February 25, 1999
Web posted at: 9:21 p.m. EST (0221 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Clinton administration Friday will fully certify Mexico and Colombia as countries that are cooperating in the fight against illegal drugs, CNN has learned.

Certification is the mechanism the U.S. government uses to judge how 28 countries are doing to combat illegal drug trafficking. If a country loses certification, it can lose U.S. aid and support for international loans.

Mexico's certification particularly is controversial because earlier this week administration officials, including the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, suggested that Mexico's efforts had been woefully lacking.

On Wednesday, Thomas Constantine, the DEA chief, said Mexican traffickers "virtually dominate the nationwide drug trade" in the United States. He also said the Mexican government has done little to arrest or prosecute major traffickers.

CNN also has learned Haiti will be cited for not doing enough in the war against illegal drugs, but the United States will say Haiti deserves certification because it would serve U.S. national interests.

National Correspondent Gene Randall and Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas contributed to this report.

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