Cocaine

The abuse of cocaine in the CNMI is limited. Small quantities of powdered cocaine may be consumed, and there is no evidence of crack cocaine abuse in the CNMI.

Historically cocaine availability in the CNMI has been low, and the drug is rarely seized in the commonwealth. The DEA/CNMI Task Force seized a total of 14 ounces of cocaine from 1996 through February 2002. The largest seizure of cocaine in the CNMI occurred in March 1990, when law enforcement agents arrested a Tinian resident in possession of approximately 14 grams of cocaine at the Guam International Airport. He was returning to the CNMI on a flight that originated in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Most of the cocaine available in the CNMI is smuggled onto the islands by nonresidents for personal consumption. These individuals typically smuggle small quantities of cocaine aboard commercial aircraft. They also use package delivery services to transport cocaine to the commonwealth in small amounts.

Cocaine is rarely distributed in the CNMI, and there is no information regarding the groups or individuals involved in distributing the drug. However, according to DEA, Mexican groups involved in the transportation of methamphetamine from the West Coast of the United States likely play some role in the distribution of cocaine in the CNMI. In the rare instances when cocaine is distributed, a gram sells for $150 to $250. According to the CNMI Customs Service, in the past, criminal groups have given away small quantities of cocaine to test the potential market for the drug.

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