Money Money Money

The federal government is determined to stop drugs and is willing to spend serious money toward this end. Agencies proliferate, and there is little accountability. Everyone competes for funds. Even agencies that had never concerned themselves with drugs get in on the act; forest rangers receive money for state-of-the-art weaponry. The DEA, INS, CIA, FBI, Customs, and Coast Guard become entangled in a turf war as they compete for intelligence information and credit for busts.

During the middle of the decade, asset forfeiture contributes to the madness. This new legal maneuver allows an agency to keep and use any assets seized in a bust. This offers a much-needed boost to strained budgets. Agencies are now after goods, not drugs. Money, cars, weapons, and planes are the prized targets. For the culture at large, drug warriors become the new heroes. In the hit TV show, Miami Vice, being a narc is no longer the kiss of death — it's cool.

Culver City Gang Culver City, CA, Alon Rienenger, 1991