Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2006

This annual determination identifies 20 countries as major drug transit or illicit drug producing countries for FY 2006, designates Burma and Venezuela as having failed demonstrably in their counternarcotics obligations, removes China and Vietnam from the list, and authorizes aid to Venezuela's democratic institutions as vital to U.S. national interests.

Federal Register Open PDF 70 FR 56807

Impact dates

Date TBD
Submit determination to Congress and publish in Federal Register
Sep 14, 2005
Determination effective for FY 2006

Key directives

Identify specified 20 countries on majors list
Designate Burma and Venezuela as failing demonstrably under international counternarcotics agreements
Determine aid to Venezuela's democratic institutions as vital to U.S. national interests
Remove China and Vietnam from majors list
Submit determination to Congress
Publish determination in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Secretary of State · Department of State

Timeline

Immediate

Determination takes effect for FY 2006
Burma and Venezuela designated as failing demonstrably
China and Vietnam removed from majors list

Near term (90d)

Submission to Congress
Publication in Federal Register

Long term

Annual counternarcotics certification process continues
Potential sanctions implications for Burma and Venezuela
U.S. aid to Venezuelan democratic institutions continues subject to appropriations

Risks & tensions

Venezuela designation may complicate bilateral relations; national interest waiver preserves aid flexibility
Afghanistan opium cultivation and corruption concerns noted despite government efforts
Venezuela determination paired with national interest finding suggests tension between counternarcotics pressure and democracy promotion goals
DPRK involvement in drug trafficking assessed through indirect indicators given isolation