Narcotics Rewards Program: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:12, 7 August 2011

Latest revision as of 23:42, 23 December 2023

(26 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{More citations needed|date=December 2023}}

The '''Narcotics Rewards Program''' is a program of the [[United States Department of State]] that offers [[bounty (reward)|rewards up to $5 million]] for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of major international [[Illegal drug trade|narcotics traffickers]] who send drugs into the [[United States]]. It was established by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in 1986, and {{as of|lc=1|2021}} it has paid out over $130 million in rewards leading to apprehensions.

The Narcotics Rewards Program was established by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in 1986 as a tool to assist the U.S. Government identify and bring to justice the major violators of U.S. [[narcotics laws]] responsible for bringing hundreds of tons of illicit drugs into the United States each year.

The program gives the [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] statutory authority to offer rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of major narcotics traffickers who operate outside of the United States to send drugs into the U.S.A.

The Department of State’s [[Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs]] (INL) manages the program in close coordination with the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]], [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]], [[U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement|Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] (ICE), the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA), [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI), and other interested U.S. agencies.

Proposals to pay rewards are submitted to the Department of State by the chief of mission at a U.S. embassy at the behest of a U.S. law enforcement agency. Reward proposals are carefully reviewed by an interagency committee, which makes a recommendation for a reward payment to the Secretary of State. Only the Secretary of State has the authority to determine if a reward should be paid, and, in cases where there is Federal criminal jurisdiction, the Secretary must obtain the concurrence of the [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]]. It normally takes more than a year for the Department of State to pay a reward. although there are cases reported as Diego Leon Montoya Sanchez's capture taking more than eight years without payout for the reward offered for his capture, the reward posters offer a reward " up to" $5 million, people interested in a reward should know that the quoted phrase has been construed to include zero as its lower limit. See application of Michel, 470 F2d 638' 640 (C.C.P.A 1972); Arness v. Franks, 138 F2d 213, 216 (C.C.P.A 1943); see also Public service comm'n of Md. v. City of Annapolis, 526 A.2d 975, 981 (Md Ct Spec App 1987) ( " the statement of a maximum does not imply the existence of a minimum") also who any federal agent is authorized to promise that the reward will be pay, only the attorney general can guarantee the pay.

Overseas, individuals wishing to provide information on major narcotics traffickers may contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. In the U.S., individuals should contact the DEA, FBI, or ICE directly. The U.S. government will ensure confidentiality to individuals who provide information on major narcotics traffickers, and, if appropriate, will relocate these individuals and their families.

Since the program’s inception, the Department of State has paid over $24 million in rewards to individuals who came forward with information leading to the arrest or conviction of major narcotics traffickers.

In February 2014, ''The Guardian'' reported that some informants were not paid the rewards offered.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Brodzinsky|first1=Sibylla|title=Informants who helped US catch drug lords say rewards have not been paid|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/25/informants-us-catch-drug-lords-rewards-not-paid|accessdate=24 January 2015|work=The Guardian|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231163019/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/25/informants-us-catch-drug-lords-rewards-not-paid|archivedate=31 December 2014}}</ref>

The U.S. Government will ensure confidentiality to individuals who provide information on major narcotics traffickers, and, if appropriate, will relocate these individuals and their families.

Overseas, individuals wishing to provide information on major narcotics traffickers may contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. In the U.S., individuals should contact the DEA, FBI, or ICE directly.

It normally takes more than a year for the Department of State to pay a reward.

==Source==

*[http://www.state.gov/p/inl/narc/rewards/ State Department rewards page]

==See also==

*[[Rewards For Justice Program]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{StateDept|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301105112/http://www.state.gov/p/inl/narc/rewards/115249.htm|title=Narcotics Reward Program}}

==External links==

*[httphttps://www2009-2017.state.gov/pj/inl/narc/rewards/index.htm Narcotics Rewards INLProgram regional- andState countryDepartment programssite]

[[Category:United States Department of State]]

[[Category:United States Department of Justice]]

[[Category:UnitedDrug Statescontrol controlledlaw substancesin lawthe United States]]