Many intelligence products, especially those derived from open sources, do not have to be classified. In addition, strategic intelligence is an important component of U.S. foreign policy in general and the National Drug Control Strategy in particular. An overview of U.S. intelligence from 1946 through 1989 is presented. Key events and issues are discussed to show the evolution of intelligence, and challenges that intelligence must address in the future are described. The history of the ongoing search for intelligence that can be used in the drug trafficking arena is reviewed. The intelligence agenda of the National Drug Control Strategy is considered, and the evolution of drug policies and counter drug intelligence agencies is traced. The cocaine trafficking industry, the role of the military in the fight against drugs, and the performance of drug law enforcement agencies in dealing with the drug problem are examined. The use of open source intelligence to devise alternative solutions to cocaine trafficking is recommended. References, notes, tables, and figures