Next, republican senator marco rubio talks about the need to combat transNational Organized Crime and the drug trade in latin america. He is followed by a discussion on policy options for the Trump Administration. From the American Enterprise institu institute, this is an hour and a half. Thank you so much. Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the american enter are pri enterprise institute. I am delighted that we have senator marco rubio here with us today to help us roll out this new report. Ive got my props here. I feel like vanna white. Its the product of the aei working group on transNational Organized Crime in the americas run by our visiting scholar, ambassador roger noriega. I dont think marco rubio needs a lot of introduction to this audience. Im going to give you a word or two. Then im going to hand things over and do a little housekeeping. Marco rubio is the United States senator from florida. He was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2016. He is a member of the committee on appropriations and the committee on foreign relations. He has a resume much longer that im not going to keep reading. To us, he really has been a leader on international affairs, somebody who increasingly our country turns to to hear where we should be going on these issues. For us today, i know were proud that he has been a leader on issues that are of extraordinary importance to us. In maintaining support for u. S. Engagement globally. The report is you are going to hear more about it than you are than you are going to hear from me at this very moment. This is a report thats a little bit different than things that you usually see coming out of the American Enterprise institute. Its very practical. Its very tactical. Its very focused on what we can do in the here and the now. And the main reason for that is that, frankly, transNational Organized Crime is an issue that we have not spent a great deal of time focusing on as a country. Its at the nexus of National Security threats to our country. It degrades democracy. It degrades our National Security. It degrades our hemisphere. And it introduced threats to us that otherwise would not be here. Just in the context of what this report talks about, earlier this month, two hezbollah operatives were arrested who had been scouting the panama canal. It provides ms13, which the Trump Administration has been going after and which is an instrument for all of these threats to our country to come together. I know that roger and the senator are going to spend a lot of time talking about these issues. I have a housekeeping item. I have to read it to you because i dont understand because im technologically inept. We are going to be taking questions from the audience through an Online System today. You can feel free to submit your questions now, which causes you to be looking at your phone. Im not sure thats a great thing. Feel free to submit your questions now following the senators remarks. To submit a question, you have to go to slido. Com and enter the code aei event. Its simple. Enter the code, type in your question and then it may be chosen to be read on stage. I hope it works. Senator, if we can ask you to come up to the podium. The senator will give an address and sit down to take some additional questions and then to take questions from the audience. [ applause ] thank you very much. Thank you, danielle. Thank you for your kind introduction. I want to thank ambassador no e noriega. Your new report is timely. Your recommendations are important for policy makers and lawmakers as myself in congress to weigh and consider. TransNational Organized Crime isnt a new threat to the United States and the western hemisphere. But its a dangerous one. TransNational Organized Crime resides at the heart of nearly every major threat confronting the americans, whether its the Opioid Crisis hurting u. S. Communities, the collapse of Oil Rich Venezuela or Gang Violence throughout Central America, which spills into the streets of American Cities and the report continues, these krcrisis can b traced to illicit drugs, Human Trafficking and extortion. For too many years, it has not done enough to deal with the threats. Such neglect led to death and suffering of too many people in nations throughout our hemisphere and here at venezuel the regime has undermined the constitution. It tortured opposition members. It killed protesters. It destroyed the economy. One of the richest countries in region, in the world in terms of resources. Its an oil state rich in farmland. Its corrupt government is running out of money and cant afford to feed its own people. As that nation continues to melt down, the regimes growing criminal networks are getting exposed. We see the government is not just a dictatorship, its a criminal enterprise. For example, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions against the vicepresident on the 13th of february of this year naming him a narcotics trafficker under the king pin act for playing a significant role in International Narcotics trafficking. His main front man was also sanctioned. Last november, a federal court here in the United States convicted two of the president s nephews for conspireing to ship 800 kilos of cocaine into the United States. Two years ago, the u. S. Justice Department Officials told the wall street journal they believe that the former president of the National Assembly was a head of a drug cartel. Think about that. The vicepresident , the president s nephews, former president of the National Assembly have been accused of being involved in transNational Organized Crime. Columbia we are seeing growing concerns with the implementation of the peace agreement. Many weapons remain unaccounted for. Too many members are joining groups and continuing to profit on illegal narcotics trafficking. Americas foreign assistance and relationship with columbia must continue. Between 2000 and 2016, the u. S. Congress appropriated more than 10 billion in aid under plan columbia and successive strategies. Peace cannot come at any cost. Members who committed atrocities must be held accountable. Columbia should extradite members in the United States. They should face justice here. In part because of the decision, the explosion of coca has risen during the peace negotiating increasing. Cloudi i including a sharp right in 2015. This is the result of the governments decision to end the eradication of coca plants. I believe it was a mistake. As a concession to achieve a peace deal in columbia. Now the gulf clan, largest drug clan, and paramilitary groups have emerged as the main beneficiary of columbias renewrene renewed coca production. The eln is 1500 fighters making it roughly onefifth the size of the paramilitary force. Mexico we have had transNational Organized Crime as a problem on a staggering scale. Since 2006 when mexico began its push against the cartels, some estimate that 130,000 people have been killed. Thats roughly the equal to the population of gainsville, florida. The mexican cartels are fighting to bring drugs into the country that poison and kill people. A record high number of americans, nearly 60,000 died from drug related deaths. Of concern is mexican heroin and the trafficking of fentanyl. Unlike in venezuela, we have a willing partner in the government of mexico. The United States congress has appropriated 2. 8 billion towards efforts to combat the cartels. The fight cannot be won only with money and guns. We must provide assistance to law enforcemenenforcement. The report released today notes that fewer than 12 former mexican governors are accused sorry, at least 12 former mexican governors are accused of corruption, money narcotics mafking. If the people do not trust their institutions from the local police to the prosecutors and elected owe ficti eed offic government will struggle to win the fight. Which is why i continue to work to ensure that we keep foreign assistance strong. These are not just going to the poor, they are going to programs that work with other countries to bolster Law Enforcement and the rule of law and the promotion of stability and democracy. These funds have a direct impact on our safety and security and they are essential this year. What are some of the solutions . I hope we will get into them today. The first is continue the funding of Development Aid and security programs, integral to countering transnational criminal organizations. Those in power are the problem. I hope we can build International Pressure in addition to ratcheting up on sanctions to anyone in venezuela oppressing the people, not just as the lower levels. We hope to support the venezuela people in their struggle for freedom. Which is why as a member of the Senate Appropriations committee, im asking for help in programs for transitional funds. So that when maduro and his cronies will be removed, there will be funds to assist venezuela in recovering from this nightmare. In columbia, we need to reassure them that the United States helps with the implementation. But it will come with conditions. The columbian people will have democratic elections next year and we need to work with the new colombian government to know that victims of the farc shouldnt be victimized and should be compensated. We need to work on radicalization of cocoa plants. And the threat of heroin is also on the rise in guatemala and increasingly in mexico. We hope to work with them to aggressively target that as well. Bad actors in Transit National criminal Networks Must be brought to justice by fully utilizing all legal tools to target narcotic traffickers and their assets including the kingpin act. And mexico as i said earlier, we continue to support the fight with cartels while working with partners in the Mexican Government on improving the ecosystem, the Law Enforcement and respect for human rights. The tide will only begin to swing against the cartels when mexicans feel like the government is there for them and has the ability to keep them safe. And here at home we must confront directly the discourage of drug abuse and dependence and the demand pressure it creates, which is major contributor to all these problems i have just outlined. In conclusion, let me just say that as i said at the beginning, i feel our hemisphere has for far too long received too little attention. We share our values and create free, stable and democratic societies that protect their people and reward their citizens with opportunities for their hard work and entrepreneurship. In colombia we have seen how our assistance dollars along with the colombia people yield return. This ensures that america remains a priority and is found in the new report today. As the report makes clear in strong recommendations, we have a lot of work to do. But these are all things given the proper motivation we can do. We must do. And i believe we will do. We must do so both for our neighbors and for ourselves. We thank you for the chance to make the introductory remarks and look forward to this session of answering questions and hopefully learning more about the way forward both from you and hopefully ill have insight to offer in that regard as well. Thank you. [ applause ] let me just as a reminder invite you to submit questions for consideration. Please go to slido. Com, slido. Com and enter the event word where youll be prompted for your question. Thank you very much for coming, senator. I must say, your remarks summarize this problem in a very efficient, effecti wa ive way. You are in the United States senate where i used to work as a staffer. The member of the Senate ForeignRelations Committee and at one point the chairman for the western hemisphere and member of the Intel Committee and member of the appropriations committee, which makes you my new best friend. As we go after these important issues. I forgot to turn the mike on, did i turn it on . I think it was on. I knew that one was on. How did that mike work even when i had it off . The report that we have presented here make recommendations in a couple of areas, the use of the asymmetrical tools as a way of getting it kingpins. But also where their assets are. This is extraordinarily important in terms of the kingpins heading to venezuela and killing its people. And the farc kingpins who claim that they as what the Justice Department called the biggest cocaine Producer Organization in the world didnt make a profit. Because they dont have any money except a few ranches here and there and what they can carry in a knapsack. But there are others who postulate they have anywhere from between 2 and 10 billion. How would you react to the idea of an initiative that really insists that the u. S. Executive branch go after these targets as priorities to seize those assets, maybe if necessary, new legislation to give them authority to repatriot that information to colombia or venezuela . A lot of the framework exists in the current law. Its a matter of policy and directive. Ordering the instructive treasury and all the elements of the National Power to identify where the funds are being placed and to use our influence over the world Banking System to gain access to these funds. And not to keep them for ourself, but rather to send them to these countries to help fund their efforts. And in the meantime, also kind of make clear to transnational groups that the world Banking System is not their playground. It will not be allowed to continue to use it to launder their funds or hide away their illgotten games at the expense of the people in the nations. But it is an important tool that should be applied and can be applied. But i just know from limited experience here after seven years, or sixandahalf years, that many of the agencies, it isnt going to happen unless they are specifically going to deal with a policy initiative. It is one of the strong recommendations of the ae ireport to turn into a directive for policy. Regarding colombia, this is one of the most important issues that extrapolate with the 16yearold insurgency that hasnt denounce d denounced thi. How can we best assist them in that process as we endeavor, not just to say the Peace Process, but frankly to save colombia from the criminality . We recognize columbia as a republic and the leaders are responsive to the people of columbia. As their partner, it is their obligation to make them continue to take a nation on the verge of collapse of being a failed state and brought it to a point of relative prosperity and security for a significant period of time. And i think were prepared and continue to endeavor to help in that regard. What i dont think we can allow, and this is an american senator or someone who needs to answer the people of florida or the people about how the taxpayer money is being spent, is to use them to unfairly benefit the farc. For example, not seeing we want to make sure our funds are being used for ensuring that victims, the assistance is set up so victims are compensated. Now through American Funds but through the farc funds. We want to make sure there are not corps that people who partnered with us are not being put on trial and treated like criminals themselves. And we want to make sure that none of the funds of the american taxpayer end up to a group we call a terrorist group. And many of the leaders are wanted for extradition. I think upwards of 60 crimes committed against the United States and our citizens. So as long as we are fair, frank and direct and to the point, we have the opportunity to work with the Santos Administration and whatever succeeds this administration and columbia. In the absence of that, unfortunately, if our dollars are not producing results, there could be real challenges to continuing our partnership in this regard. And i think to me, this is not just about preserving our relationship, but its about ensuring were getting results from it that we can justify to the american taxpayer at a time when there is an effort to reduce u. S. Foreign engagement in the world both direct and indirect. The president just made some took some steps regarding u. S. Policy for cuba and engagement with the cuban regime. One of the thing that is the Obama Administration was very proud of was this socalled antidrug cooperation with the castro government. And we were told by the administration and its a private briefing that that will sort of continue. What how would you assess value of that kind of corporation to ensure that it is used for our essential National Security interests . Im sorry with the cuban regime . First of all, it benefits the cuban government not to find itself in this situation and they have a history in the past abo