The United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is looking at some of the former officials of the Mejia administration, in order to extradite them on drug charges. At the same time, the embassy officials are complaining about the failings of the Dominican justice system, especially with regards to drug cases. Richard Hawkins, the director of Anti-Narcotic Affairs at the United States embassy in Santo Domingo, told El Caribe reporters that “yes, we are looking at some officials of the former administration,” but refused to say how many or who they were. Hawkins said that as much as 10% of all South American drugs pass through the Dominican Republic, but the local judicial system was weak and needed support, as it receives cases and complaints but is incapable of acting on them. He pointed out that USAID is continually supporting efforts to strengthen the drug enforcement efforts of the Dominican government and the fact that his own office has a budget of US$1.2 million to beef up port security, the local drug enforcement agency (DNCD) and airport drug scrutiny efforts.