National Drug Intelligence Center   Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009   February 2009   UNCLASSIFIED

Strategic Drug Threat Developments

• Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) are increasing the availability of ice methamphetamine in the Northwest HIDTA region from production areas in Mexico and, to a lesser extent, central California.
   
• Outdoor cannabis plant seizures in the Northwest HIDTA counties increased 273 percent in 2008. Law enforcement authorities seized over 315,000 cannabis plants in 2008 compared with 84,514 cannabis plants in 2007. Law enforcement authorities attribute increased seizures to their enhanced capabilities to operate in remote, rugged areas through the implementation of short-term airborne operations (STABOs).
   
• The abuse of controlled prescription drugs1 (CPDs) is rising in the region, particularly among teenagers and young adults. The leading illicit methods used to obtain CPDs in the HIDTA region are doctor-shopping, theft, and the use of Internet pharmacies.

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HIDTA Overview

The Northwest HIDTA was established in 1997 to counter the threat posed by the high volume of drugs transported throughout the area and smuggled across the U.S.-Canada border. The region encompasses 14 counties in Washington--Benton, Clark, Cowlitz, Franklin, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Thurston, Whatcom, and Yakima. (See Figure 1.) Nearly one-third of the entire population of the state resides in King County, which encompasses Seattle. The proximity of the HIDTA region to Canada and direct access to drug sources in Mexico through a vast transportation infrastructure--numerous freeways, highways, airports, waterways, and railways--contribute to the threat of cross-border smuggling. For instance, Interstate 5, a major north-south corridor, provides traffickers direct access to the area from the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry (POEs) at the U.S.-Mexico border and the Blaine POE located in Washington at the U.S.-Canada border.

Footnote

1. Not all prescription drugs are controlled prescription drugs (CPDs) under the Controlled Substances Act. However, many prescription drugs are listed in Schedules I through V of the Controlled Substances Act because of their high potential for abuse or addiction. Schedules I through V prescription drugs primarily are narcotic pain relievers and central nervous system depressants and stimulants. A complete list of controlled prescription drugs, by schedule, is available on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office of Diversion Control web site: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/schedules.htm.

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