PRIA Logo™
Title 21, Food and DrugsRelease 119-110

§1901 Findings and Policy

Title 21 › CHAPTER 24 — INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING › § 1901

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States will use economic and other financial sanctions around the world against major foreign drug traffickers and their groups to protect national security, foreign policy, and the economy. Congress found that on October 21, 1995, Presidential Decision Directive 42 told federal agencies to focus more on international crime, work with other countries, and use all legal tools. On the same day, Executive Order No. 12978 used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to target four Colombian traffickers. Because IEEPA worked there, Congress says similar powers should be used worldwide and that international drug trafficking creates a national emergency.

Full Legal Text

Title 21, §1901

Food and Drugs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
(1)Presidential Decision Directive 42, issued on October 21, 1995, ordered agencies of the executive branch of the United States Government to, inter alia, increase the priority and resources devoted to the direct and immediate threat international crime presents to national security, work more closely with other governments to develop a global response to this threat, and use aggressively and creatively all legal means available to combat international crime.
(2)Executive Order No. 12978 of October 21, 1995, provides for the use of the authorities in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to target and apply sanctions to four international narcotics traffickers and their organizations that operate from Colombia.
(3)IEEPA was successfully applied to international narcotics traffickers in Colombia and based on that successful case study, Congress believes similar authorities should be applied worldwide.
(4)There is a national emergency resulting from the activities of international narcotics traffickers and their organizations that threatens the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.
(b)Policy
It shall be the policy of the United States to apply economic and other financial sanctions to significant foreign narcotics traffickers and their organizations worldwide to protect the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States from the threat described in subsection (a)(4).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Executive Order No. 12978, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is Ex. Ord. No. 12978, Oct. 21, 1995, 60 F.R. 54579, which is listed in a table under section 1701 of Title 50, War and National Defense. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is title II of Pub. L. 95–223, Dec. 28, 1977, 91 Stat. 1626, which is classified generally to chapter 35 (§ 1701 et seq.) of Title 50, War and National Defense. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1701 of Title 50 and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 106–120, title VIII, § 811, Dec. 3, 1999, 113 Stat. 1636, provided that: “This title [see

Short Title

note set out below] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 3, 1999].”

Short Title

Pub. L. 106–120, title VIII, § 801, Dec. 3, 1999, 113 Stat. 1626, provided that: “This title [enacting this chapter and amending section 1182 of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality] may be cited as the ‘Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

21 U.S.C. § 1901

Title 21, Food and Drugs

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110