WikiLeaks' DEA Exposé: 'Mission Creep' and the War on Drugs

A handful of conservatives have already weighed-in on the latest WikiLeaks revelations regarding the DEA's war on drugs in 63 countries, but I figured I would add my two cents to the debate.

First, some background. According to The New York Times:

"The Drug Enforcement Administration has been transformed into a global intelligence organization with a reach that extends far beyond narcotics, and an eavesdropping operation so expansive it has to fend off foreign politicians who want to use it against their political enemies, according to secret diplomatic cables."

In reading the story, the good news seems to be that the DEA has avoided being co-opted by corrupt foreign officials. Still, the larger story is that this level of involvement strikes me as a classic example of mission creep.

We've seen it happen in the military, but this phenomenon is not exclusive to any arm of government. Government's tendency is, as always, to grow, and this bureaucracy is no exception.

This is also more proof that any notion of a "humble" American foreign presence is patently absurd. If one of our missions is to control illegal drugs domestically, we operate in foreign nations in order to enforce that strategy. This, of course, raises the question: Would we tolerate another nation doing the same here?

More to the point, though, is that the war on drugs has become an end unto itself, divorced from a larger purpose.

Ultimately, we should ask ourselves: Is this working?

While illegal drugs have obviously done a tremendous amount of damage to the lives of countless Americans, the prohibition of drugs, it seems, has caused even more problems. The unintended consequence of the war on drugs has been the creation of a violent black market, with -- as this latest leak makes clear -- serious international implications.