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

Drug Threat Overview

Cocaine trafficking and abuse pose the greatest drug threat to the Central Florida HIDTA region, as evidenced by the high levels of violence associated with cocaine (particularly crack) distribution, the high number of cocaine-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities, and the wide availability of powder and crack cocaine. According to data from the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) 2009,2 24 of the 27 law enforcement agency respondents in the Central Florida HIDTA region report that cocaine is the greatest drug threat in their jurisdictions. Cocaine is readily available throughout most of the region's drug markets because of the region's proximity to reliable international sources of supply. Cocaine seizure totals reflect this availability; reporting from Central Florida HIDTA Initiatives3 indicates that more than 242 kilograms of powder cocaine and 6 kilograms of crack cocaine were seized in 2008. (See Table 1.) The availability of cocaine in the region is in sharp contrast to the shortages noted in many other U.S. drug markets; availability continued to decrease in 14 U.S. drug markets, including Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; and New York, New York, through early 2008.4 Decreased availability of wholesale quantities of cocaine in Tampa during 2008 can be attributed to successful law enforcement efforts in the city, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Source: Central Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
*Seizures of hashish, CPDs, and methamphetamine precursors are not included in this table.

The diversion, distribution, and abuse of CPDs5 pose a significant and growing threat to the Central Florida HIDTA region. CPDs are widely abused in the region, particularly by Caucasian adolescents and adults; law enforcement and public health officials in the region report that the average age of CPD abusers is decreasing. The most widely available and commonly abused CPDs are Darvon (propoxyphene), methadone, morphine, OxyContin, Valium, Vicodin, and Xanax (alprazolam).6 CPD abusers are enticed in part by the ease with which they can obtain the drugs--particularly over the Internet, through doctor-shopping, or from retail-level distributors. The Central Florida HIDTA region, particularly Tampa, is a source area for CPDs available throughout a large portion of the eastern United States; abusers travel to the region to illicitly purchase CPDs from Caucasian distributors. CPDs are also diverted through Internet sales by rogue Internet pharmacies.7 Federal legislation designed to reduce the number of rogue Internet pharmacies selling CPDs was enacted in 2008. (See text box.)8

The production and distribution of marijuana, particularly marijuana produced from high-potency, indoor-grown cannabis, pose a serious threat to the Central Florida HIDTA region. Marijuana is widely available and is abused by members of all racial/ethnic and social groups. The demand for high-potency marijuana is rising in the region. The number of indoor cannabis cultivation sites being established to meet this rising demand is increasing as well. Most indoor cultivation sites are established and operated by Cuban DTOs; some indoor grow sites are operated by Caucasian and Vietnamese DTOs. Some of the high-potency marijuana available in the region is produced in Canada; most of the marijuana available in the region is commercial-grade marijuana transported from Mexico and Jamaica.

Methamphetamine, other dangerous drugs (ODDs)--principally MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as ecstasy)--and heroin pose comparatively lower threats to the Central Florida HIDTA region. Methamphetamine availability and abuse are at relatively low levels in the region; the Tampa Police Department reports that the availability of methamphetamine has decreased in the city. The number of methamphetamine laboratories seized in the region decreased overall from 2004 through 2008. The demand for high-purity ice methamphetamine, however, is rising. The availability and abuse of ODDs, principally MDMA, are limited in the Central Florida HIDTA region. Heroin availability and abuse are stable at low to moderate levels.

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Drug Trafficking Organizations

Mexican DTOs and Hispanic criminal groups are the principal drug transporters and wholesale distributors in the Central Florida HIDTA region; other DTOs and criminal groups of various races/ethnicities as well as street gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) also distribute a variety of drugs throughout the region. In 2008, law enforcement officials affiliated with Central Florida HIDTA Initiatives projected to target 63 DTOs operating within the region; 21 of the organizations were dismantled, and 29 others were disrupted. Most of the DTOs (33 of the 63) operated in the local HIDTA region, 18 operated in multiple states, and 12 operated internationally. The majority of the organizations identified through the HIDTA Initiatives were Hispanic, African American, or Caucasian; one Vietnamese DTO was identified.

Mexican DTOs and Hispanic criminal groups routinely supply wholesale quantities of powder cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and ice methamphetamine to distributors in the Central Florida HIDTA region; in addition, some Mexican DTOs illegally distribute firearms in the region. Mexican DTOs are increasing their influence and control over drug distribution in the Central Florida HIDTA region and in the entire state of Florida as a result of their access to sources of supply and their well-established drug smuggling routes from Mexico to the United States and from California, the Southwest Border area, and Atlanta to locations throughout Florida. Consequently, these organizations are able to efficiently transport and distribute large quantities of illicit drugs into and through the Central Florida HIDTA region. The control exercised by these tightly coordinated and compartmentalized organizations and groups is facilitated by the growing Hispanic population in central Florida. Mexican traffickers easily assimilate into local Hispanic communities, where they can conceal their drug trafficking activities, including those conducted in jurisdictions bordering the Central Florida HIDTA region. Moreover, Mexican DTOs rely upon strong familial ties in Mexico and west central Florida to further facilitate their drug trafficking operations in the region. Members of Mexican DTOs and Hispanic criminal groups are increasingly establishing residency in upscale suburban and rural farm communities, where they store and distribute illicit drugs and firearms and consolidate drug proceeds.

Colombian DTOs are significant transporters and distributors of powder cocaine and limited quantities of South American (SA) heroin. They transport these drugs from southern Florida or from South America directly into the Central Florida HIDTA region for distribution in local drug markets. These traffickers typically transport powder cocaine and SA heroin from southern Florida using vehicles or package delivery services and from South America using couriers aboard aircraft or maritime vessels.

Cuban DTOs establish and operate numerous indoor high-potency cannabis grow sites in the Central Florida HIDTA region and have expanded such operations throughout the southeastern United States. These organizations often purchase real estate in central Florida for the sole purpose of indoor cannabis cultivation. In addition, Cuban DTOs frequently use illegal immigrants from Cuba and other Caribbean locations to work at the grow sites.

Puerto Rican DTOs distribute limited wholesale quantities of SA heroin and cocaine in the Central Florida HIDTA region. They also illegally transport firearms from Florida to Puerto Rico, most likely for use by other members of the organization and for sale to other criminals. Puerto Rican DTOs dominate the retail-level distribution of SA heroin in the Orlando metropolitan area--one of the few areas in the continental United States where Puerto Rican criminals control a drug market. They also provide large quantities of SA heroin to Puerto Rican distributors in the greater New York City area and, to a lesser extent, Puerto Rican DTOs operating in cities along the eastern seaboard. Moreover, Puerto Rican DTOs transport cocaine, heroin, and marijuana into the region using package delivery services.

Other DTOs and criminal groups of various races/ethnicities, including African American, Bahamian, Caucasian, Dominican, Honduran, and Jamaican groups, transport and distribute limited wholesale quantities of drugs in the Central Florida HIDTA region; many also distribute the drugs at the midlevel and retail level in the region. Some of these traffickers obtain powder cocaine, ice methamphetamine, and marijuana from Mexican DTOs that operate in the HIDTA region. African American criminal groups typically distribute crack cocaine, marijuana, and MDMA at the retail level. Bahamian, Dominican, and Honduran DTOs distribute limited wholesale quantities of powder cocaine in the region. Caucasian DTOs and criminal groups distribute cocaine, marijuana, MDMA, methamphetamine, CPDs, and ODDs; they also cultivate cannabis. Jamaican DTOs transport and distribute wholesale quantities of cocaine and marijuana obtained from suppliers in southern Florida and the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) HIDTA region; they have occasionally used ties with Mexican DTOs located along the Southwest Border to obtain wholesale quantities of cocaine and marijuana for distribution in the Central Florida HIDTA region. Jamaican DTOs also distribute cocaine and marijuana in retail drug markets in the region.

Asian DTOs, including some of Vietnamese ethnicity, distribute limited quantities of high-potency Canadian marijuana, MDMA, and CPDs on a limited basis in the Central Florida HIDTA region; they also produce small quantities of high-potency marijuana at indoor grow sites. Law enforcement officials report that Asian DTOs, when active, are typically affiliated with larger Asian criminal networks that extend throughout the United States and Canada. These organizations are generally based upon familial or other direct social relationships and are difficult for law enforcement to infiltrate.

Street gangs, both nationally affiliated and locally based, distribute illicit drugs at the retail level in many areas of the Central Florida HIDTA region; their level of drug distribution is generally low to moderate. African American street gangs are the primary retail distributors in urban areas of the region, and Hispanic street gangs are the primary retail distributors in suburban areas. Most street gangs in the region are violent, operate in a defined area or turf, and are homogeneous, typically reflecting the racial/ethnic population of the areas in which they operate. Most gang-related violence is the result of gang rivalries or disputes over drug territories; however, some violence occurs among members of the same gang, prompted by jealousy or acts of theft. Violent encounters also occur between street gangs and other DTOs. Instances of such rivalry and violence have increased in the past year, most likely the result of reductions in drug territory caused, in part, by the encroachment of Mexican DTOs into areas previously controlled by street gangs. Increased violence during the past year also reflects the limited but rising presence of nationally affiliated racially and ethnically based criminal groups and street gangs in the region. Moreover, some street gangs trade illicit drugs for firearms, elevating the threat of violence in the region.

Nationally affiliated and local street gangs are increasingly active in the Central Florida HIDTA region. Nationally affiliated street gangs such as Crips, 52 Hoover Crips, Latin Kings, and Sureņos 13 are expanding drug distribution activities, particularly those involving crack cocaine and marijuana, at the retail level in the region. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office reports that in addition to distributing illicit drugs, Latin Kings members are increasingly becoming involved in violent crime. Local street gangs including Campestre, Drak, Dirty South Mafia, Quince, and Westside Locos typically distribute powder and crack cocaine, marijuana, and other illicit drugs at the retail level in the Central Florida HIDTA region. Most street gangs are composed of members with similar racial/ethnic backgrounds, although some have memberships that consist of African American and Hispanic individuals; most are established and based upon street or neighborhood affiliations. Local street gangs commonly adopt multiple facets of the gang culture from national-level street gangs, often from information found on the Internet, but typically do not have ties to those national-level gangs. Many local street gangs in the region are formed for a collective pursuit of profits derived from illicit drug distribution or simply for protection from ethnically driven violence.

OMGs such as Outlaws and Warlocks, support clubs such as Black Pistons and Kingsmen, and other local clubs distribute illicit drugs in the Central Florida HIDTA region to a limited extent. OMGs typically distribute cocaine, powder methamphetamine, and marijuana in the region. They transport drugs into the region for distribution from sources throughout the United States as well as Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

Footnotes

2. NDTS data for 2009 cited in this report are as of February 12, 2009. NDTS data cited are raw, unweighted responses from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies solicited through either the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) or the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) HIDTA program. Data cited may include responses from agencies that are part of the NDTS 2009 national sample and/or agencies that are part of HIDTA solicitation lists.
3. Central Florida HIDTA funds are allocated to 10 initiatives (program areas): the HIDTA Methamphetamine Task Force, HIDTA South American/Colombian Task Force, Polk County Poly Drug Task Force, Osceola Investigative Bureau, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, HIDTA DEA Heroin Task Force, HIDTA DEA Mexican Poly Drug Task Force, HIDTA Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (FAST), Seminole County City Investigative Bureau, and HIDTA Investigative Support Center (ISC).
4. Intelligence and law enforcement reporting indicates that the decrease in cocaine availability in U.S. drug markets was most likely the result of several simultaneous factors that obstructed the flow of cocaine from South America through Mexico to U.S. drug markets. The probable factors include several exceptionally large cocaine seizures made while the drug was in transit toward the United States, counterdrug efforts by the Mexican Government, U.S. law enforcement operations along the Southwest Border, a high level of intercartel violence in Mexico, and expanding cocaine markets in Europe and South America. It is unclear which of these factors contributed most to the decrease in cocaine availability.
5. Not all prescription drugs are controlled prescription drugs (CPDs) under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). However, many prescription drugs are listed in Schedules I through V of the CSA because of their high potential for abuse or addiction. Schedule I through V prescription drugs are primarily narcotic pain relievers and central nervous system depressants and stimulants. A complete list of CPDs, by schedule, is available on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office of Diversion Control web site at http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/schedules.htm.
6. Schedule II drugs include several prescription drugs, such as Duragesic (fentanyl), methadone, morphine, OxyContin (oxycodone), and Percocet (oxycodone in combination with acetaminophen). Schedule III drugs include several prescription drugs such as Vicodin (hydrocodone in combination with acetaminophen). Schedule IV drugs include several prescription drugs such as Ambien (zolpidem), Ativan (lorazepam), Darvon (propoxyphene), Valium (diazepam), and Xanax (alprazolam).
7. Rogue Internet pharmacies are unlicensed, fraudulent, and disreputable businesses that sell CPDs illegally.
8. The full extent of prescription drug sales from Florida-based Internet pharmacies is an intelligence gap.

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