National Drug Intelligence Center   Nevada High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009   April 2009

Distribution

Mexican DTOs and criminal groups dominate the wholesale distribution of methamphetamine, powder cocaine, Mexican commercial-grade marijuana, and Mexican black tar heroin and brown powder heroin. They typically store bulk quantities of these drugs at stash locations, such as rented storage facilities, private residences, retail businesses, and warehouses, where they are repackaged for distribution to other traffickers within and outside the HIDTA region. Asian DTOs and Caucasian traffickers generally control the wholesale distribution of high-potency marijuana and MDMA in the northern area of the HIDTA region, primarily Washoe County. (See Table 3).

Table 3. Drug Distribution in the Nevada HIDTA Region, by Group, 2008

Source: Drug Enforcement Administration.
NA--Not applicable.

Various criminal groups, street gangs, OMGs, and independent dealers are involved in the retail distribution of illicit drugs in the Nevada HIDTA region. Mexican criminal groups and Hispanic street gangs are the primary retail-level distributors of methamphetamine, powder cocaine, and Mexican black tar and brown powder heroin in the region, while African American and Hispanic street gangs control retail crack distribution, which typically takes place in urban areas such as Las Vegas and Reno. Reno law enforcement officials report that distributors from northern California are now traveling to Reno to sell crack cocaine on weekends. They typically arrive in Reno on Thursday, rent an inexpensive motel room downtown to conduct sales, and return to California on Sunday. Asian criminal groups, primarily Vietnamese and Chinese, Caucasian dealers and, to a lesser extent, OMGs are the primary retail-level distributors of high-potency marijuana and MDMA in the region. Most criminal groups, street gangs, and OMGs also distribute commercial-grade marijuana at the retail level. Particular groups and dealers tend to dominate the distribution of certain drugs in the region; however, most groups and dealers will distribute any illicit drug if sufficient quantities become available to them (see Table 3). Retail distribution typically occurs at open-air markets, nightclubs, and strip clubs and on college campuses. Caucasian independent dealers are the primary retail distributors of diverted CPDs, primarily OxyContin, Lortab, Percocet, Soma, and Vicodin. African American street gang members and Native American independent dealers also distribute CPDs, but to a lesser extent.

Many retail distributors use cell phones to facilitate drug sales in the HIDTA region. They typically use cell phones for a limited period of time, usually 30 days, and then discard the phones to enhance their communication security. Distributors also use text messaging for communication and control of illicit drug-related activities. Internet web sites such as FaceBook and MySpace are popular among some Las Vegas street gang members, who use the sites to publicize their gangs and communicate with other members.

To Top      To Contents

Drug-Related Crime

Methamphetamine trafficking and abuse contribute significantly to crime in the Nevada HIDTA region. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) 2009, seven of the nine state and local law enforcement respondents in the region identify methamphetamine as the drug most associated with violent crime; all nine respondents report the same for property crime.4 Additionally, law enforcement officials report that many violent crimes, such as armed robbery, assault, and homicide, are committed by drug distributors in the course of drug trafficking operations, while a considerable number of property crimes, such as burglary, identity theft, larceny, and theft of copper wire from industrial, commercial, and residential sites, are committed by methamphetamine abusers seeking to acquire drug funds.

The abuse of CPDs has also been linked to identity theft in the HIDTA region. According to DEA officials, CPD abusers are increasingly engaging in identity theft to obtain fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone. Moreover, pharmacy break-ins by CPD abusers have increased because some abusers who have become addicted to the drugs are becoming more desperate to acquire supplies.

Street gangs operating in the region, many of which engage in retail-level drug trafficking, perpetrate a considerable portion of the crime that occurs in the region each year, according to law enforcement officials. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Gang Crimes Bureau, reports that the number of documented gangs in the area increased overall from 254 in 2005 to 457 in 2008. Gang members are typically 15- to 26-year-olds who commit crimes such as armed robbery, assault, and drive-by shooting to enhance their status in the gang, generate income, and protect their territory. According to the Reno Police Department, the number of documented gangs in the area has consistently ranged from 30 to 40 since 2004. However, the number of gang members in Reno increased overall from 1,500 in 2006 to approximately 1,800 in 2008. Reno gang members commonly commit residential and commercial burglary to steal high-value items, such as weapons, electronics, and jewelry, that they can sell or trade for drugs.

Footnote

4. National Drug Threat Survey (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's (ONDCP) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (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.

End of page.