The Senate Caucus on International Narcotics control will come to order. Good afternoon everyone. I want to thank secretary pompeo for being here today as well as members of the caucus. To my knowledge, mr. Secretary this is the first time we have had a cabinet member address the drug caucus. And i think, given the circumstances that we find ourselves and events over the last few days make this especially appropriate that we hear from the nations top diplomats. On this important topic. Obviously, the rising global narcotic academic is flicking the highest rate of casualties in our nations history. In america alone, in 2017, more than 70,000 people died of drug overdoses. Im advised that just since 2006, mexico has seen 150,000 people murdered in the course of the cartel violence. Of course associated with marketshare and real estate. When it comes to the International Drug trade. Reflecting on those numbers, it made me think about other National Efforts we have undertaken internationally dealing with not only the threat of terrorism emanating from afghanistan, obviously the war in iraq. And idea the we would lose 70,000 americans in one your loan to drug overdoses and not consider this a matter of National Urgency is really staggering. So we hope to turn that around. In order to break the devastating cycle we need to take a holistic government approach to address supply and demand as well as expand treatment for those suffering from substance abuse. We will focus on supply in particular, the International Sources of narcotics and our nations strategy to prevent them from reaching our borders and infiltrating our communities current effects of our epidemic cannot be overstated. It is not hyperbole to say we have reached a crisis point. In 2018, National Drug assessment reports that drug poisoning deaths remain the leading cause of injury and death in the United States. There currently, as i said, the highest level ever recorded. The 2017 numbers and have outnumbered deaths from firearms, motor vehicles, suicide and homicide. In 2016, 174 americans died every day from drug overdoses. In my home state of texas, we remain severely impacted in terms of the volume of trafficking and all related mayhem that accompanies the illicit activity. The 2017, nearly 3000 texans died of drug overdoses. Approximately half of those are related to opioids with a dramatic increase in synthetic opioid related deaths. The emergence of fentanyl a headache opioid is a significant contributor to and has skyrocketed in prominence over the past 2 years and has been the subject of previous hearings of this caucus. And i know efforts, International Diplomatic efforts by the Trump Administration and by you mr. Secretary of the numbers indicate illicit drugs as well as the transnational and domestic criminal organizations that traffic them represent a significant threat to public health, Law Enforcement and our National Security. The most evident focus of the Senate Caucus on International Second narcotics control is to expand cooperation against drug abuse and narcotics trafficking. Those efforts do not occur in a vacuum. I believe we need a comprehensive National Strategy that will focus both on supply of which we are examining today and demand. That strategy must also take actions against Transnational Criminal Organizations that are running rampant and engaging in a broad range of criminal activities. The cartel, the gulf cartel, and many others maintain a presence, not only in Central America and in mexico but also in my state of texas. They specialize in moving vast amounts of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and other Illegal Drugs throughout the region. As we know, it isnt just drugs that they are carrying. As one phrased it, recently, he said they are commodity agnostic. In order to traffic drugs and migrants and human beings for sex slavery, Money Laundering, counterfeit goods, you name it, whatever will make them a buck. In the face of all of the violence and trauma the groups feeling the cycle are becoming richer and are growing influence in the United States. And without intervention, their power will only grow. Because we cannot win this fight alone our strategy needs to improve. Our Security Cooperation with International Partners. Particularly mexico. Finally, we must invest in Economic Security and promote a stronger and stable Central America. Secretary pompeo and the experts on our second panel will shed light on the growing narcotics epidemic in our hemisphere and across the globe. I look forward to hearing the testimony and learning how we can Work Together to form a comprehensive, whole Government Strategy that reduces the flow of illicit drugs into the United States and helps keep our citizens safe. With that, let me turn the microphone over to my cochairman, senator feinstein for her opening comments. Thank you very much mr. Chairman. And welcome mr. Secretary. This is the first hearing of our caucus in this congress. I think it is good news that you are here and i look forward to working with you as chairman, senator, and i also want to thank senator grassley for his tenure as chairman. And welcome senator rosen and senator purdue. I think we all know the illicit drug trade in this country is really big business. It is valued at anywhere from 426 to 652 billion. Its reach is global. Its distribution is growing. Its leadership is criminal. Like any business, it adapts to market changes. In this case, u. S. Demand and International Enforcement are the two things, and its motivation is power and profit at any cost. In my state, california, our largest state, the cost was nearly 5000 lives in 2017. In the United States, our states, it was more than 70,000 lives. Globally, the cost only increases. In 2015, the latest year for which the data is available, i cannot get rid of this. It was 450,000 lives. These estimates dont consider the lives lost due to the Violence Associated with this illicit trade. Both in the United States and in the source and transit countries. In fiscal year 2019, this year, 22 countries have been identified as major transit or source countries for illicit drugs. Profits obtained from narcotic production find dangerous cartels, Transnational Criminal Organizations in mexico, china and countries in Central America and south america. And their profit margin is only increasing. Last year, more than 133 thousand pounds of heroin, cocaine, meth, and now fentanyl, where two little grains is enough to kill an individual, were seized in the United States. To date, this year, nearly 101,000 pounds of the substances have already been seized. And we are just halfway through the year. Narcotics production funds the insurgency in afghanistan. The Worlds Largest supplier of illicit opium. The United States does not have a dedicated counter narcotics plan in this country, so i think youre right mr. Chairman, weve got to get cracking and build one that works. The drug trade feels staggering levels of violence and corruption. In mexico, it is estimated, that 1 3 to 1 2 of the 33,000 murders committed in 2018 were related to the Drug Trafficking and organized criminal activity. Only 21 of these cases went to trial. The former head of venezuelas military intelligence was recently arrested in spain on Drug Trafficking charges. On a warrant seized issued by the United States. The global narcotics trade requires us to address both our own demand issue as well as foreign supply. And the state department plays a Critical Role in all of that. In coordinate u. S. And foreign assistance for counter narcotics. There is much to be done. I will stop here and put my full remarks in the record. But thank you so much for being willing to come to the hill and advise us. Hopefully to work with this caucus. Thank you. Thank you senator feinstein. Mr. Secretary, we are grateful as mr. Senator feinstein said and you may proceed with any Opening Statement you would like to make. Thank you for the opportunity to be here. Im really happy to be here. It is an important issue. When you think of the state department it isnt the they first thing that comes to top of mind by inside the organization it is something that is a true priority for us. Im happy to be invited here today. I will be brief because i want to have a good conversation. But you should know that like many of you this is personal for me. I know many people have been impacted by this set of issues. Just last month there were seven that died in a 10 hour period. From a single overdose of cocaine last week laced with fentanyl. We talk about these numbers but we all know that human lives have been touched and families ripped apart by this. The state department has a role here. Many u. S. Government agencies do. Most sold in the state are trafficked into the country from abroad. That is where our talents and skills and the team comes to bear. We have a clear role here. I want to talk about what we are doing and a couple of areas we will dig into further. First we focus on china. Because of the increase in fentanyl. In the last 2 1 2 years in this administration. Purchased online often and delivered directly to users and dealers through the mail and often shipped through mexico as well. Not only the state department but Justice Department and interagency partners have worked with china. Ive had numerous conversations with them on may 1, china fulfilled its pledge to get President Trump to control all fentanyl like substances which potentially number in the thousands of different substances and develop a plan for each of them. We need to work closely with them to followup on these encouraging signs. There should be criminal penalties and i am convinced they will do that. And i am convinced this will shut down labs inside china and we will save lives in the United States. In latin america the problem is a little bit different. In nature, mexico is a production hub for methamphetamine and heroin. Recently as last week, as part of our conversation about migration we touch deeply on how it is that we can work closely together. The joint declaration was mostly focused on aggression but it good deal of the conversation was here point about the traffickers and their desire to move whatever product will bring a market price that causes them to have incentive to continue to do the things that disrupts so many lives here in the United States. Will try to take down the criminal enterprises between all of the elements of the United States government. We have donated equipment to the mexican Law Enforcement security and trained officers to eradicate poppy. We provided sniffing dogs. And as you can see from the data today, many challenges remain. Just a couple words about the rest of the hemisphere. I met with the president on multiple occasions. He continued to pledge a strong support to stop Drug Trafficking and reduce the coca pills. There is a lot left to do. We are working to get the direction, the magnitude of that problem and turn the corner to decrease reduction inside columbia. We have quadrupled the number of civilian eradicate hers alongside them. While the payoff has not yet demonstrated the effect that we would like, columbia has destroyed 60 more in the first part of this year and the same four months of last year. But there is a host of other countries and i have gone on too long. Im happy to take your questions and talk about the other things and i will submit the full statement for the record with your permission, senator. But thank you mr. Secretary. It will be made part of the record without objection. We will start with six minute rounds. And i know the secretary has been very gracious with his time but we want to make sure that we get him out of here in due course. And we also have a second round of illnesses and we have votes this afternoon. So we are going to be kind of busy. Let me just start with this general question. That we talked about a little bit in the interim. As i think about u. S. Government strategies and plans to deal with everything from narcotraffickers to the instability in south america in the sense that i think of plant columbia, that was the one success story, i believe. Even though as you point out, your conversations with the president to deal with the eradication issue is very important and we need to see a reversal of the proliferation of coca in columbia. But are the things that you think we can learn from colombia that we can apply to a broader regional strategy . I know having a Strong Partner as we had during the toughest parts of dealing with colombia and bipartisan congressional support so it did not lapse. With each president ial election. Share with us some general thoughts about that. Those are two important things. First, at the state department, the role is to make sure we find the right partners and it needs to come from the most senior levels. I think we have that in many of the countries that we have described. And working through there, there agencies. Not only on the units United States side as this response is often fragmented. We could be dealing with immigration authorities, local, state and federal Law Enforcement agencies. So there has to be a coordination mechanism so that while there is no Silver Bullet you have all the elements of power, both on the u. S. Side and on the other countryside. Working alongside each other. I think those are the Building Blocks that allow you to deliver. And then what we were successful in colombia as well was to develop a plan that had duration to it. And you talked about needing bipartisan support. That is important because we have elections here every couple of years and we change president s from time to time. And these problems elongate far past any particular administration or any particular congress. And so it does take a level of commitment, consistent resources, consistent priorities inside of the u. S. Bracket see, inside the United States government. So that the efforts that are put in place arent ripped out, turned 180 degrees each time there is a change in leadership or change in congress. Mr. Secretary, that is very helpful. Obviously in terms of our relationship with mexico, aiken i also think about the initiative which i know we will hear about from the other witnesses. Some people will say, what we need to send more money to Central America. But to me, that is putting the cart in front of the horse. We need to actually have a plan and to be able to tell the American People that, yes, we are sending assistance to these countries, but it is targeted. We have a good way to follow the money and make sure it is not being stolen. And it is being used for the intended purposes. And yes, we have a plan in place in tricks to use to measure the success. One of the things that has been discussed is the possibility of a special envoy for this region. Can you tell us within the context of the state department and your experience with the sheriff executive branch of government, do you think Something Like the special envoy for this region would be something that we should consider and continue our discussions about . When you say that, do you mean respect to the side of issues . Yes. Is has to candle a broadside of issues, sort of like a plant colombia but more broadly for the region. Is that what you are thinking of . Yes. You know id have to think it through. I do think, and youve seen the state department where we had particular problems that we prioritize. Identify someone to pin the rose on, so to speak. Someone who had both the authority and the responsibility and accountability connected to bringing all the elements of particular. So that might make sense here. Each of the elements of the United States government has a delivery, a deliverable associated with the metrics that you described. We need to lay out. They need to be on board with that. It could just be a state Department Special envoy, someone who had the scope and capacity to command all of the resources connected to this problem sets. If we could achieve that, it might well make sense. I hope we can continue the conversation with you and other members of the administration about how to accomplish that. The best way to deal with that. I wonder, even though your negotiations yours and the Vice President with the Mexican Foreign minister here recently,