NCJ Number
213572
Date Published
2006
Length
57 pages
Annotation
This report presents a comprehensive assessment of the threat posed to the United States by the trafficking and abuse of illegal drugs.
Abstract
There has been a measurable decrease in the abuse of marijuana, heroin, prescription narcotics, MDMA, GHB, and LSD in the United States over the past year. There has also been a significant decline in the availability of LSD and GHB, which are particularly popular among adolescents, as well as in the availability of heroin. Marijuana and methamphetamine, on the other hand, appear to be increasingly available despite progress made by anti-drug interventions. Decreases in the amount of domestic methamphetamine production have been offset by increased production in Mexico. While the availability of cocaine appears to be stable across the United States, the recent increases in the price and decreases in the purity of retail level cocaine indicates that counter-drug measures may be having an impact. Most wholesale drug trafficking in the country is controlled by Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and criminal groups, particularly in the Great Lakes and Southeast regions. Although less influential, recent indicators suggest that Asian criminal groups are gaining control over wholesale drug distribution, particularly the MDMA markets in New York and Los Angeles. Finally, the threat analysis indicated that Mexican DTOs and criminal groups are the primary wholesale drug money launderers in the country due mainly to the influence they exert in the United States drug market. The threat analysis was estimated using data drawn from over 3,400 State and local law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies, and public health agencies. The analysis concentrated on trafficking and use of primary substances as well as the laundering of illicit drug proceeds. The major substances of abuse are analyzed in terms of their availability, production and cultivation, transportation, distribution, and demand. Tables, figures, footnotes, appendixes, sources