Drug trafficking is the movement of illegal drugs from one location to a final destination where they will be sold to users. A drug-transit country is one through which drug shipments travel to reach local dealers and users. Most of the illegal drugs used in the United States start out in other countries, including all of the heroin and cocaine and much of the marijuana. These drugs may travel through several other countries before they reach their final destination. As a result, the U.S. government's policy to fight illegal drugs targets not only the countries where they are grown or produced, but also those through which they are transported.

The Majors List

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 requires the president to identify nations that are major illegal drug-producing or drug-transit countries. The president must submit a list of these countries, nick- named the majors list...