REMARKS AT INAUGURAL MEETING OF INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROFESSIONALS

FROM:   U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

07/06/2015 12:50 PM EDT
Welcome Remarks for the Inaugural Meeting of the International Society of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals
Remarks
John Brandolino
Director for Anticrime Programs, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Bangkok, Thailand
July 6, 2015

Good Morning,

I am honored to represent the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S. Department of State on a historic day at the inauguration of an important initiative which will define the United States’ global assistance in the area of substance use treatment and prevention for the years to come.

We are proud to be a founding partner of the International Society for Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals, or ISSUP.

A global association bringing together the drug treatment and prevention workforce is long overdue.

Substance use treatment and prevention is an independent and multi-disciplinary field of study. ISSUP aims to promote this field and the ever-increasing body of evidence-based practices that should guide clinical practice and prevention activities around the globe.

INL’s international organization partners represented here today include the Organization of American States, the Colombo Plan, UNODC, World Health Organization, and the African Union.

Over the past years they have helped us in one way or another to:

develop protocols, standards and guidelines for the practice of treatment and prevention,
create and disseminate curriculum, including the Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) and Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC), and
establish an international examination and credentialing process.
We are delighted and proud to see that these products can be disseminated through ISSUP. INL invites governments and universities not currently involved in these initiatives to join us and our collaborating international organizations.

Let’s work together to translate science into practice!

I would like to express appreciation to Thanyarak Institute for their collaboration with INL over the past years, both in addressing drug use in Thailand as well as hosting and mentoring international treatment staff.

Likewise, I would like to thank Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) for their long collaborative relationship with INL, particularly in the area of drug demand reduction. We look forward to a continued partnership over the coming years in the region as well as in international fora.

Finally, I extend special appreciation to all of the treatment and prevention professionals gathered here who will be formally joining ISSUP later this afternoon.

A network is only as strong as its membership. Over the coming years, this network will expand and grow broadly.

You should feel proud to be part of this movement, and to take an active role in its development.

Following this week’s activities, I hope that everyone here today will register on the ISSUP.net website and contribute to the exchange of research and experiences.

Most importantly, we are excited by the prospects of a global community of professionals commonly oriented toward the same goals and relying on each other to impact their communities, their nations, and our world.

Thank you.

STATE DEPT.-SAN DIEGO PORT DISTRICT PARTNER TO ENHANCE MARITIME SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO ASIA, LATIN AMERICA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Law Enforcement, Narcotics, Anti-corruption: U.S. Department of State Announces Partnership with the San Diego Unified Port District
05/06/2015 04:35 PM EDT

U.S. Department of State Announces Partnership with the San Diego Unified Port District
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
May 6, 2015

Ambassador William R. Brownfield, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of San Diego to launch a partnership that will enhance the Department’s maritime security assistance to Asia and Latin America.

Under this partnership, the vast expertise and experience of the Port’s Harbor Police Department will be put to work helping partner nations improve border security in the face of increased criminal threats. The Harbor Police Department is the law enforcement agency that patrols San Diego Bay, surrounding waterfront areas, and San Diego International Airport. Its 120 sworn officers are highly trained, with a range of expertise in a variety of subjects including maritime firefighting, counter smuggling, human trafficking, K-9 detection of explosives/narcotics, aviation security, vessel operations, maritime tactical training and dive operations. By providing training and mentorship, the Harbor Police will assist in efforts to combat transnational crime and build partner nations’ capacity to establish effective port and maritime security. The Harbor Police will be a unique partner for INL in addressing those challenges in addition to providing partner nations a regional perspective on port and maritime security.

This new relationship with the Port of San Diego is INL’s second port partnership and builds on the Bureau’s existing work with PortMiami to provide security assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean.

CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL TO TRAIN LAW OFFICERS IN UKRAINE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
State Department Partners With California Highway Patrol To Provide Expertise to Ukraine's
New Patrol Police Force
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 28, 2015

Marking the first overseas deployment by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) under formal partnership with the U.S. Department of State, the CHP recently collaborated with the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior Affairs (MOI) on a four-week training session for 30 Ukrainian law enforcement officers. The Ukrainian officers will be responsible for training cadets for Ukraine’s brand new Patrol Police, a key component of Ukraine’s ongoing reform efforts. This CHP training program was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

During the training in Kyiv, CHP’s four officers provided tactical patrol training, technical expertise, and mentoring, covering a wide variety of subjects, including car stops, handcuffing, and defending against attacks. The Ukrainian course graduates are now certified to instruct incoming classes of recruits for the newly established Ukrainian Patrol Police. More than 11,000 Ukrainians have applied to join the Patrol Police, and nearly 30% of the applicants are women. The first Patrol Police force of approximately 2,000 officers will report for duty in Kyiv in June.

Through this project, INL supports the Ukrainian MOI’s effort to transform the relationship between citizens and police by creating a meritocratic police force focused on protecting and serving the public. The Patrol Police, which is being launched first in Kyiv and then rolled out nationwide, will replace the unpopular traffic police and is seen as a step towards combating police corruption. This is the MOI’s top reform priority and is a direct response to the demands of the people of Ukraine.

INL IN TAJIKISTAN AND KYRGYZ REPUBLIC

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Trip Report – INL Visits Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) Carol Perez traveled in early April to Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, where she met with senior leaders and emphasized INL’s continued commitment to support counter narcotics, law enforcement and rule of law priorities in both countries. She also observed a number of INL projects firsthand.

While in Bishkek, PDAS Perez met with the head of the State Drug Control Agency to discuss ways to improve our counter narcotics cooperation efforts that are supported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. At the Ministry of Interior, Minister Abdulla Suranchiev updated PDAS Perez on his police reform efforts and welcomed further cooperation with INL. PDAS Perez also met with the Kyrgyz Prosecutor General Aida Salyanova to discuss the valued work of the INL-funded DOJ Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) who is assisting Kyrgyz prosecutors to develop better evidenced-based prosecutions that bring criminals to justice. They also discussed how INL and the international community can assist Kyrgyzstan in asset recovery efforts.

Also in Bishkek, PDAS Perez joined the Kyrgyz Ministry of Justice and the UN Office of Drugs and Crime to launch the UNODC Forensic Crime Lab Refurbishment Project. INL provided $1.4 million to support the renovations of the crime lab, which is currently just a building shell, into a modern, fully equipped facility. The project will also strengthen the capacity of Kyrgyz forensic professionals to provide forensic services in line with international standards by providing training on effective forensic methodology and practices. The Kyrgyz Forensic Chief noted that the new facility will expedite the processing of criminal investigations, provide quality service to the criminal justice system and increase public trust in law enforcement.
PDAS Perez’s visit to the Southern Kyrgyz city of Osh afforded her the opportunity to visit a nearby Uzbek village and meet with a Community Security Working Group. In discussions with residents from the Amir-Tumur District, led by INL-funded NGO Saferworld, community members and NGO partners told PDAS Perez about their successes in overcoming ethnic and social boundaries in order to address quality-of-life issues within their communities.

PDAS Perez also visited a neighborhood in Osh and observed the INL-funded Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Community Security Initiative (CSI) mobile police responder units, and she observed how these converted minibuses are used to facilitate citizen access to the police and to rebuild public trust and confidence in the police. In many isolated villages, these units are the only government service that is delivered directly to the community.

PDAS Perez continued on to Tajikistan where, in addition to discussing our counter narcotics and law enforcement assistance with the head of Tajikistan's Drug Control Agency and the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, she had the opportunity to meet with a group of Tajik female law enforcement officers who are participants in INL Dushanbe's Women's Empowerment Program (WEP). Since 2013, INL has trained more than 40 Tajik female law enforcement officers in a range of areas to include dealing with domestic violence and the prevention of human trafficking. Through the WEP, INL is demonstrating U.S. commitment to helping Tajikistan expand roles for female law enforcement. During the meeting with PDAS Perez, these women expressed how INL support has helped them better understand what they can do to improve themselves professionally and use their knowledge and expertise as the number and role of women in Tajikistan law enforcement expands.

While in Dushanbe, PDAS Perez visited the principal training centers for rank-and-file police and border guards. The director of the police training center briefed her on the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) plans for improving the facility to meet the educational requirements expected as part of the MIA's police reform. At the Border Guard Training Center, where INL supports training by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), PDAS Perez was briefed on plans to repurpose the facilities in order to train additional women from Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

PDAS Perez also traveled to the Tajik industrial city of Tursunzade, home of Central Asia's largest aluminum plant, to visit one of the 16 Community Policing Partnership Teams (CPPT) established by INL in the country. The CPPTs link community leaders and police to address mutual issues and concerns. The leader of the Tursunzade CPPT, a mullah, told PDAS Perez that based on its survey of the community the CPPT was focusing attention on youth, principally through programmed sports activities at a nearby school. PDAS Perez then viewed a karate demonstration by more than two dozen youth, including two slated to compete in a Central Asia regional championship that weekend.

U.S. ANNOUNCES $5 MILLION REWARD FOR KARL LEE IN WEAPONS PROLIFERATION CASE

Photo Credit:  U.S. State Department

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program Announces Reward Offer for Li Fangwei

On April 29, 2014, the U.S. Department of State announced the second reward offer under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program. The reward is for up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Chinese weapons proliferator Li Fangwei, also known as Karl Lee. (Photo At Right.)

Li Fangwei previously was sanctioned by the United States for his alleged role as a principal supplier to Iran’s ballistic missile program. According to the indictment, Li controls a large network of front companies he uses to move millions of dollars through U.S.-based financial institutions to conduct business in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators Sanctions Regulations. Li Fangwei has also been charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, a money laundering conspiracy, and two separate counts of wire fraud in connection with such illicit transactions.

The Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program was established in 2013 as a tool to assist U.S. Government efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and bring their leaders and members to justice. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) manages the program in coordination with U.S. federal law enforcement agencies. It is a key element of the White House Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime.

The April 29 announcement was made in coordination with other U.S. agencies taking action against Li Fangwei. The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against Li Fangwei on charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and wire fraud. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also added eight of Li Fangwei’s front companies to its List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons, and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the addition of nine of his China-based suppliers to its Entity List.

More information about Li Fangwei is available on the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program website at www.state.gov/tocrewards. Anyone with information on Li Fangwei should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation via the Major Case Contact Center at 1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324) or the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

U.S. WORKS TO TRAIN COSTA RICAN AUTHORITIES TO STOP COCAINE TRAFFICK

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Strengthening Costa Rica’s Borders

In 2012, more than half of the primary flow of the cocaine trafficked to the United States first transited through the Central American corridor. Costa Rica’s use as a drug transshipment point is credited to its strategic geographic location, linking narcotics-producing countries in South America with the United States and the challenges of patrolling its extensive Caribbean and Pacific coastlines.

INL is taking steps across Central America to assist countries like Costa Rica improve their capabilities through the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). CARSI programs seek to disrupt crime that operates cross-regionally without regard to national borders, while also helping national governments take greater responsibility for their own security with professional, effective law enforcement.

A key pillar of the CARSI program is its capacity building for law enforcement. Since 2010, INL has partnered with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Central America, and CBP first offered land interdiction training to the Costa Rican Fuerza Publica, or National Police, in 2012. That training highlighted Costa Rica’s need for a dedicated Border Police force that could recruit cadets to work far from home in the tropical rainforest of Costa Rica’s border zones, and provide a career path that rewarded these specialized officers.
This necessary border police force was created by the Costa Rican government in 2013. On September 13th, 2013, Fuerza Publica officers began a basic border course taught and designed by Costa Ricans with input from CBP. At the end of the course, 170 officers went north to begin putting these lessons into practice, while 30 officers remained for an advanced course taught directly by CBP. The advanced course will give these officers specialized skills in mobile patrols, border post management, inspection of fraudulent documents, as well as day and night tactical operations.

In the weeks following their deployment, graduates of the basic course have made national headlines across Costa Rica with their discovery of ten helipads built on ranches owned by suspected drug traffickers and corrupt local officials, depots of military-style weapons, bulk currency, and stolen aviation fuel hidden in the remote hills along the border with Nicaragua. Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigative Police are now using evidence collected by the Border Police to build a case against the criminal network linked to the discoveries, while the 27 graduates of the advanced course head to the border to add an even greater level of advanced techniques to the efforts already underway.