The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) works to keep Americans safe at home by countering international crime, illegal drugs, and instability abroad. INL helps countries deliver justice and fairness by strengthening their police, courts, and corrections systems. These efforts reduce the amount of crime and illegal drugs reaching U.S. shores.
Challenges: With one-sixth of the world’s population, a strategic location astride some of the globe’s most important sea lanes, and a growing economy on track to be the world’s third largest by 2030, India is expanding its regional leadership role in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The nexus among terrorism, narcotics trafficking, trafficking in persons, and cross-border crime in the South Asia region increases the importance of improved coordination with law enforcement and justice sector agencies.
Goals: INL seeks to develop its security partnership with India while enhancing cooperation on countering international crimes, including drug trafficking. INL supports the Indian government in its efforts to deliver fair and equitable justice and security services to its citizens, and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. INL’s efforts will primarily be focused on counternarcotics, law enforcement, and strengthening the justice sector. INL will endeavor to engage in technical exchanges aimed at coordination and capacity building in various areas, including cybercrime, forensics, law enforcement training, and judicial training.
Accomplishments: INL funded counternarcotics and anti-trafficking in persons programs in India from 2000-2008, and has funded programs to counter wildlife trafficking and support drug demand reduction since 2008. New projects beginning in 2020 aim to deepen U.S.-India cooperation on transnational crime issues, including narcotics production and trafficking. In February 2020, President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced their intent to establish a new bilateral Counternarcotics Working Group (CNWG) as a demonstration of their shared commitment to combating the threat that illicit drugs pose to their citizens. Envisioned to be held annually, the first CNWG is anticipated to occur in late 2020.