U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
National Gang Intelligence Center

Title:

Eastern Pennsylvania Drug and Gang Threat Assessment 2011

Publication Date: March 2011

Document ID: 2011-Q0317-005

This report discusses significant trends in drug trafficking and gang activity in eastern Pennsylvania. Among the key findings in this assessment is that the influence of New York area (New York City and northern New Jersey) drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and gangs reaches nearly every sizable drug market in eastern Pennsylvania. Dominican DTOs and gangs are the most active of these groups, and their influence within the region is increasing, except in select drug markets where Mexican DTOs are dominant and growing. In Philadelphia and Reading, for instance, the influence of Dominican DTOs has diminished since 2008, when Mexican DTOs emerged as the principal wholesale drug distributors, supplying hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and heroin each year to eastern Pennsylvania drug markets. Drug-related violence, committed primarily by criminal groups against other criminals, is increasing in several eastern Pennsylvania communities even as overall violent crime rates are decreasing throughout the region. The report also includes a graphic that indicates the drug sources of supply to eastern Pennsylvania drug markets.

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. Gangs Involved in Drug Distribution in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Areas in Eastern Pennsylvania
Figure 2. Greatest Drug Threat to Eastern Pennsylvania Drug Markets for 2011
Figure 3. Greatest Drug Threat, Eastern Pennsylvania, by Number of Agencies Responding to the National Drug Threat Survey, 2008-2011
Figure 4. DEA Heroin Arrests in Pennsylvania, 2007-2010
Figure 5. Heroin Seized in Pennsylvania, in Kilograms, 2007-2010
Figure 6. Dominican Persons or Organizations as Subjects of OCDETF Investigations, 2007-2010
Figure 7. DEA Pennsylvania Cocaine Arrests, 2007-2010
Figure 8. Drug Source of Supply to Eastern Pennsylvania Drug Markets
Figure 9. Violent Crime in Eastern Pennsylvania, 2006-2009

Addresses

Web Addresses

ADNET:  https://www.adnet.smil.mil/web/archive/ndic/index.htm
DOJ:  http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/
JWICS: http://www.intelink.ic.gov/sites/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 Regional Threat Analysis Branch, through NDIC.Contacts@usdoj.gov.