Dear Representative Caraveo and Finstad,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for H.R. 7487, the “Assisting Narcotics and Trafficking Officers in Interdicting (ANTI) Drugs Act”.
Drug trafficking, human smuggling, and illegal crossings have continued to be a problem at our southern border. Federal law enforcement, in conjunction with a host of State and local partners, work tirelessly to secure and protect our border. However, these enforcement activities are expensive, and have put a strain on the limited budgets and resources of local law enforcement agencies.
Operation Stonegarden is a Federal grant program that allocates Federal funds to local law enforcement for immigration activities. Your legislation would reauthorize, and increase funding for, this program. With this increased funding, local law enforcement will be better able to combat drug trafficking, reduce human smuggling, and safeguard our border.
This legislation will allocate $400 million to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program under the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Since its enactment, the HIDTA program has helped to combat drug trafficking by dismantling over 134 criminal organizations and seizing more than 8769 kilograms of drugs.
The bill also provides over $665 million to the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to make it easier for rural law enforcement agencies to apply for funding and gain access to grant money for staffing and technical assistance needs.
On behalf of the more than 373,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, thank you for your leadership on this important issue. If I can provide any additional information in support of this legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President