National Drug Intelligence Center   West Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009   March 2009   UNCLASSIFIED

Distribution

Illicit drugs smuggled from Mexico into the West Texas HIDTA region are typically transported to stash houses in El Paso or Midland/Odessa, where the drugs are consolidated, repackaged, and transshipped to drug markets nationwide. El Paso is the primary transshipment point for drugs smuggled into the western half of the HIDTA region, while Midland/Odessa is the principal transshipment point for drugs smuggled into the eastern half of the HIDTA region. These transshipment points are used by Mexican DTOs to supply significant market areas--particularly the southeastern United States, including Atlanta, as well as other midwestern and central U.S. markets such as Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Denver. Most drug shipments are transported from the HIDTA region to these distribution centers over interstate and secondary highways. Because Mexican DTOs generally use stash houses in the HIDTA region to store illicit drugs prior to shipment, the investigation and dismantlement of such locations are a major focus of law enforcement in the area. The West Texas HIDTA Stash House Initiative, which targets stash houses in the El Paso area, has been very successful since its inception in 1999. In 2008 the Stash House Initiative resulted in the seizure of 23,919 pounds of marijuana, 86.219 kilograms of cocaine, and $418,039 in U.S. currency.

Seizures of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine have decreased in the HIDTA region over the past 3 years, most likely the result of increased enforcement efforts in Mexico and the United States and the ongoing conflict between cartels in the El Paso/Juárez plaza. The government of Mexico (GOM) increased the number of military personnel in the state of Chihuahua; this increase likely has resulted in seizures of drug shipments before they reach the Southwest Border. (See Table 3 above and text box in Transportation section.) Moreover, increased law enforcement operations in the areas of the HIDTA region along the Southwest Border have caused traffickers to adjust their smuggling routes, likely displacing them to other parts of the border area outside the HIDTA region. Furthermore, the decrease in drug seizures can also be attributed to the intense conflict between DTOs in the El Paso/Juárez plaza. Traffickers are smuggling fewer drug shipments through the plaza because they fear that they will be "ripped off" by rival organizations.

Table 3. Drug Seizures in Mexico, in Kilograms,* 2005-2007

Source: Mexico Attorney General's Office (PGR) National Center for Analysis, Planning and Intelligence Against Organized Crime statistics as reported in the Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, 2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report.
* Data are as of October 25, 2007, and are the latest information available.

The amount of marijuana transported into and through as well as distributed from the HIDTA region is decreasing. According to West Texas HIDTA data, the amount of marijuana seized by law enforcement in West Texas HIDTA counties decreased 23 percent from 2006 through 2008. (See Table 4.) Law enforcement reporting also indicates that marijuana seizures have decreased in frequency and size in 2008. Despite lower marijuana seizure totals within the HIDTA region, the El Paso POE remained the primary POE for marijuana seizures along the Southwest Border in 2007 and 2008. Additionally, the HIDTA Stash House Unit continues to seize large quantities of the drug at stash houses in the region. For example, in October 2008 officers seized 2,452 pounds of marijuana from two vehicles at a local stash house.

Table 4. Drug Seizures in the West Texas HIDTA Region,* in Kilograms, 2006-2008

Source: West Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
* Seizures reported by the West Texas HIDTA include federal, state, and local drug seizures.

The amount of cocaine smuggled into and through as well as distributed from the HIDTA region has decreased. According to HIDTA data, the amount of cocaine seized by law enforcement in HIDTA counties decreased 84 percent from 2006 through 2008. (See Table 4.) This decrease reflects an overall trend in and reduced availability of the drug in some domestic markets. Cocaine shortages in these markets are attributed to large cocaine seizures in transit from South America, law enforcement efforts against prominent Mexican DTOs, violent conflicts among competing Mexican DTOs as well as DTOs and Mexican military and law enforcement personnel, increasing seizures in Mexico, and increased smuggling of the drug to Europe. Additionally, the decrease in cocaine seizures within the HIDTA region can also more specifically be attributed to the ongoing struggle for control in the El Paso/Juárez plaza. DTOs are more reluctant to smuggle cocaine through the plaza because of the drug's value and the potential financial loss to the organization.

The amount of heroin seized in the HIDTA region decreased from 2006 through 2008. According to West Texas HIDTA data, heroin seizures decreased 70 percent overall during this time. (See Table 4.) The decrease in heroin seizures within the HIDTA can most likely be attributed to the intense conflict between DTOs operating in the El Paso/Juárez plaza. This conflict has caused the DTOs' organizational infrastructure and smuggling operations to be disrupted. For example, the faction of the BA located in Juárez (which smuggles drugs and provides enforcement for the Juárez Cartel) has been greatly disrupted by the ongoing battle for control in the plaza, impacting its ability to smuggle drugs into the HIDTA region.

Methamphetamine seizures in the West Texas HIDTA region decreased from 2006 through 2008, indicating a decreased flow of the drug from Mexico into the region. According to HIDTA data, methamphetamine seizures decreased 95 percent from 2006 to 2008. (See Table 4.) The GOM strengthened precursor chemical control regulations and increased drug interdiction efforts, actions that most likely resulted in a decreased flow of methamphetamine through the HIDTA region.7 Despite this decrease, the Presidio area could see an increase in methamphetamine seizures in the near future. Law enforcement reporting indicates that the activities of a prominent methamphetamine DTO have been observed in the Presidio and Ojinaga areas, suggesting the possibility of increased methamphetamine smuggling into the eastern portion of the HIDTA region in 2009.

Retail drug distribution in the area is greatly overshadowed by wholesale drug transshipment; however, retail distribution does take place and is often associated with violent and property crime. Most retail distribution in the HIDTA region takes place in El Paso, Midland, and Odessa (the HIDTA region's largest population centers). Limited retail distribution occurs in various locations, including private residences, parking lots, and nightclubs. Powder and crack cocaine, marijuana, and heroin are the primary drugs distributed at the retail level; methamphetamine is available in limited quantities.

Local independent distributors, street gangs, and prison gangs are the primary retail-level drug distributors operating in the HIDTA region. According to law enforcement reporting, 500 street gangs and 20 prison gangs are involved to varying degrees in retail drug distribution. NDIC NDTS 2009 data indicate that five of the six responding agencies report that the level of involvement of street gangs in drug distribution is high, while three of the six agencies report that the level of involvement of OMGs in drug distribution is high. For instance, BA controls cocaine, heroin, and marijuana distribution in El Paso. Because of its connections to Mexican DTOs operating in the El Paso/Juárez plaza, BA has a direct source of supply for heroin and other illicit drugs. However, the gang's activities have been limited as a result of a "safe zone" injunction initiated in 2003 that prohibits its members from being on the street after dark as well as the arrests and indictments of several key members in 2008.

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Drug-Related Crime

Violent crime in the West Texas HIDTA region is largely the result of large-scale drug trafficking through the region. NDIC NDTS 2009 data indicate that powder and crack cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine contribute most to violent crime in the West Texas HIDTA. Mexican DTOs operating in the West Texas HIDTA region are violent, powerful, well-financed organizations. These DTOs have intelligence, weaponry, and communication capabilities that they use against each other as well as against U.S. law enforcement. The capabilities and violent tendencies of these sophisticated organizations are a significant challenge for law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border in West Texas, particularly since the resources of Mexican DTOs often surpass those of law enforcement. Violence in Juárez has increased substantially since the beginning of 2007. This violence has extended into the HIDTA region when traffickers felt pressure from U.S. law enforcement. For example, a number of armed encounters between Mexican traffickers and U.S. law enforcement personnel occurred on the U.S. side of the border in 2006. On two separate occasions, heavily armed units of traffickers appeared on the banks of the Rio Grande River east of El Paso during smuggling attempts, preventing law enforcement officers from pursuing couriers, who fled across the border into Mexico. Although these confrontations did not escalate into violent shoot-outs, U.S. law enforcement officers were prevented from apprehending drug couriers because of the manpower and cache of weapons possessed by Mexican traffickers.

The West Texas HIDTA region is a source area for weapons smuggled into Mexico. Mexican DTOs and their associated enforcement groups generally rely on firearms smuggled from the United States into Mexico as a source of weapons for their enforcement operations. Drug traffickers, firearms smugglers, and independent criminals smuggle firearms and ammunition from the HIDTA region to Mexico on behalf of Mexican DTOs and criminal groups that use these weapons to defend territory, eliminate rivals, enforce business dealings, control members, and challenge law enforcement. For example, in December 2008, a Mexican national from Juárez and a U.S. citizen from El Paso were sentenced to federal prison on weapons trafficking charges. The individuals participated in a straw purchasing scheme from May 2007 to March 2008, during which they purchased over 98 firearms from licensed gun dealers in El Paso and then smuggled the firearms to Mexico for buyers who could not legally obtain them in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) estimates that thousands of weapons are smuggled into Mexico every year. Firearms are typically purchased or stolen from U.S. gun stores, pawnshops, gun shows, and private residences prior to being smuggled into Mexico, where they are often sold for a profit of 300 to 400 percent. Moreover, Mexican DTOs store large caches of firearms on both sides of the Southwest Border for their own use and the use of their enforcement groups. Law enforcement reporting indicates that there are shortages of weapons and ammunition in Juárez (which are in high demand among traffickers because of ongoing turf battles) that could lead to increased weapons smuggling from the HIDTA region.

Footnote

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