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U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
Ohio HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2010
April 2010
Mexican DTOs are the principal transporters and wholesale distributors of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana in the Ohio HIDTA region. They also are expanding their distribution of Mexican black tar heroin and brown powder heroin and are introducing Mexican methamphetamine into some areas of the region. For example, law enforcement officials in Toledo report Mexican methamphetamine being distributed in the city for the first time in late 2009. African American, Asian, Dominican, Jamaican, Puerto Rican, and Somali DTOs and criminal groups also transport and distribute illicit drugs within the HIDTA region, but to a much lesser extent than Mexican DTOs. (See Table 2.)
Table 2. Drug Trafficking Organizations Distributing Illicit Drugs, Ohio HIDTA Region, 2009
| DTO/Criminal Group Ethnicity |
Drug Transported or Distributed |
Source | Destination County |
|---|---|---|---|
|
African American |
Cocaine, MDMA, heroin | Southwest Border, Atlanta, Detroit | Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Hamilton, Lucas, Mahoning, Stark, Summit, Warren |
| Asian | MDMA, high-potency marijuana | Canada via Detroit POEs | Cuyahoga, Lucas, Summit |
| Dominican | SA heroin, cocaine | Chicago, Detroit, New York City | Cuyahoga, Mahoning |
| Jamaican | Marijuana, cocaine | Chicago, Detroit, New York City | Cuyahoga, Mahoning, Summit |
| Mexican | Cocaine, Mexican black tar heroin and brown powder heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine | Arizona, California, Texas, Chicago, Detroit | All HIDTA counties |
| Puerto Rican | SA heroin, cocaine | Chicago, Detroit, New York City | Cuyahoga, Mahoning |
| Somali | Khat | New York City | Franklin |
Local and nationally affiliated street gangs distribute significant quantities of cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and other illicit drugs at the retail level in the region. These gangs are supplied primarily by Mexican traffickers. Street gangs also engage in a variety of other criminal activities, including burglary, robbery, theft, assault, and homicide. However, law enforcement officials in Cleveland report that as street gang members increase their drug sales, they often distance themselves from the gang and the attendant criminal activity in an attempt to avoid law enforcement scrutiny. Most street gangs in the region are neighborhood gangs that define their territories based upon the street or housing project in which they live and generally are loosely organized in their operations. Nationally affiliated gangs present in the HIDTA region include 18th Street, Mara Salvatrucha (MS 13), and Tiny Rascal Gangsters in Columbus, and Bloods, Crips, Gangster Disciples, and Latin Kings in Cleveland. These gangs are typically organized with structured leadership.
UNCLASSIFIED
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