Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 879 › Conversation 879-001

Nixon, Acree & Shepard on Heroin trafficking and Customs enforcement

Wednesday, March 14, 1973 · 10:54 AM–11:01 AM ET · Oval Office · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Shepard, Geoffrey C.; Acree, Vernon D.; Seeley, Albert; Boulad, Paul; Nunnery, Robert; Hopkins, Richard; Fassler, GustaveConversation879-001 on Tape 879StartWednesday, March 14, 1973 at 10:54 AMEndWednesday, March 14, 1973 at 11:01 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 879-001 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Customs officials and staff, including Vernon D. Acree, to acknowledge a significant heroin seizure and commend the agents' efforts in drug interdiction. The discussion focused on the impact of drug trafficking on American lives, with Nixon highlighting the need for stricter drug laws, including mandatory sentencing and limited probation. The President also emphasized the importance of aggressive federal enforcement and expressed his personal appreciation for the agents' work and risks.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Thank you, Mr. Henry.
Thank you, Mr. Henry.
Thank you, Mr. Henry.
Thank you, Mr. Henry.
This is the cost of debit money.
This is the one that I'm going to share with you.
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
Right?
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
This is $10,000 pounds of heroin.
Thank you for watching.
Thank you.
Terima kasih telah menonton
Hai hai hai hai
Thank you for watching.
So we have here, as a result of these men of color, and the hero of our people right here, and the whole connection of an individual, who was a heaven-sent man, but was not to be here, because of his parents, and now, but one and two, are supposed to be showing fight on the person I would say, these men have saved, men have died.
I know the dangers that be judged from me,
Thank you for watching.
We're going to have sicker police.
We're going to have mandatory census.
This is going to be full of received volunteers.
And our concern will be what happens when after two years of probation officer feels perhaps he's had a record of good conduct following the prison.
Thank you.
Thank you for watching.
Thank you for watching.
Thank you for watching.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On March 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Geoffrey C. Shepard, Vernon D. Acree, Albert Seeley, Paul Boulad, Robert Nunnery, Richard Hopkins, and Gustave Fassler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:54 am and 11:01 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 879-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 879-1

Date: March 14, 1973
Time: Unknown between 10:54 am and 11:01 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Vernon D. Acree, Albert Seeley, Paul Boulad, Robert Nunnery, Richard
Hopkins, Gustave Fassler, and Geoffrey C. Shepard. Members of the press and the White House
photographer were present at the beginning of the meeting.

       Introductions
             -New York

       Heroin seizure
            -Amount, weight
            -Value
            -Trafficker

[Photograph session]

       Drug traffic
            -Apprehension of drug traffickers
            -Amount of heroin
                    -Impact on human lives
                           -Sentences
                           -Comparison with Vietnam War casualties
            -Agents
                    -Work
                           -Customs
                           -Enforcement
            -New laws
                    -Stiff penalties
                    -Mandatory sentences
                           -Probation eligibility
                                 -Conduct

       Presidential gifts
             -Cufflinks
                                                 -2-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                          Conversation No. 879-1 (cont’d)

        Work of agents
             -Congratulations
             -Apprehension of drug traffickers
             -Congress’s role
                   -Laws
             -Agents’ families

Acree, et al., left at 11:01 am.

Also recorded on March 14, 1973

  • 419-019 9:25 AM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:25 am to 9:50 am.
  • 419-020 9:50 AM · 54 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, John W. Dean, III, Richard A. Moore, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 10:50 am.
  • 037-100 11:01 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:01 am and 11:02 am.
  • 879-002 11:01 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:01 am and 11:02 am.
  • 037-101 11:02 AM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John A. Scali talked on the telephone from 11:02 am to 11:03 am.
  • 879-004 11:03 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:03 am and 11:10 am.
  • 879-005 11:10 AM · 1 hr 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:10 am to 12:25 pm.
  • 037-102 12:25 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:25 pm and 12:27 pm.

All 47 conversations from March 14, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 879-001, March 14, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/879-001 (accessed October 5, 2026).