National Drug Intelligence Center   Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009   March 2009

Distribution

Mexican DTOs and Hispanic criminal groups dominate the wholesale-level and midlevel distribution of powder cocaine, heroin, ice methamphetamine, and Mexican marijuana in the Central Florida HIDTA region; other DTOs and criminal groups of various races/ethnicities distribute limited wholesale quantities of drugs. Mexican DTOs supply these drugs to most other wholesale, midlevel, and retail-level distributors, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Mexican DTOs and Hispanic criminal groups have expanded their illicit drug operations into suburban and rural communities, where drugs are often stored in residences for eventual midlevel distribution to criminal groups, street gangs, and local independent dealers.

Various DTOs, criminal groups, and local independent dealers distribute illicit drugs at the midlevel and retail level in the region (see Table 4); their methods of operation change little from year to year. Retail-level distribution typically takes place at open-air drug markets, in local clubs, in apartment buildings, in local motels, in vehicles, at college residence halls, on local beaches, and at prearranged meeting sites such as parking lots. The Orange Blossom Trail (also known as OBT) is a notorious retail drug distribution area in Orlando. Ice methamphetamine is typically not distributed in open-air markets, because of the erratic behavior often displayed by methamphetamine abusers; methamphetamine distributors usually deliver the drug directly to abusers at their residences or other locations that receive limited law enforcement and public scrutiny. Retail quantities of most drugs are typically packaged in sandwich bags, pill bottles, plastic wrap, or duct tape. CPDs are obtained by abusers who doctor-shop or from unscrupulous doctors; some of these drugs are sold to other abusers for profit. Local or out-of-state abusers may conduct such transactions in person or order drugs through the Internet using package delivery services. Law enforcement officials and drug treatment providers report that Tampa is becoming a source city for diverted CPDs.

Source: Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
NA--Not applicable.

Traffickers facilitate drug sales in the Central Florida HIDTA region using electronic communications, usually cellular telephones and the Internet. Some DTOs are using relatively advanced electronic communication methods and are changing "SIM cards" (subscriber identity modules) in an effort to hinder law enforcement investigations. Drug traffickers typically use disposable cellular telephones as well as those that are activated through prepaid calling cards. Most traffickers use such phones for a limited time to reduce the risk of having conversations monitored by law enforcement personnel. Traffickers also prefer to conduct drug-related conversations on cellular telephones with point-to-point capabilities, believing that these communications are difficult for law enforcement to intercept. Drug distributors use cellular telephones to facilitate prearranged meetings with individuals to conduct drug sales. They also use the text messaging capabilities of these telephones to communicate and arrange meetings. Further, some drug transactions are conducted through instant messaging capabilities on the Internet. Draft e-mail messages written and saved to a shared account are also used by some individuals to facilitate drug sales through the Internet. These messages can be accessed by any organization member using a predetermined password, thus avoiding the necessity of actually transmitting an e-mail message that may be intercepted by law enforcement personnel. 

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Drug-Related Crime

High levels of violent crime and property crime in the Central Florida HIDTA region are associated with the distribution and abuse of illicit drugs, particularly crack cocaine.14 According to data from the NDTS 2009, 17 of the 27 law enforcement agency respondents in the Central Florida HIDTA region report that crack cocaine is the drug that most contributes to violent crime in their jurisdictions. Law enforcement officials report that much of the violence in the Central Florida HIDTA region is a result of conflicts among rival drug distributors, particularly street gangs, over increasingly limited drug markets.

Firearms obtained in Florida for use in local, national, or international criminal activities are of significant concern to law enforcement officials in the Central Florida HIDTA region. Law enforcement officials in central Florida report that firearms, which are frequently purchased, traded, or stolen by drug traffickers, are often destined for criminal use in Mexico and Puerto Rico. For instance, 15 members of a criminal organization were indicted in Tampa in March 2008 on 36 federal violations, including acquiring firearms illegally in Florida and subsequently transporting them to Puerto Rico. Members of this organization purchased firearms from licensed dealers in Florida and, without the knowledge of the licensed dealers, resold the weapons to convicted felons who had ties to DTOs on the island. According to law enforcement officials, the members knew that the weapons would be used for drug trafficking and other criminal activities.

Footnote

14. Many crimes perpetrated in the Central Florida HIDTA region have a drug nexus; however, such crimes are not specifically defined as drug-related by law enforcement or public agencies operating in the region. Nonetheless, the Central Florida HIDTA estimates that between 50 and 80 percent of violent crimes in the HIDTA region are drug-related.

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