Distribution

National Drug Intelligence Center
Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis
April 2007

Street gangs and various criminal groups are the primary retail-level distributors of illicit drugs--most often cocaine and commercial-grade marijuana. In addition, street gangs often use junior and senior high school students who have been initiated as gang members to sell to their peers throughout schools and residential areas.

Milwaukee is a distribution center for many drug markets in Wisconsin, with the notable exception of Madison, which is more often supplied from Chicago or Minneapolis. Most of the powder cocaine that arrives in Milwaukee is taken to stash houses in the city, where distributors purchase the drug for retail sales throughout the HIDTA region and in other parts of the state. Powder cocaine is distributed in Milwaukee, primarily on the south side, by Hispanic criminal groups and gangs; crack cocaine is distributed almost exclusively on the north side of the city by African American gangs and independent dealers. Both north side and south side distributors sell widely available commercial-grade marijuana, for which sales rivalry is less common.

Illicit drugs, including high-potency marijuana, heroin, MDMA, diverted pharmaceuticals, and limited amounts of methamphetamine and khat, are distributed typically by independent dealers or small criminal groups. Law enforcement authorities report increasing availability of high-potency marijuana in the area, most of which is supplied by Canada-based Asian traffickers who transport the drug primarily through Detroit. Some high-potency marijuana is also supplied from other sources in Washington, Oregon, and California and, to a lesser extent, from local producers who grow cannabis in indoor operations. High-potency marijuana is distributed within the HIDTA region primarily by independent Caucasian dealers. Most of the retail distribution of MDMA in the Milwaukee area is conducted by Caucasian independent dealers, who obtain the drug in Detroit. Anecdotal law enforcement accounts reveal that methamphetamine distribution is very limited.

Heroin is distributed primarily by independent dealers who have connections with Nigerian and Dominican, Colombian, and other Hispanic criminals in Chicago and, to a lesser extent, East Coast cities. While other drugs, including powder and crack cocaine and marijuana, are typically distributed widely by street gang members, heroin distribution takes place most often among groups of established friends or associates. Heroin is principally distributed on the north side of Milwaukee by African American dealers who supply Southeast Asian heroin to neighborhood abusers and to Caucasian abusers who travel to the north side from outlying areas. Hispanic dealers on the south side of the city distribute South American heroin, but to a lesser extent. Mexican traffickers who have connections to receive Mexican brown powder and black tar heroin rarely attempt to distribute these drugs in the region because of the user preference for white powder heroin.

Disruption of the 2-4's Street Gang

As a result of numerous investigations, the Milwaukee HIDTA Drug Gang Task Force arrested 16 members of the 2-4's street gang in 2006 on federal drug and weapons charges. Those arrested included the top-tier members of two factions of the street gang responsible for the distribution of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana in the region. Also arrested were members of a third faction that had specialized in robbing rival drug distributors. According to the testimony of a 2-4's member, the gang had distributed over 100 kilograms of cocaine in the Milwaukee region since 1996; members had been involved in at least 10 shootings per year, including 10 homicides of rival members of the Brothers of Struggle street gang. During the investigation two members of the 2-4's were targeted for assassination by other members of the gang for cooperating with law enforcement officers. Further, a vice squad detective was targeted for assassination by members of the gang; however, the detective received warning of the plan, and the assassination was thwarted by investigators.

These arrests will quite likely result in less gang violence and organized drug trafficking on the north side of Milwaukee. The entire 2-4's street gang in Milwaukee has been severely disrupted as a result of this investigation. The shooting death of the leader of the faction that specialized in robberies of other drug dealers has also disrupted the gang's criminal activities. Small, unorganized groups of 2-4's members still reside in Milwaukee, and some have reorganized into a criminal organization that operates in North Dakota.

Source: Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

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