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U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
New Mexico HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2010
May 2010
Mexican DTOs and criminal groups control the wholesale distribution of illicit drugs in the New Mexico HIDTA region. (See Table 3.) They supply illicit drugs to distributors within the region and in many other drug markets throughout the country, including those in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. These transactions are facilitated through well-established relationships with close friends and family members and associations with other traffickers in these markets.
Table 3. Drug Distribution in the New Mexico HIDTA Region
| Wholesale Distributors | Drugs Distributed |
|---|---|
| Mexican DTOs and criminal groups | Powder cocaine, Mexican black tar heroin, Mexican brown powder heroin, marijuana, ice methamphetamine |
| Caucasian DTOs and criminal groups | MDMA, CPDs, marijuana |
| Street gangs | Powder cocaine, crack cocaine, Mexican black tar heroin, Mexican brown powder heroin, marijuana, ice methamphetamine |
| Prison gangs | Powder cocaine, crack cocaine, Mexican black tar heroin, Mexican brown powder heroin, marijuana, ice methamphetamine |
| Outlaw motorcycle gangs | Methamphetamine, marijuana |
| Local independent dealers | Methamphetamine, heroin, powder cocaine, marijuana |
| Retail Distributors | Drugs Distributed |
|---|---|
| Local Mexican traffickers and African American and Hispanic street gangs |
Powder cocaine, crack cocaine, Mexican black tar heroin, Mexican brown powder heroin, marijuana, ice methamphetamine, CPDs |
| Caucasian criminal groups and independent dealers |
Powder cocaine, crack cocaine, Mexican black tar heroin, marijuana, ice methamphetamine, MDMA, CPDs |
| Outlaw motorcycle gangs | Ice methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, powder cocaine, MDMA |
| Prison gangs | Ice methamphetamine, Mexican black tar heroin, Mexican brown powder heroin, cocaine, marijuana |
Source: New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
Local Mexican traffickers and African American and Hispanic street gangs are the primary retail distributors of powder and crack cocaine, Mexican black tar heroin and brown powder heroin, marijuana, and ice methamphetamine in the New Mexico HIDTA region. (See Appendix B.) Caucasian criminal groups and independent dealers, prison gangs, and OMGs also distribute illicit drugs at the retail level in the region, albeit on a smaller scale.
Violent crime associated with drug and alien trafficking occurs frequently in the New Mexico HIDTA region and is a growing concern for law enforcement. The majority of this crime often results from conflicts among rival criminal organizations operating along the U.S.-Mexico border. Home invasion robberies, kidnappings, and armed encounters with traffickers occur throughout the HIDTA region. Home invasion robberies are often committed by illegal aliens in need of supplies, including food. For example, in 2010, two Hispanic males forced their way into the home of an elderly couple and stole a vehicle and food. The two illegal aliens advised detectives that they were tired and hungry after walking for approximately 1 week. Most kidnappings are connected to local drug trafficking activities, and victims frequently choose not to report them out of fear that they will be killed, that the kidnappers will retaliate against the family, or that law enforcement will discover the family's involvement in drug trafficking activities. In 2009, a man was kidnapped during a drug deal in Deming, New Mexico, and taken to Mexico for execution. He escaped while the kidnappers were negotiating his ransom. In addition, law enforcement officers operating near the border report armed encounters with "rip-off" groups who are attempting to steal drug shipments from smugglers. As a result of increased enforcement on both sides of the border, law enforcement should expect such encounters to increase, not only with these groups but also with drug smugglers attempting to protect their operations. For instance, in 2009, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested three individuals hiding in the brush north of Rodeo, New Mexico. Officers seized one AK-47-type assault rifle with a fully loaded magazine, a small plastic bag of ammunition, three cell phones, one General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radio, a prepaid Visa card, and more than $100 in U.S. currency.
UNCLASSIFIED
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