President Barack Obama issued a presidential memorandum continuing the U.S. drug interdiction assistance program with the government of Colombia.

Per the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995, President Obama authorized two measures "with respect" to Colombia to combat the illicit drug trade stemming from the South American country.

The first measure states that aircraft "reasonably suspected" of illicit drug trafficking will be prohibited from flying. The second requires Colombia to have appropriate procedures in place to protect against "innocent loss of life in the air and on the ground in connection with such interdiction." The second measure dictates an effort to include efficient means to "identify and warn" an aircraft before any type of force is used against it.

According to the White House, the relationship between Colombia and the U.S. is based on "shared democratic values, deepening economic ties, and a long history of shared security goals."

The presidential memorandum follows reports that the U.S. won't launch a "massive anti-drugs program" in Central America to ease the immigration situation. The AFP noted regional leaders in Central America pitched the idea for the U.S. to launch a "massive military aid program" aimed at eradicating the illegal drug trade. A similar program exists between the U.S. and Colombia known as "Plan Colombia," which has used more than $8 billion from Washington, D.C., to support the program against drug trafficking since 1999.

When asked why the U.S. doesn't have a similar "Plan Colombia" initiative in Central America, notably in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Vice President Joe Biden said, "Because Central American governments aren't even close to being prepared to make some of the kind of decisions that the Colombians made, because they're hard."

Biden's comments suggested the Latin American countries are not willing to meet with Washington's terms and conditions to combat drug trafficking. The vice president said there are "hard decisions to make at home, domestically very difficult." He reassured Obama and him are prepared for any agreements and plans for Central America.

Biden noted the U.S. moved forward with a $83.5 million project this year including $40 million to help Guatemala target "hotspot communities" to reduce risks and factors involving drugs and gangs.

Meanwhile, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was inaugurated for a second term on Aug. 7. The White House sent a presidential delegation to the inauguration ceremony led by Department of State Counselor Thomas Shannon Jr. and included U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Kevin Whitaker and Department of Agriculture General Counsel Ramona Romero.