NEWS

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Republican

House Foreign Affairs Committee

U.S. House of Representatives

CONTACT: Sam Stratman, (202) 226-7875, March 21, 2007

                        Lee Cohen (202) 225-1139

For IMMEDIATE Release

Ros-Lehtinen Comments on Record Seizure of Cocaine

from Ship Operating off Coast of Panama

“We must remain actively engaged in the Hemisphere...”

      (WASHINGTON) - U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, commented today on the announcement by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Coast Guard of the seizure of nearly 20 tons of cocaine from a ship operating off the coast of Panama. Working in cooperation with the Republic of Panama, the boat was searched and the estimated $300 million in drugs were discovered. The Panamanian operation follows a seizure late last week of $205 million in drug-cash from a home in Mexico City that was earned from trafficking in methamphetamines. The weekend seizure was the result of a joint U.S.-Mexico operation.

Comment by Ros-Lehtinen:

Our engagement and increasing cooperation with our Hemispheric neighbors is crucial to stem the northern flow of narcotics from the region. A half-a-billion dollars taken from the drug lords is not a bad week’s work for our law enforcement agencies and their partners in Panama and Mexico.

These spectacular results are further evidence of why we must remain actively engaged in the Hemisphere.  We must continue to support and fund cooperative programs that help protect Americans – especially our children –  from the ravages of drug use, and that help preserve democratic institutions from the scourge of violence and terror tactics financed by the narcotics trade.

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