I think this is the book you are talking about, and I never thought of it as a metaphor for the drug war...
I'm always amazed when I run into others who read relatively obscure books from my childhood. :)
[Top Secret](https://www.amazon.com/Top-Secret-John-Reynolds-Gardiner/dp/0316303631#:~:text=Amazon.com%3A%20Top%20Secret%20(,Reynolds%2C%20Simont%2C%20Marc%3A%20Books).