Drug Interdiction

Should the Customs Command and Control Program Be Continued as Currently Evolving? Gao ID: GGD-88-113 July 28, 1988

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the U.S. Customs Service's development of its Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) Program, intended to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of federal drug interdiction efforts.

GAO found that Customs: (1) constructed two centers, and plans to construct a third, to aid in identifying possible smugglers, coordinating intercept operations, facilitating interagency communication, and developing anti-drug-smuggling intelligence; (2) coordinated the program's development primarily through meetings with the Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Defense (DOD), Immigration and Naturalization Service, and Federal Aviation Administration; and (3) made significant changes to the program's role, level of intelligence activities, center configuration, and military involvement as a result of the other agencies' input. GAO believes that, although the program changes will enhance Customs' command and control capabilities and facilitate better use of drug interdiction resources among agencies, they will not centralize federal drug interdiction activities.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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