Transportation

Drug traffickers operating in the region typically use private and commercial vehicles to transport illicit drugs to and from the Appalachia HIDTA region. (See Figure 3.) Mexican DTOs frequently transport powder cocaine, Mexican marijuana, and ice methamphetamine, among other drugs, into the region from Atlanta, other southeastern cities, and cities in the Southwest. Further, Caucasian and African American DTOs generally transport drugs to the region from Atlanta and other source areas, including Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Charlotte, North Carolina; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and New York, New York.

Figure 3. Appalachia HIDTA transportation infrastructure.

d-link

Drug traffickers and some abusers in the Appalachia HIDTA region use package delivery services to ship illicit drugs into the region, particularly pharmaceuticals obtained from Internet pharmacies. According to law enforcement officials, the number of parcels containing such items is rising as a result of increasing orders originating in the area to online pharmacies. Further, the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation estimates that 85 percent of all pharmaceuticals shipped into the HIDTA region through package delivery services are ordered from Internet pharmacies operating in Florida, followed by Arizona, Pennsylvania, Illinois, North Carolina, and Texas.

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