VLVL the war on drugs

[jbor]

It's ironic that the dope growers at Holytail have the same sort of
elaborate surveillance systems in operation as the feds (221.4-13), and that
"friendly deputies" have to be bribed to co-operate with the DEA's CAMP
initiative (220.33, 222.20-22, and cf. that local sheriff at Zoyd and
Frenesi's wedding p. 23).

I suspect the word "'volunteers'" is put into scare quotes because that is
how Bopp has described them on the news (222.14, 221.19-22), with the
implication being that some or all of them were in fact also on the
government payroll.

The description of what was happening at Holytail (220-222) again shows how
commonplace it was for these people to sell out on their friends, and it
repeats the theme of betrayal which drives Pynchon's narrative.

The Domestic Cannabis Eradication and Suppression Program, which I assume is
the real-world analog for CAMP, was set up by the DEA in Hawaii and
California in 1979, which would make it an initiative of the Democratic
government of James Earl (Jimmy) Carter (1976-1980), wouldn't it?

http://www.dea.gov/pubs/history/deahistory_02.htm

http://www.dea.gov/pubs/history/deahistory_03.htm

Domestic Cannabis Eradication and Suppression Program (1979)

Marijuana was the only major drug grown within U.S. borders, and since the
1960s, had been the most widely used drug in the United States. In the late
1970s, it was estimated that the United States was producing almost 25
percent of all the marijuana consumed domestically. During the two-year
period from 1977 to 1979, the demand for it was confirmed by the percentage
of adults who admitted to ever having tried marijuana in their lifetime.
These rates increased from 59.9 percent to 68.2 percent for young adults,
and from 15.3 percent to 19.6 percent for older adults.

In 1979, an estimated 10-15,000 tons of marijuana were consumed in the
United States. It is believed that up to 10 percent of that amount was
cultivated in the United States, a majority from California and Hawaii. In
response to this serious problem, the DEA began its Domestic Cannabis
Eradication and Suppression Program in 1979 with only two states
participating, California and Hawaii. The DEA provided three special agents
to work with local authorities in California on case development and
intelligence gathering.

The DEA Air Wing also provided aircraft and pilots as part of the search
effort, and local police received aerial search techniques instruction. In
the same year, three DEA agents also worked with the U.S. Customs Service
and U.S. Coast Guard in Operation Green Harvest that targeted marijuana
growers in the Hawaiian Islands. More and more states joined the cannabis
eradication program and by 1982, 25 states had joined.

This program was established as a partnership of federal, state, and local
agencies. In addition to cultivating an illegal drug that contributed to
wholesale abuse, marijuana growers presented other problems to law
enforcement and the environment. They encroached on national forests and
parks and threatened innocent people. To protect their marijuana crops, many
growers equipped their marijuana patches with booby traps, trip wires, and
explosives. Marijuana growers also threatened the environment by using
pesticides, building harmful dams for irrigation, and cutting down trees. By
1982, 25 states were participating in the cannabis eradication program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aviation

By the mid-1970s, the DEA Air Wing was comprised of 38 pilots stationed
across the country. Many had commercial flight experience, or had flown in
Vietnam or World War II. Air Wing service became available to every DEA
regional and district office in the continental United States.

Supervision of Air Wing operations was divided between the chief pilot,
Marion Joseph, at the central Air Wing facility in Addison, Texas, and four
regional air coordinators. The air coordinators were responsible for the
four Air Wing regions -- Eastern, Central, Midwestern, and Western -- that
were centered in Miami, Dallas, Denver, and Los Angeles, respectively. The
chief pilot had jurisdiction over the aircraft, while the air coordinators
supervised personnel. This division of supervision over Air Wing resources
made it difficult to coordinate aircraft and personnel for Air Wing
missions. In 1975, supervision was centralized and the chief pilot at
Addison became responsible for both the Air Wing personnel and aircraft. The
program became more structured as it grew, and eventually included uniform
safety and flight procedures. While the Addison facility handled the
coordination of resources, headquarters established and standardized
administrative procedures and developed an official aviation manual. When
additional air support was needed, planes and pilots were rescheduled on a
temporary duty basis or were provided by the Central Air Wing in Addison.

In 1978, the chief pilot position was reassigned to headquarters to focus on
program management, budget, and policy. The deputy chief pilot assumed
responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Addison Aviation
Facility. At the same time, four area supervisor positions were transferred
to Addison from regional offices to improve management structure. Shortly
thereafter, a full-time safety/training position was created at Addison. By
the late 1970s, Air Wing operations provided eradication support and
transportation of prisoners, personnel, and evidence. Air Wing employees
also performed undercover work and surveillance.
[...]

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