GAO makes recommendations to DOD on counterdrug program

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) made recommendations to the U.S. Department of Defense on how to best implement the National Guard’s counterdrug program.

Since 1989, the DOD has received billions of dollars to fund the National Guard’s participation in a counterdrug program focused on domestic drug interdiction activities. The department got $261 million for this program in 2018 to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement organizations with counterdrug activities.

The GAO sought to evaluate the extent to which DOD has a strategy and implementing guidance for the National Guard counterdrug program and assess DOD’s processes to approve the counterdrug plans for states and distribute funding to the program.

The GAO found that the DOD lacks current strategy and guidance to implement the National Guard counterdrug program. The GAO found that DOD’s 2011 Counter-narcotics and Global Threats Strategy has not been updated to reflect the changes that have taken place. Also, it found that the National Guard lacks detailed procedures and processes for states to implement the National Guard counterdrug program. Without current strategy or guidance, GAO found that it will be difficult for the National Guard to operate the counterdrug program effectively.

The GAO report said the DOD should develop a strategic framework to address current drug threats. It also said the National Guard should issue guidance with detailed procedures on how states should administer the program. The GAO also suggested that the DOD assess the revised process for approving state plans, and the National Guard incorporate DOD’s strategic counter-narcotics priorities into its funding distribution process.

The DOD made some efforts to improve it in 2018, but those steps did not rectify the problem, according to the GAO report.