Watchdog blasts DEA for not reporting waterboarding, torture by Latin American partners

Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — A federal government watchdog is blasting the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for failing to timely report human rights violations committed by Latin American law enforcement partners who admitted to torturing crime suspects. The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General published an advisory memorandum on the issue Tuesday. It centers on the DEA’s obligations under a law that prohibits the U.S. from providing foreign assistance to security forces that violate human rights. Foreign police officers and units that work closely with the DEA in the frontlines of the war on drugs must undergo vetting to comply with the law. The DEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.