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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                           (Aachen, Germany)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                       June 2, 2000

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

On December 3, 1999, the President signed into law the "Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000" (H.R. 1555), a provision of which is known as the "Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act." The Kingpin Act establishes a global sanctions program that targets the activities of significant foreign drug traffickers and their organizations.

On June 1, 2000, the President made the first determinations of the foreign drug kingpins who will be subject to the sanctions provided in the Kingpin Act. They and their organizations will be denied access to the U.S. financial system and to trade and transactions involving U.S. businesses and individuals. Their assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction will be blocked, and U.S. persons will be prohibited from engaging in any dealings with those designated, their front companies, and their agents.

This action underscores our determination to do everything possible to fight drug traffickers, undermine their operations, and end the suffering that trade in illegal drugs inflicts on Americans and people around the world.

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