system.
Visit the DOLFIN library for more information on counternarcotics sanctions and illicit drug activity.