KATKO LEGISLATION TO CRACK DOWN ON INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING, COMBAT CNY HEROIN EPIDEMIC PASSES HOUSE

Washington, D.C. – Bipartisan legislation introduced by Representative John Katko (NY-24) to crack down on international drug trafficking in the United States and combat the heroin epidemic that is ravaging Central New York today unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives.  The bill, the Kingpin Designation Improvement Act (H.R. 4985), is Katko’s tenth, bipartisan measure to pass the House, and is part of the House’s efforts this week to tackle the rise in heroin and opioid abuse in this country.

This legislation makes important changes to strengthen the federal Kingpin Act, which has been used to sanction individuals involved in international narcotics trafficking for nearly two decades.
 
“I’ve held a number of open forums throughout Central New York, and there is no question that heroin and opioid abuse has hit our community hard,” said Representative John Katko. “For nearly two decades, I worked as a federal prosecutor, fighting organized crime and narcotics trafficking and distribution.  In order to effectively combat this epidemic, we must take a multifaceted approach.  That includes targeting high-level drug traffickers – both domestically and internationally.”
 
Currently, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is able to designate international drug traffickers as “kingpins,” and in so doing, block these individuals from using the U.S. financial system.  To date, more than 1,800 individuals – all non-U.S. persons – have been designated drug kingpins by the OFAC.  Many of the individuals designated as kingpins are placed on this list on the basis of classified information.  The law provides a process by which these individuals can seek removal from the list in federal court.  Unfortunately, the law does not currently protect classified information during this process – meaning that the U.S.  government risks having classified information being publicly disclosed, opening up the possibility that some kingpins won’t be sanctioned at all, or will be removed from the Kingpin list despite significant evidence of their illicit activities.
 
Katko’s legislation addresses this issue and strengthens the Kingpin Act by simply making clear that OFAC maysubmit classified information to defend its designations in a non-public, protected setting.  In doing so, the legislation removes a potential barrier to adding, or keeping a drug trafficker on OFAC’s Kingpin designation list.
 
“This commonsense, bipartisan legislation will help ensure that we are able to impose the toughest sanctions on international drug kingpins.  It strengthens the process by which we hold international drug traffickers accountable in Federal court, while protecting classified information from disclosure.  Doing so will make it more difficult for these criminals to carry out their dangerous and destructive trade,” concluded Katko.
 
Representative Katko has focused extensively on combating the heroin epidemic that is plaguing Central New York both legislatively in Washington by championing expanded treatment, and locally through a series of town hall meetings across the 24th Congressional District focused on raising public awareness.
 
Congressman John Katko represents the 24th Congressional District, which includes all of Onondaga, Cayuga, and Wayne Counties and the western portion of Oswego County.  For more information, please visit https://katko.house.gov or www.facebook.com/RepJohnKatko

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