U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
New York/New Jersey HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2010
June 2010

Outlook

(U) Because street gangs in particular are growing in strength and organization and are increasing their alliances with larger DTOs in New York City, disrupting illicit drug availability and distribution will become increasingly difficult for state and local law enforcement agencies. These well-organized criminal street gangs are able to maintain more stable drug supplies to local markets and to quickly replace distributors when gang members or entire distribution cells are arrested.

(U) Cocaine availability and abuse in the NY/NJ HIDTA region are expected to remain relatively high and stable following reported cocaine shortages that began in 2006. The continued expansion of Mexican DTO distribution operations in the HIDTA region will supplement the availability of cocaine supplied by Colombian and Dominican traffickers.

(U) Heroin availability and abuse in the HIDTA region will continue to increase in the near term. These increases will be particularly pronounced on Long Island, where younger individuals are abusing the drug, and in the New Jersey and Upstate New York counties, where DTOs from New York City are expanding their distribution operations. Further, as street-level heroin prices continue at low levels or decline and purity remains high or increases, more CPD abusers will switch to heroin, resulting in more heroin-related overdoses and overdose deaths.

(U) The St. Regis Mohawk Reservation will persist as the principal entry point for high-potency Canadian marijuana and MDMA smuggled into the NY/NJ HIDTA region because of its location along the U.S.-Canada border and contributing factors. Such factors include the free movement of tribal members across the border and complex jurisdictional issues that are unlikely to change in the near term.

(LES) The success that Mexican DTOs have in returning bulk cash to Mexico ensures that bulk cash operations will not diminish in the near term. Large organizations will continue to consolidate bulk cash shipments in major drug market areas such as New York City.

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