America's Habit

Drug Abuse, Drug Trafficking, & Organized Crime

President's Commission on Organized Crime, 1986

Overview of America's Habit

This is the final report from President's Commission on Organized Crime. It contains material on the nature, scope and extent of organized crime, particularly as it relates to drug trafficking, money laundering, and labor racketeering.

The President's Commission on Organized Crime

The President's Commission on Organized Crime was established by Executive Order 12435 July 28, 1983. The Executive Order directs the Commission to:

• Make a full and complete national and region-by-region analysis of organized crime;
• Define the nature of traditional organized crime as well as emerging organized crime groups, the sources and amounts of organized crime's income, and the uses to which organized crime puts its income;
• Develop in-depth information on the participants in organized crime networks;
• Evaluate Federal laws pertinent to the effort to combat organized crime;
• Advise the President and the Attorney General with respect to its findings and actions which can be undertaken to improve law enforcement efforts directed against organized crime;
• Make recommendations concerning appropriate administrative and legislative improvements and improvements in the administration of justice;

and

• Report to the President from time to time as requested, and to submit its final report by March 1, 1986.

The Commission is authorized to issue subpoenas for the testimony of witnesses and the production of information, to issue orders compelling testimony over a claim of the privilege against self-incrimination, and to seek the assistance of the Department of Justice in applying for writs of habeas corpus ad testificandum or judicial orders requiring testimony or the production of information before the Commission. In addition, the Commission may obtain, use, and disclose electronic surveillance data obtained by law enforcement agencies under Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, and other information from Federal departments and agencies under the Bank Secrecy Act and the Privacy Act of 1974, as well as from financial institutions under the Right to Financial Privacy Act.

In the discharge of its responsibilities, the Commission has prepared this report on organized crime's role in drug trafficking and drug abuse. Based on the totality of the evidence before it, the Commission has concluded that drug trafficking and abuse together constitute the single most serious organized crime issue confronting this Nation.

Therefore, in contrast to the other subjects covered in the remainder of it's final report, this topic is treated in a separate volume. The research and drafting on this report was performed on the Commission's behalf by Chief Investigator Manuel Gonzalez (FBI). Research assistants Abigail Johnson and Mary Karol, Deputy Counsel Kevin McEnery, Investigator Thomas Sheehan (DEA), and Contract Consultant Susan Mellody, under the supervision of Deputy Executive Director Rodney G. Smith.