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Title:

National Drug Threat Assessment 2010

Publication Date: February 2010

Document ID: 2010-Q0317-001

Archived on: August 1, 2011. This document may contain dated information. It remains available to provide access to historical materials.

Cover image of the National Drug Threat Assessment 2010.This report provides policymakers, law enforcement executives, resource planners, and counterdrug program coordinators with strategic intelligence regarding the threat posed to the United States by the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs. The assessment highlights strategic trends in the production, transportation, distribution, and abuse of illegal and controlled prescription drugs. It also presents strategic intelligence regarding the operational trends and tendencies of drug trafficking organizations and street gangs that distribute illegal drugs and highlight drug trafficking trends along the Southwest Border.
Change Notice: May 25, 2010--The National Drug Threat Assessment 2010 was updated to reflect information regarding alien smuggling that was provided to the National Drug Intelligence Center after initial publication. Changes were made in the U.S. Southwest Border Smuggling and Violence section in the paragraph after the second textbox and the last two paragraphs of the section.

Your questions, comments, and suggestions for future subjects are welcome at any time. Addresses are provided at the end of the page.

Cover Photo © PhotoDisc


Contents

Executive Summary

Impact of Drugs on Society

The Demand for Illicit Drugs
The Consequences of Illicit Drug Use
Impact on Health and Health Care Systems
Impact on Crime and Criminal Justice Systems
Impact on Productivity
Impact on the Environment

Drug Trafficking Organizations

Drug Trafficking by Criminal Gangs

U.S. Southwest Border Smuggling and Violence

Drug Movement Into and Within the United States

Overland Smuggling Into the United States
Maritime Smuggling Directly Into the United States
Air Smuggling Into the United States
The Flow of Drugs Within the United States

Drug Availability in the United States

Cocaine Availability
Heroin Availability
Methamphetamine Availability
Marijuana Availability
MDMA Availability

Controlled Prescription Drugs

Illicit Finance

Vulnerabilities

Outlook

Appendix A: Maps

Appendix B: Tables

Appendix C: Scope and Methodology

Sources


List of Figures

Figure 1. Seizures of Drugs in Transit, Within the United States, in Kilograms, 2009
Figure 2. Potential Pure Heroin Production Estimates, Colombia, in Metric Tons, 2002-2008
Figure 3. Drug Transportation Corridors in the United States
Figure 4. Federal Cocaine Seizure Totals, in Kilograms, 2005-2009
Figure 5. Cocaine Price and Purity Data
Figure 6. National Cocaine Positivity Rates in Workplace Drug Tests, 2005-2009
Figure 7. Potential Pure Cocaine Production in Colombia, in Metric Tons, 2004-2008
Figure 8. Potential Pure Heroin Production in Mexico, in Metric Tons, 2004-2008
Figure 9. Counties Reporting Increases in Heroin-Related Overdoses, 2008-2009
Figure 10. Methamphetamine Price and Purity Data
Figure 11. Methamphetamine Seizure Amounts in the United States, in Kilograms, 2005-2009
Figure 12. Southwest Border Methamphetamine Seizure Amounts, in Kilograms, 2005-2009
Figure 13. Methamphetamine Laboratory Seizures, 2005-2009
Figure 14. Potential Marijuana Production in Mexico, in Metric Tons, 2003-2008
Figure 15. Southwest Border Area Marijuana Seizures, in Kilograms, 2005-2009
Figure 16. Number of MDMA Submissions, 2005-2008
Figure 17. Northern Border MDMA Seizures, in Dosage Units, 2005-2009
Figure 18. Number of Reported Unintentional Poisoning Deaths With Mention of Opioid Analgesics, 2001-2006
Figure 19. Percentage of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies Reporting CPDs as Their Greatest Drug Threat, 2005-2009
Figure 20. Percentage of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies Reporting an Association Between Pharmaceutical Diversion and Violent and Property Crimes, by OCDETF Region, 2008-2009
Figure 21. Percentage of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies Reporting Street Gang Involvement in Pharmaceutical Distribution, by OCDETF Region, 2008-2009

List of Tables

Table 1. Drug Seizures Along the Southwest and Northern Borders, in Kilograms, 2005-2009
Table 2. Heroin Seizures at Southwest Border Area and Commercial Air POEs, in Kilograms, 2004-2009
Table 3. Metropolitan Areas Most Often Identified as Origination and Destination Points for Seized Drug Shipments, by Drug, 2008-2009
Table 4. Number of Plants Eradicated From Indoor and Outdoor Sites in the United States, 2004-2008
Table 5. Number of Plants Eradicated From Federal Lands, 2004-2008
Table 6. Number of Indoor Grow Sites and Plants Eradicated in Florida, 2004-2008
Table 7. Percentage of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies Reporting Street Gang Involvement in Pharmaceutical Distribution and an Association Between Pharmaceutical Diversion and Crime, 2008-2009

Appendix B Tables
Table B1. Trends in Percentage of Past Year Drug Use, 2004-2008
Table B2. Admissions to Publicly Funded Treatment Facilities, by Primary Substance, 2003-2007
Table B3. Drugs Distribution in the United States, by DTOs and OCDETF Region
Table B4. Gangs with Significant Influence on U.S. Drug Markets
Table B5. Pseudoephedrine Scheduling by State

List of Maps

Appendix A Maps
Map A1. Nine OCDETF Regions
Map A2. Drug Distribution by Select DTOs, by HIDTA Region
Map A3. 2009 Street Gang Involvement in Drug Distribution
Map A4. Gang Membership by County
Map A5. 2009 Greatest Drug Threat, by Region, as Reported by State and Local Agencies
Map A6. 2009 Greatest Drug Threat, as Reported by State and Local Agencies


Questions and comments may be directed to National Drug Threat Assessment Unit, National Threat Analysis Branch through NDIC.Contacts@usdoj.gov.


Addresses

National Drug Intelligence Center
319 Washington Street, 5th Floor
Johnstown, PA 15901-1622

Tel. (814) 532-4601
FAX (814) 532-4690
E-mail NDIC.Contacts@usdoj.gov

 

Office of Policy and Interagency Affairs
U.S. Department of Justice
Robert F. Kennedy Building, Room 3341
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530-2000

Telephone: (202) 532-4040
FAX (202) 514-4252
 

Web Addresses

ADNET:  http://ndicosa.adnet.sgov.gov/index.htm
DOJ:  http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/
LEO:  https://www.leo.gov/http://leowcs.leopriv.gov/lesig/archive/ndic/index.htm
RISS:  ndic.riss.net


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