Operation Intercept
Operation Intercept was an anti-drug measure announced by President Nixon on at 2:30pm on Sunday, September 21, 1969, resulting in a near shutdown of border crossings between Mexico and the United States. The initiative was intended to reduce the entry of Mexican marijuana into the United States at a time that was considered to be the prime harvest season.[1]
The policy was instituted as a surprise move, although President Nixon had given Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz some advance warning when they met on September 8, 1969 to dedicate the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing. The effort involved increased surveillance of the border from both air and sea, but the major part of the policy was the individual inspection, mandated to last three minutes, of every vehicle crossing into the United States from Mexico.[2] Because of complaints from cross-border travelers, and from Mexican President Diaz Ordaz, the searching of vehicles was reduced after 10 days and completely abandoned after about 20 days.[3]
The Nixon Administration believed that it had largely achieved its goal of encouraging the Mexican government to begin an effort to stem domestic drug production.[4]
In the early part of 1970, the Jefferson Airplane released a single entitled ‘Mexico’ c/w ‘Have You Seen the Saucers’. ‘Mexico’ was not played on some radio stations at the time because the lyrics referred to Operation Intercept, but this song became a classic on many of the so-called underground radio stations.[5]
Lyrical content
The Nixon critical lyrics go as follows:
Owsley and Charlie, twins of the trade, Come to the Poet's Room Talking about the problems of the leaf, And yes, it'll be back soon
There used to be tons of gold and green Comin' up here from Mexico A donde esta la planta, mi amigo, del sol? [The translation is: "Where is the plant, my friend, of the sun."]
But Mexico is under the thumb Of a man we call Richard And he's come to call himself king But he's a small-headed man And he doesn't know a thing About how to deal for you
How to deal for you There are millions of you now I mean it's not as if you were alone There are brothers everywhere Just waiting for a toke on that gold And God knows how far it can go
But thanks Uncle Charlie For your Mexican smoke You're a legend Owsley For your righteous dope
There were a half a million people on the lawn And we sang to the faces in the dawn How long must that damn race Wait for the jailer's time to end? How long must the Panther race Wait for the iron bars to bend? And no no no no no nobody waits
References
- ↑ The 1969 marijuana shortage and "Operation Intercept," The Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs.
- ↑ Lawrence A. Gooberman, Operation Intercept: The Multiple Consequences of Social Policy.
- ↑ Operation Intercept, Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictive Behavior.
- ↑ Kate Doyle, Operation Intercept: The Perils of Unilateralism, National Security Archive at George Washington University, with copies of 18 previously classified documents.
- ↑ Bill Thompson Sleeve Notes to Jefferson Airplane’s album ‘Early Flight’ Feb 1974 Grunt APL1-0437