NCJ Number
119844
Date Published
1989
Length
60 pages
Annotation
Because drug trafficking is considered the number one crime problem in the United States, 93 U.S. Attorneys were requested to provide information on the business structure of drug trafficking in their districts, the magnitude of the drug problem, and the work of agents and prosecutors in pursuing drug traffickers.
Abstract
The first part of the report provides information on the illicit use of drugs. The focus is on societal costs of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and other dangerous drugs such as methamphetamine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), phencyclidine (PCP), and designer drugs. Societal costs include taxpayer costs, corruption, workplace and environmental costs, and increased crime. The second part of the report describes drug trafficking organizations and patterns of organized crime. Principal drug trafficking organizations include the Colombian drug cartels, La Cosa Nostra and the Sicilian Mafia, Asian organized crime groups, Jamaican organized crime posses, outlaw motorcycle gangs, California street gangs, and other domestic and foreign trafficking organizations and individuals. Consideration is also given to the laundering of money by drug traffickers. The third part of the report addresses the Federal response, covering investigative and prosecutorial activities, legislative initiatives, demand reduction efforts, and collaboration in international initiatives.