Nominee Umberg Is Ready to Take on U.S. Drug Issue

It’s midmorning in the antiseptically clean law office suite of Morrison & Foerster, with a 12th-floor view of Upper Newport Bay. Tom Umberg, President Clinton’s choice for deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, dashes to get a visitor fresh coffee.

He admits to a state of mild shock over the recent announcement. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll become the second Californian given a presidential appointment during Clinton’s second term.

“It’s not going to be real until I’ve moved out of my office and I’m sitting in a new office,” he said. “It really hasn’t sunk all the way in yet.”

The former Orange County assemblyman and federal prosecutor would lead efforts to fight the formidable international cartels that smuggle drugs into the United States--and their distribution networks. He spoke with The Times about how he views his mission and his feelings on leaving Orange County, where he has lived most of his life.

Umberg, 41, became a litigation partner at the firm after unsuccessfully running in 1994 as the Democratic nominee for state attorney general. His clients include the Orange County Superior Court in its funding dispute with the county.

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Q: You spent three years prosecuting mostly narcotics offenders in the U.S. attorney’s office in Santa Ana. How does it feel to be going back to chasing the bad guys?

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A: I’m excited. This is an extremely unique opportunity to be involved in drug policy where I hope to make a substantial difference. Most of the cases I prosecuted [from 1987-90] were narcotics cases and many were highly visible. I remember one case where the Triangle Triad [a Chinese gang] was importing hashish from Thailand and exporting cocaine to Australia. They were using hollowed-out scuba tanks that were virtually undetectable. Luckily, we had an inside person.

I view this as a job where you have the opportunity to deal with the greatest social problem with law-enforcement implications of our generation.

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Q: What is the mission of the deputy director for supply and interdiction?

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A: The mission is to stop illegal drugs from entering the United States as well as curtailing the supply of narcotics at the source, whether it’s drugs from Colombia or Peru or methamphetamine labs in Southern California. It’s to develop policy and coordinate the implementation of those policies.

There’s going to be significant focus on creating a more effective method of dealing with supply-and-demand reduction in Mexico and the United States. The majority of narcotics enters the country over the U.S.-Mexico border.

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Q: What about the controversy over certification to Congress that Mexico has been cooperating as an ally in the drug war?

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A: I really can’t go into any of that.

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Q: Habla espanol?

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A: Solo italiano.

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Q: When will all of this happen?

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A: It’s possible I may go back before [the Senate] confirmation, but that would be presumptive of me. The president can’t even officially nominate me until the Senate reconvenes next month.

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Q: How do you feel about the legalization of some drugs?

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A: A very definite no. Legalization of drugs would be a disaster.

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Q: What will be your biggest challenge?

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A: On a personal level, getting my family situated and making sure they’re happy and well-settled. My wife, Robin, views this as an adventure. She grew up in the military. My daughter, Erin, who is 14--well, her enthusiasm hasn’t probably reached its peak yet. With Brett, who’s 11, if we can find a good soccer team, he’ll be happy. Tommy, who’s 8, is worried about the absence of beaches.

On a professional level, it’s being able to make a demonstrable difference in the next couple of years.

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Q: Do you expect to be working directly with President Clinton?

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A: The president has made reduction in drug use one of his top priorities, and that’s why he chose Gen. [Barry] McCaffrey as his chief advisor on the issue. I know from my experience [heading Clinton’s California campaign in 1992] that it’s an issue of intense importance to [Clinton] as a national priority, so I would expect that there would be an opportunity to certainly work with his staff.

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Q: Will the move to Washington, D.C. be permanent?

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A: We’re not even going to sell our [Yorba Linda] house. Orange County is our home.