The United States has again listed Afghanistan among the world’s major drug-producing and transit countries, saying Taliban members continue to profit from the narcotics trade despite the group’s declared ban.
In his annual report to Congress, released Monday by the White House, President Donald Trump said Afghanistan’s persistent production and stockpiles of drugs keep international trafficking routes active.
The report also highlighted a rise in methamphetamine production in Afghanistan and warned that terrorist groups and international criminal networks benefit from the trade.
Trump said Afghanistan was being designated due to its “demonstrated failure” to meet counter-narcotics commitments and because the country’s drug industry poses a serious threat to US interests and global security.
Alongside Afghanistan, the list includes the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.
The US also placed Afghanistan on a similar list last year.
