WASHINGTON – The White House on Wednesday moved to continue a state of emergency regarding Columbian drug traffickers that has been in affect for years.
President Obama notified Congress on Wednesday that the national emergency with respect to “significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia” declared in Executive Order 12978 of October 21, 1995, is to continue in effect beyond October 21, 2013.
“The circumstances that led to the declaration on October 21, 1995, of a national emergency have not been resolved,” the president said. “The actions of significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and to cause an extreme level of violence, corruption, and harm in the United States and abroad. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12978 with respect to significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia.”