Jenniffer González Leads Bipartisan Request Before the Office of National Drug Control Policy

Press Release

Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González led the effort for a bipartisan letter to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) requesting the publication of updated versions of the National Southwest Border Counternarcotic Strategy, the National Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy and the Caribbean Border Counternarcotic Strategy.

By law, these updates should be published every two years for the areas of the southwestern and northern borders. In turn, the Congress included language along with the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2014, requesting a biannual strategy for the Caribbean border.

"According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses killed more than 72,000 Americans in 2017. This record number represents close to a 10 percent increase from 2016, primarily driven by a continued surge in deaths involving synthetic opioids. Deaths due to cocaine overdoses also increased significantly last year, putting the stimulant on par with drugs such as heroin and natural opiates, "the letter explains.

These troubling developments highlight the continued need to reduce both the supply and demand for illicit drugs in our country. An important component of this effort is carried out by the ONDCP through the publication of the National Drug Control Strategy and the development of companion strategies with a geographic focus such as the National Southwest Border Counternarcotics, the National Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy and the Caribbean Border Counternarcotics Strategy.

"A strong federal response to the rise in drug use in the United States requires the publication of both the National Drug Control Strategy and its biennial companion reports. The geographically-focused strategies serve a vital purpose by providing federal, state, and local stakeholders a blueprint to respond to emerging counternarcotics threats across the nation's three borders. Past reports, for instance, include objectives such as enhancing intelligence, interdicting drugs and drug proceeds, ensuring prosecution, disrupting and dismantling drug-trafficking organizations and improving cooperation with international partners, "reads part of the letter.

Finally, the Congresswoman asked that priority be given to the publication of the updated versions of anti-narcotics strategies for the southwestern, northern and Caribbean borders over the coming months.

The office of Congresswoman González-Colón has been in contact with ONDCP, following up on the letter sent and soon they will publish the National Drug Control Strategy, since they recognized the importance of complementary strategies.

The letter was signed by Congresswoman Jenniffer González Colón together with her colleagues Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), John Katko (R-NY), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Stacey E. Plaskett (D-USVI).