G: Criminal Enterprises
Reduce the impact transnational/national criminal enterprises have on the United States. Other Information:
Situation: Criminal enterprises represent a near and long-term threat to our nation. The criminal activities of these enterprises
are increasing in scope and magnitude as they network with each other to expand operations worldwide. The geopolitical and
technological changes of the last decade have allowed these enterprises to flourish globally, and their impact on the United
States is expected to increase over the next five years. Organized crime groups from Russia and other former members of the
Soviet Union are engaged in racketeering activity, and are deeply involved in large scale white collar crime. They are skilled
in the use of monetary systems to funnel and conceal the proceeds of their criminal activity, employing state-of-the-art encryption
to safeguard their communication networks against traditional forms of detection. Asian criminal enterprises are composed
of U.S.-born citizens and immigrants. They are multi-crime organizations that, like other ethnically-based criminal enterprises,
often victimize their own ethnic immigrant communities. These communities are typically hesitant to report victimization to
authorities. As the immigration of Russian, former Soviet Union, and Asian populations into the United States increases in
the next five years, so too will related ethnic organized crime. La Cosa Nostra (LCN) and Italian organized crime enterprises
still pose a significant threat and will continue to influence the political and economic structure of the United States through
engagement in racketeering-related activity. Alien smuggling and human trafficking will continue to pose significant threats
to the national security, as transnational criminal enterprises expand their activities in this area for economic profit.
In addition, the ability to facilitate the entry of illegal aliens into the United States could potentially be used to increase
the membership of these criminal enterprises. An emerging crime problem is Balkan criminal enterprises, specifically Albanian
transnational organizations or clans. They are rapidly expanding their criminal activities to include loan sharking, weapons
trafficking, alien smuggling, stock market manipulation, human trafficking, and drug trafficking. Additionally, these clans
are forming partnerships with LCN crime families, as well as challenging traditional organized crime enterprises for territory.
Major theft rings account for billions of dollars in losses suffered by our nation’s businesses, with corresponding price
increases passed on to the U.S. consumer. Loss prevention and asset protection are top priorities for corporate America as
increasingly sophisticated and highly organized criminal enterprises engage in cargo theft, high tech theft, vehicle theft,
jewelry and gem theft, organized retail theft, art and cultural antiquity theft, and other major theft activity. Drug trafficking
remains a significant problem. The impact of illegal drug abuse is estimated to be over $160 billion in U.S. economic losses
each year, including costs associated with health care, violent crime, and lost productivity. Colombian criminal enterprises
are the largest source of cocaine in the world, and are also major heroin suppliers to the U.S. market. Mexican criminal enterprises
manufacture and supply much of the methamphetamine available in the United States, and transport the majority of cocaine and
heroin into our nation. The ability of Mexican enterprises to corrupt public officials in Mexico and the United States has
enhanced their capability to transport and distribute these illicit drugs. Caribbean-based criminal enterprises specialize
in the transportation and smuggling of drugs into Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland. Over the next five years, South American
and Mexican drug trafficking organizations will continue to maintain their dominance, and Caribbean-based groups will provide
alternate importation routes. A rise in homicides from 1999 through 2002, and continued incidence of other violent crimes
have been attributed to the resurgence of violent street gangs in major metropolitan areas, such as Chicago, Los Angeles,
and New York, which average approximately 600 homicides per year. Over the next five years, the FBI must continue to focus
the resources of Safe Streets Task Forces to combat those violent street gangs having major impact in our communities.
Objective(s):
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