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U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
Midwest HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2010
May 2010
Methamphetamine distribution and abuse and associated violence are the greatest drug threats to the Midwest HIDTA region. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) 2010,b 101 of the 178 federal, state, and local law enforcement respondents in the Midwest HIDTA region identify methamphetamine as the drug that poses the greatest threat to their jurisdictions. (See Figure 2.) Well-established Mexican traffickers are supplying sufficient quantities of ice methamphetamine to meet demand for the drug in most HIDTA cities, and 81 NDTS 2010 respondents categorize the drug as highly available in their jurisdictions. (See text box.) In addition, local methamphetamine production in the HIDTA counties increased (from 302 laboratories reported seizedc in 2008 to 342 in 2009), although current production levels remain significantly lower than in 2005, the peak year for such seizures. Some law enforcement officials in Missouri, including officials with the Jasper County Drug Task Force, Jefferson County Municipal Enforcement Group, and Mineral Area Drug Task Force, report that the majority of methamphetamine available in their jurisdiction is locally produced.
Figure 2. Greatest Drug Threat in the Midwest HIDTA Region as Reported by State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, by Number of Respondents
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2010.
Mexican Methamphetamine Availability in Midwest HIDTA Markets In 2005, the government of Mexico (GOM) began implementing progressively increasing restrictions on the importation of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine to address widespread use of these chemicals in illicit d-methamphetamine production. By 2007, the GOM had announced a prohibition on importing these chemicals into Mexico in 2008 and a ban on the use of both chemicals beginning in 2009. These precursor restrictions disrupted methamphetamine production, resulting in a more than 50 percent decrease in the amount of methamphetamine seized along the Southwest Border from 2005 to 2007. In 2007 and 2008, some markets in the Midwest HIDTA region reported a concurrent decrease in methamphetamine availability. However, the GOM reported a dramatic increase in methamphetamine laboratory seizures from 2008 (47) through November 2009 (178) and, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the amount of methamphetamine seized along the Southwest Border in 2009 was the highest annual seizure amount since 2005. Increased laboratory seizures in Mexico and border seizures of methamphetamine are indicative of rising Mexican methamphetamine production since 2007 as the result of Mexican producers finding foreign sources for illicit ephedrine and pseudoephedrine and by using alternative production methods. Although Mexican methamphetamine availability has significantly increased in the past 2 years and the number of Midwest HIDTA markets reporting methamphetamine shortages decreased in 2009, law enforcement officials in some HIDTA markets continue to report that some abusers of Mexican methamphetamine are switching to cocaine or locally produced methamphetamine. This phenomenon is attributed in part to an increase in the market share of lower-purity d,l-methamphetamine (dextro,levo-methamphetamine) produced in Mexico. Because of limited access to ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, Mexican DTOs have attempted to compensate for the d-methamphetamine shortage by increasing production of lower potency d,l-methamphetamine--produced using the P2P method, which does not require ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. |
Crack cocaine distribution, abuse, and associated crime are pervasive in urban areas of the HIDTA region and have a direct and profound impact on law enforcement and public health resources. According to the NDIC NDTS 2010, 33 of the 178 federal, state, and local law enforcement respondents in the Midwest HIDTA region identify crack or powder cocaine as the drug that poses the greatest drug threat to their jurisdictions. Cocaine availability in the region has been variable over the past few years, with several HIDTA markets, including Kansas City and St. Louis, reporting decreased availability during this time period. However, 66 NDTS 2010 respondents classify crack cocaine as highly available in their jurisdictions, while 52 respondents report that powder cocaine is highly available. In addition, local law enforcement agencies in North Dakota and South Dakota report a significant increase in powder cocaine availability in 2009.
Heroin availability and abuse in the HIDTA region have increased beyond the traditional market in St. Louis. Many law enforcement agencies in smaller towns and cities are now reporting the availability of heroin. In addition, towns and cities that are supplied from St. Louis have reported an increase in availability and abuse of heroin that is grayish white in color (origin often undeterminable). According to Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) reporting from 2007 to 2008, admissions for which heroin was the primary substance of abuse increased 37 percent in Missouri from 2,201 to 3,019. Law enforcement officials report that many abusers (usually teenage and young adult Caucasians) switched to heroin after initially abusing prescription opioids; some abusers use both prescription opioids and heroin.
Diverted CPDs are a growing threat to the HIDTA region. For example, law enforcement officials in Minot and Grand Forks, North Dakota, reported frequent CPD-controlled purchases or seizures in 2009. Distributors and abusers commonly divert CPDs through prescription forgeries, drug thefts, and doctor-shopping. In addition, the ease with which drug traffickers and abusers obtain CPDs through the Internet is a growing concern. Hydrocodones, oxycodones, and synthetic opioids are the most frequently abused CPDs.
High-potency marijuana is increasingly available in many HIDTA markets, indicating a growing demand for the drug. Law enforcement officials report that the increased importation of Canadian high-potency marijuana into the HIDTA region, as well as increased incidents of local indoor cultivation, are contributing to the rising availability of high-potency marijuana. For example, law enforcement officials in Grand Forks, Kansas City, and Rapid City report an increase in high-potency marijuana availability in 2009. Additionally, various branded types or strains of high-potency marijuana such as "Kush"d are marketed to create demand and are sold at higher prices to increase profits. Commercial-grade marijuana remains widely available throughout the HIDTA region.
MDMA and other drugs, such as LSD (lysergic acid diethylamine) and PCP (phencyclidine), are available and abused to varying degrees. Law enforcement officials in Kansas City and St. Louis and in several cities in North Dakota (including Bismarck and Fargo) and South Dakota (Brookings, Madison, Pierre, Sioux Falls, and Watertown) report increased MDMA availability and abuse in 2009. Laboratory testing of samples from Kansas City, Omaha, and St. Louis indicate that the MDMA tablets often were adulterated with BZP (benzylpiperazine) or TFMPP (1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine). In addition, law enforcement agencies in Kansas City and Pittsburg, Kansas, (which is supplied from Kansas City), report increased PCP availability in 2009.
b. NDTS data for 2010 cited in this report are as of March 3, 2010. NDTS data cited are raw, unweighted responses from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies solicited either through NDIC or the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) HIDTA program. Data cited may include responses from agencies that are part of the NDTS 2010 national sample and/or agencies that are part of HIDTA solicitation lists.
c. These data (as of March 2010) include only methamphetamine laboratories seized by federal, state, and local authorities in HIDTA counties and reported to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC).
d. High-potency marijuana is commonly marketed with brand names to promote sales of particular types of marijuana that exhibit unique characteristics, including smell, taste, and appearance.
UNCLASSIFIED
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