NCJ Number
202163
Date Published
July 2003
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This document discusses the status and outlook of the drug threat to Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.
Abstract
The distribution, abuse, and transshipment of illicit drugs pose serious threats to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These two areas are major transshipment points for cocaine destined for the continental United States. Puerto Rico serves as a major transshipment site for South American heroin smuggled to the continental United States. Cocaine is readily available and commonly abused in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its distribution and abuse often are associated with violent crime. Powdered and crack cocaine are abused in Puerto Rico, while crack cocaine abuse is more prevalent in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Colombian, Dominican, and Puerto Rican criminal groups are the principal wholesale-level distributors of cocaine in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Heroin poses a significant drug threat to Puerto Rico and only a minor threat to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Heroin abuse is a significant problem in Puerto Rico. Heroin is transported into and through Puerto Rico primarily by air and maritime conveyances. Colombian and Dominican drug trafficking organizations and criminal groups are the primary transporters of heroin into and through Puerto Rico. Marijuana is one of the most widely available and commonly abused illicit drugs in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Other dangerous drugs pose a low threat to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These drugs include the stimulant MDMA and diverted pharmaceuticals; oxycodone; hydromorphone; and benzodiazepine. There are no reports of methamphetamine production, availability, or abuse in these areas.