Methamphetamine

The production, distribution, and abuse of methamphetamine pose a serious threat to residents of Utah. Abuse of the drug is increasing in the state, a trend that is fueled by the drug's ready availability. Violence associated with methamphetamine production, distribution, and abuse is a particular concern in the state. Methamphetamine produced in Mexico, Arizona, California and, to a lesser extent, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington is available throughout the state. Locally produced methamphetamine also is widely available throughout Utah. Mexican criminal groups dominate the transportation and wholesale distribution of methamphetamine produced outside the state. Caucasian independent dealers, many of whom have joined to form criminal groups, also are involved in the production, transportation, and wholesale distribution of the drug in Utah. At the retail level Mexican and Caucasian local independent dealers, OMGs, and street gangs distribute methamphetamine.

Abuse

Treatment admissions indicate that methamphetamine abuse is increasing in Utah. This increase is likely due to some cocaine abusers switching to methamphetamine. Data from the Utah Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Abuse indicate that methamphetamine-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities increased from 1,992 in FY1997 to 3,785 in FY2001. In FY2001 the number of treatment admissions for methamphetamine abuse was higher than the number for any other illicit drug. In Davis County healthcare providers report that there were more treatment admissions for methamphetamine abuse than for the abuse of alcohol or any other illicit drug in FY2001. Treatment providers and law enforcement personnel report that methamphetamine has replaced cocaine as the stimulant of choice because of its longer-lasting euphoric effects and widespread availability.

Source: Utah Division of Substance Abuse.

Methamphetamine abuse among young people is a cause for concern in Utah, although abuse among Utah high school students remains lower than among high school students nationwide. According to 2001 YRBS data, 5.3 percent of high school students surveyed in Utah reported having abused methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime, compared with 9.8 nationwide.

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Methamphetamine abuse increasingly is a factor in drug-related deaths in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. According to Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) mortality data, the number of methamphetamine-related deaths in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area increased from 7 in 1996 to 15 in 2000. (See Table 3.)

Source: DAWN.

Methamphetamine abusers often use the drug in combination with other drugs, thus increasing the risk of negative effects. Some abusers attempt to mitigate the effect of the methamphetamine crash by buffering it with an opiate, a practice referred to as speedballing. Speedballing traditionally referred to a method of administration that involved the injection of a mixture of cocaine and heroin. Recently, the term has been broadened and now refers more generally to the simultaneous use via injection, inhalation, or snorting of a stimulant such as cocaine or methamphetamine with a depressant such as heroin, oxycodone, or hydrocodone.

Methamphetamine is one of the most commonly abused drugs among adult male arrestees in Salt Lake City. According to the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program, 17.1 percent of adult male arrestees in Salt Lake City tested positive for methamphetamine in 2000. Among adult male arrestees in Salt Lake City, 24.2 percent of Caucasians, 11.6 percent of African Americans, and 6.8 percent of Hispanics tested positive for the drug.

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Availability

Methamphetamine is readily available in wholesale quantities throughout Utah. In response to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) National Drug Threat Survey 2001, 22 of the 24 law enforcement agencies surveyed in the state reported methamphetamine availability as high, and the other 2 agencies reported moderate availability. Methamphetamine produced by Mexican criminal groups in Mexico as well as California and Arizona is widely available across Utah. Methamphetamine produced locally by Caucasian independent dealers and criminal groups as well as OMGs also is widely available throughout the state. Some methamphetamine available in the state is produced by Mexican criminal groups and, to a lesser extent, Caucasian criminal groups in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Despite the ready availability of methamphetamine in Utah, federal law enforcement seizures of the drug have declined. According to Federal-wide Drug Seizure System (FDSS) data, methamphetamine seizures made by federal law enforcement officials in Utah decreased from 47 kilograms in 1998 to 6 kilograms in 2001. Law enforcement officials in Utah reported seizures totaling 45 kilograms of methamphetamine in 1999, 5 kilograms in 2000, and 9.5 kilograms in 2001 as part of Operation Pipeline and less than 1 kilogram of methamphetamine in both 2000 and 2001 as part of Operation Jetway.

Source: FDSS.

According to the DEA Salt Lake City Resident Office, prices for methamphetamine ranged from $16,000 to $17,000 per pound and from $1,000 to $1,500 per ounce in the first quarter of FY2002. In 2001 state and local law enforcement authorities throughout Utah reported that methamphetamine prices ranged from $600 to $1,200 per ounce. Law enforcement authorities in the state reported retail prices of $100 per gram.

The purity of methamphetamine varies significantly in the state. Lower purity methamphetamine produced by Mexican criminal groups is widely available in the state. The increased availability of high purity, locally produced methamphetamine accounts for some variance in reported purity levels and prices. In the second quarter of FY2001, DEA reported that the purity of methamphetamine sold at the wholesale level in Salt Lake City averaged 26.9 percent. Ounce quantities of methamphetamine produced in Utah were found to have purity levels between 76 and 92 percent. According to law enforcement respondents to the National Drug Threat Survey 2001, wholesale purity levels ranged from 25 to 90 percent, and retail purity levels ranged from 13 to 90 percent.

The number of methamphetamine-related federal sentences in Utah increased significantly from FY1997 through FY2001, and methamphetamine accounted for more drug-related federal sentences than any other drug in FY2001. According to USSC data, the number of methamphetamine-related sentences increased from 25 in FY1997 to 55 in FY2001. Methamphetamine-related sentences accounted for 64.7 percent of drug-related federal sentences in Utah in FY2001, compared with 14.2 percent nationwide. (See Table 1 in Overview section.)

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Violence

Methamphetamine-related violence is a significant concern to law enforcement officials and public health professionals in Utah. Methamphetamine abusers frequently commit violent crimes and often assault police officers during the "tweaking" stage of abuse. Law enforcement officials in Utah also report that methamphetamine distributors often use violence in the course of conducting business and defending distribution territory.

Methamphetamine abusers often are linked to violence in Utah, including an alarming number of domestic crimes ranging from child neglect and endangerment to physical and sexual assault. The paranoia that accompanies methamphetamine abuse has caused many abusers to assault and even kill family members, including children. ADAM Program data indicate that nearly one-fifth (17%) of adult males arrested for violent crimes in Salt Lake City in 2000 tested positive for methamphetamine. According to the Utah Department of Human Services, 65 percent of children placed in foster care in Salt Lake County in 1999 had been removed from the custody of methamphetamine-addicted parents.

Territorial violence associated with methamphetamine distribution occurs throughout Utah, but primarily in the Salt Lake City area. Street gangs and local independent dealers who distribute methamphetamine commit violent crimes throughout the state. Law enforcement respondents to the NDIC National Gang Survey 2000 reported that the following gangs distribute methamphetamine and commit violent crimes in the state: Avenues, Baby Browns, Baby Regulators, Black Mafia Gangsters, Brown Society Gangsters, North Side Thug Family, QVO, Sureņos 13, and Tongan Crip Regulators. Assault is the most common violent offense committed by gang members who distribute methamphetamine. Some gang members commit assaults and engage in drive-by shootings against police officers and others and commit homicides. During 2000 and 2001 the Wasatch Range Task Force, which covers most of north central Utah including Ogden, Provo, and Salt Lake City, and the Logan Police Department reported numerous violent acts committed by gang members in their jurisdictions.

Methamphetamine producers sometimes use violence to protect their operations. Law enforcement authorities throughout the state frequently seize firearms, explosives, and ammunition during methamphetamine laboratory seizures. The Salt Lake City Metro Task Force seized 17 rifles, assault rifles, and handguns during a single laboratory seizure during 2001. Methamphetamine producers in Utah also have booby-trapped their laboratories with weapons and explosives.

OMGs in Utah are linked to violence associated with methamphetamine production and distribution. The Sundowners and Barons OMGs often require rival methamphetamine producers and distributors operating in their territory to pay them a portion of their profits. When producers or distributors fail to pay or intentionally underpay, OMGs resort to physical assault.

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Production

Most of the methamphetamine available in Utah is produced by Mexican criminal groups in Mexico, Arizona, and California; however, significant quantities of methamphetamine are produced in Utah. The number of methamphetamine laboratories seized throughout Utah increased during the late 1990s. According to the EPIC Clandestine Laboratory Database, the number of methamphetamine laboratory seizures increased from 152 in FY1998 to a peak of 228 in FY2000, then significantly decreased to 130 in FY2002. Of the 130 laboratories seized in Utah during FY2002, 93 were seized in Salt Lake County.

Most of the methamphetamine laboratories seized in the state are small operations in which limited quantities of the drug are produced for personal consumption. Quantities in excess of the producer's needs typically are distributed at the retail level. In most of these laboratories an ephedrine/pseudoephedrine reduction method is used to produce methamphetamine. Caucasian local independent dealers operate most of these small, sometimes portable laboratories in motel rooms, storage sheds, mobile homes, and single-family dwellings. Some operators transport laboratories in vehicles and occasionally are apprehended by local law enforcement officials during routine traffic stops. Demand for locally produced methamphetamine is high because some abusers consider it to be superior to the methamphetamine produced by Mexican criminal groups operating outside the state.

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Some Caucasian local independent dealers have formed criminal groups in Utah and surrounding states to produce, transport, and distribute methamphetamine. According to law enforcement authorities throughout the state, these Caucasian criminal groups often are compartmentalized. Individuals are assigned specific tasks such as obtaining precursor chemicals or producing or distributing the drug. They typically have no contact with one another except when conducting a transaction. According to the DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force, some Caucasian criminal groups in Utah produce as much as 20 pounds of methamphetamine per month.

OMGs, although no longer the predominant producers of methamphetamine in the state, continue to produce the drug in Utah. Sundowners and Barons OMGs members direct the production and distribution operations typically using associates of the OMGs to produce the drug. In January 1999 more than 70 Sundowners members and associates in Utah were arrested for operating five methamphetamine laboratories.

The sale of chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine is closely regulated in Utah. In 1992 state legislators implemented a precursor control law that monitored the sale of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The law was amended in 1998 to include controls on iodine crystals and to limit the possession of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine to 12 grams. The availability of these chemicals in Utah has been reduced significantly due to the legislation; however, sales of over-the-counter pseudoephedrine tablets remain unregulated. In addition, some producers of methamphetamine in Sandy and West Valley City circumvent Utah's precursor control laws by substituting readily available hypophosphorous acid for closely regulated red phosphorus.

Methamphetamine producers have operated methamphetamine laboratories on public lands in Utah. From 1993 through 1999 the National Forest Service (NFS) seized a total of 15 methamphetamine laboratories and 21 dumpsites in Utah. However, in 2000 only one dumpsite and no laboratories were seized on NFS lands in the state.

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Transportation

Mexican criminal groups using private vehicles dominate the transportation of methamphetamine into Utah from Mexico, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. In addition, Caucasian criminal groups in Utah and other states transport multipound quantities of methamphetamine per month into the state from production and distribution centers in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, according to DEA. Furthermore, some Caucasian local independent dealers and OMGs transport small quantities of methamphetamine produced by Mexican criminal groups into Utah from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Washington.

Methamphetamine typically is transported into and through Utah in private vehicles traveling on I-15, I-80, and I-70, although commercial buses and aircraft also are used. In an effort to counteract interdiction efforts, transporters often alter their methods of operation by changing routes, renting vehicles, and hiring couriers.

Methamphetamine may be transported into Utah by couriers aboard commercial aircraft; however, few methamphetamine seizures have been reported at airports in Utah. During 1999--the most recent year for which data are available--the Salt Lake City International Airport Interdiction Unit seized less than 10 pounds of methamphetamine.

Much of the methamphetamine transported into and through Utah is destined for other areas of the United States. Federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities in Utah and surrounding states report that methamphetamine is transported from Mexico, California, and southwestern states through Utah en route to Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. The primary transportation routes for methamphetamine that transits Utah include I-15, I-70, I-80, and I-84 as well as US 191. According to federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, Sevier County, located near the intersection of I-15 and I-70, recorded the most highway seizures of methamphetamine in the state in 2001. In October 2000 the Utah Highway Patrol in Sevier County conducted a routine traffic stop on I-70, which resulted in the seizure of nearly 5 pounds of methamphetamine and the arrest of three individuals who were transporting the drug from Los Angeles to Colorado Springs. The methamphetamine was concealed in the air filter of the vehicle.

Methamphetamine transporters use a variety of packaging methods to conceal the drug from law enforcement personnel and drug-detection canines. Mexican and Caucasian criminal groups often package the drug in clear cellophane and duct tape and then coat the package with soap, axle grease, or detergents to mask the odor of the methamphetamine. In addition, the Box Elder Metro North Narcotics and Gang Strike Force in Brigham City has seized methamphetamine sealed in one-half-gallon and 1-gallon milk containers.

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Distribution

In Utah Mexican criminal groups dominate the wholesale and midlevel distribution of methamphetamine produced in Mexico, California, and Arizona. According to law enforcement authorities in the state, at the wholesale level Mexican criminal groups distribute methamphetamine almost exclusively to Mexican nationals and often refuse to sell the drug to Caucasians. At the midlevel, however, Mexican criminal groups distribute methamphetamine to retail distributors regardless of ethnicity or nationality. Several Mexican criminal groups employ Mexican street gangs to distribute methamphetamine in Utah and other areas of the United States. Mexican criminal groups have expanded their control throughout Utah. In 2001 law enforcement authorities reported that the number of illegal Mexican nationals in Utah suspected of methamphetamine distribution had increased.

In addition, Caucasian criminal groups distribute wholesale and retail quantities of methamphetamine in Utah. Law enforcement authorities report that some Caucasian local independent dealers in Utah and surrounding states have formed loosely structured criminal groups in order to control the production, transportation, and distribution of methamphetamine. According to law enforcement authorities throughout the state, these Caucasian criminal groups distribute multipound quantities of methamphetamine per month and often operate in several states. While these criminal groups typically distribute methamphetamine at the wholesale level, some also distribute the drug at the retail level.

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Mexican and Caucasian local independent dealers are the primary retail distributors of methamphetamine in the metropolitan areas of Utah. Most local independent dealers purchase small quantities of the drug from Mexican or Caucasian criminal groups in Utah and nearby states. Typically, Mexican independent dealers purchase methamphetamine from Mexican criminal groups. Some Caucasian local independent dealers produce personal use quantities--generally 1 ounce or less--and sell excess amounts to finance future production. These Mexican and Caucasian independent dealers typically distribute methamphetamine in gram, quarter-ounce, or ounce quantities. Law enforcement officials report that most Caucasian local independent dealers distribute methamphetamine only to a select group of acquaintances.

OMGs also distribute retail quantities of methamphetamine throughout Utah. Members of the Sundowners OMG distribute multipound quantities of methamphetamine throughout the state every year. The Sundowners OMG maintains chapters in many parts of Utah, including Ogden and Salt Lake City, as well as in California, Colorado, and Nevada. The Barons OMG distributes methamphetamine at the retail level in several areas in Utah. OMGs in Utah have formed alliances with Mexican criminal groups and often distribute methamphetamine supplied by these groups. OMG and Mexican criminal group members who have served time in prison together often form the foundation for these alliances.

Street gangs, to a lesser extent, distribute retail quantities of methamphetamine throughout Utah, primarily in metropolitan areas. Street gangs purchase methamphetamine from Mexican and Caucasian criminal groups for retail distribution. Law enforcement respondents to the National Gang Survey 2000 report that the following gangs distribute methamphetamine in the state: 013 Ogden Trece, 18th Street, Avenues, Baby Browns, Baby Regulators, Black Mafia Gangsters, Brown Society Gangsters, Clearfield Loco Villains, Crips, East Side Crips, East Side Yo Mama, Inner City Piru, Kearns Town Bloods, Lay Low Crips, North Side Thug Family, Ogden Violent Gangsters, QVO, Sureņos 13, Sureņos Chiques, Varrio Loco Town, West Side Dope Boys, and West Side Piru. In 2000 the DEA Denver Division reported more than 4,300 street gang members and associates in the Wasatch Range Task Force area, which encompasses most of north central Utah including Ogden, Provo, and Salt Lake City. The largest street gangs in this area are Bloods and Crips gangs. Most of the Bloods and Crips gangs in Utah are not from California; instead, they are composed mostly of local youths influenced by the Southern California gang culture.

Methamphetamine distributors use a variety of packaging methods and sell the drug from a variety of locations. Wholesale quantities of methamphetamine often are packaged in clear cellophane and duct tape. Methamphetamine usually is packaged for retail distribution in resealable plastic bags or waxed paper in quantities of less than 1 ounce. Local producers in several Utah counties color code their product, using dye to tint the methamphetamine. The tint is a means of branding the drug and may also be used to identify high purity methamphetamine. Local independent dealers, OMGs, and street gangs distribute methamphetamine on street corners and from homes and businesses including automotive repair and body shops, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.

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