On November 22, 1999, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation offered by Senators Paul Coverdell (R-Georgia) and Dianne Feinstein to strengthen the President's hand in combating international drug traffickers around the world.

The Drug Kingpin Decertification Bill was approved as part of the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report.   The measure codifies and expands a 1995 Presidential Executive Order created under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).  It will block any financial or business dealing with any entity associated with specific drug traffickers -- to include criminal associates, associated family members, related businesses and financial accounts. The Coverdell-Feinstein measure augments the existing Executive Order to include foreign narcotic traffickers deemed threatening to U.S. national security.

"This bill goes directly after the cartels wherever they operate in the world today," Senator Feinstein said. "Our goal is to isolate targeted drug traffickers and their affiliated businesses by freezing their assets under U.S. jurisdiction and cut off their ability to do business in the United States."

As issued, the existing Executive Order freezes the assets of drug traffickers affiliated with the cartels and blocks any financial, commercial and/or business dealings with the United States. The Executive Order included criminal associates, associated family members, related businesses and financial accounts. The Coverdell-Feinstein proposal would build upon the existing Executive Order.

As under the President's Executive Order, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) together with other government agencies would develop a list of specially designated narcotics traffickers. The Treasury Department's OFAC would enforce the sanctions, which carry criminal penalties of up to $500,000 per violation for corporations or $250,000 for individuals, as well as up to 10 years in prison. Additional civil penalties may be imposed administratively.

"It is my hope that with new emphasis on this expanded authority, and with a concerted intelligence effort to develop sufficient data about the cartels and their associates, in this country and abroad, the U.S. will be able to work with our allies to expose, isolate, and cut off the major drug trafficking syndicates that pose a tremendous threat to our society," Senator Feinstein said.