Donald Trump identifies major drug producing or transit countries

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has identified India along with 21 other countries as among the major illicit drug producing or transit nations.

In addition to India, other south Asian countries identified as major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries are Afghanistan and Pakistan. Myanmar is another country from India's neighbourhood in the list.

Other countries are The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

"A country's presence on the foregoing list is not necessarily a reflection of its government's counter narcotics efforts or level of cooperation with the US," Trump said.

The reason major drug transit or illicit drug producing countries are placed on the list is the combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to transit or be produced, even if a government has carried out the most assiduous narcotics control law enforcement measures, he said.

Simultaneously, Trump designated Bolivia and Venezuela as countries that have failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counter narcotics agreements.

"In addition, the US government seriously considered designating Colombia as a country that has failed demonstrably to adhere to its obligations under international counter narcotics agreements due to the extraordinary growth of coca cultivation and cocaine production over the past 3 years, including record cultivation during the last 12 months," he said.

Ultimately, Colombia is not designated because the Colombian National Police and Armed Forces are close law enforcement and security partners of the US in the Western Hemisphere, they are improving interdiction efforts, and have restarted some eradication that they had significantly curtailed beginning in 2013, Trump said.