U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center

Title:

Michigan High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2010

Publication Date: June 2010

Document ID: 2010-R0813-014

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

This assessment is an outgrowth of a partnership between the NDIC and HIDTA Program for preparation of annual assessments depicting drug trafficking trends and developments in HIDTA Program areas. The report has been coordinated with the HIDTA, is limited in scope to HIDTA jurisdictional boundaries, and draws upon a wide variety of sources within those boundaries.

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

Contents

List of Figures

Figure 1. Michigan High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
Figure 2. International Border Between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario
Figure 3. Methamphetamine Laboratory Seizures in Michigan, 2005-2009
Figure 4. Drug Most Associated With Violent Crime in the Michigan HIDTA Region as Reported by State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, by Number of Respondents
Figure 5. Drug Most Associated With Property Crime in the Michigan HIDTA Region as Reported by State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, by Number of Respondents
Figure 6. Publicly Funded Treatment Admissions in the Michigan HIDTA Region, by Primary Substance of Abuse, FY2005-FY2009

Strategic Drug Threat Developments

The distribution and abuse of cocaine (particularly crack), heroin, marijuana, controlled prescription drugs (CPDs), and methamphetamine are the principal drug threats to the Michigan High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) region. Various traffickers transport illicit drugs to the region, primarily from Southwest Border states, Chicago, New York City, Atlanta, and Canada.

The following are significant strategic drug threat developments in the Michigan HIDTA region:

• Wholesale quantities of cocaine were more difficult and expensive to purchase in the Michigan HIDTA region in 2009, a situation that is expected to continue in the coming year.
   
• The distribution and abuse of heroin are increasing in the Michigan HIDTA region. Young suburban Caucasian individuals are abusing heroin at increasing rates, a trend expected to continue. Some of these individuals are switching from OxyContin to heroin because it is less expensive or more readily available.
   
• Local marijuana production is expected to increase as a result of Michigan's 2008 medical marijuana legislation. States with similar legislation have realized increases in marijuana production, since some registered growers have exceeded the allowable production limits.
   
• Local methamphetamine production and abuse are increasing in Michigan. The number of statewide methamphetamine laboratory seizures increased dramatically, from 101 in 2007, to 209 in 2008, and 358 in 2009. The "one-pot" production method remains popular and is being performed with larger containers, yielding increased quantities of the drug.
   
• The use of prepaid cards to launder illicit funds is expected to increase, particularly by traffickers transiting the U.S.-Canada border. Prepaid cards allow traffickers to store and transport their proceeds with very little oversight or risk of seizure.

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Addresses

Web Addresses

ADNET:  http://ndicosa.adnet.sgov.gov
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

Questions and comments may be directed to Great Lakes/Mid-Atlantic Unit, Regional Threat Analysis Branch through NDIC.Contacts@usdoj.gov.

UNCLASSIFIED

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