27th Annual IDEC to be Held in Brazil

94 Governments Will Attend the Three-Day Event in Rio de Janeiro

APR 23 - Washington, D.C. – On April 27-29, 2010, the Government of Brazil, in cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will preside over the 27 th Annual International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC). It will bring together high-level drug law enforcement officials from 88 countries and six territories throughout the world. This year’s conference theme of “Targeting the Facilitators” will focus on global drug trafficking organizations, precursor chemical control, the nexus between drugs and terrorism, financial facilitators, and intelligence sharing across multi-national law enforcement agencies.

IDEC was established in 1983 and to date, 17 different countries have hosted the conference.

“Working with our IDEC partners, we identify, investigate, and dismantle complex global drug trafficking organizations, and target those who facilitate them,” said DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “Confronted with coordinated international enforcement operations, no criminal enterprise can stand against our synchronized assaults on their communications, finance, and transportation infrastructures. Thanks to our gracious hosts in Brazil this year, we will strengthen ties, solidify alliances, and develop new strategies with our IDEC counterparts from around the world.”

Media access to IDEC XXVII will be limited to the opening ceremony and press conference on April 27 th. Members of the U.S. media wishing to attend the press conference should contact Michael Sanders in DEA’s Public Affairs Section at (202) 497-8302, no later than April 23, 2010 for credentialing details.

For more information on the conference, please visit http://www.dea.gov/.