Posted by azdrugrehabctr on March 30, 2015 under AZ Drug Rehab News | 
In order to effectively fight against the drug traffickers that continuously smuggle illegal drugs in the country, law enforcement has to make themselves aware of all the tricks of the trade. One of the most common ways the cartels are able to get their shipments across the U.S. border is by employing “spotters”.
Spotters are people who stake out certain areas along the drug route and warn the people carrying the drug supplies, called the “mules”, if any type of law enforcement is on the path. Despite the fact that law enforcement knows that these people exist and are warning the drug mules, it is very difficult to arrest and prosecute them because there are currently no laws prohibiting these types of actions. Currently the stake outs are along drug routes in Mexico as well as in Arizona.
In order to combat the use of scouts, a new bill has been introduced to the senate. The Transnational Criminal Organization Illicit Spotter Prevention and Elimination Act is designed to prevent and eliminate the use of scouts.
“The scouting network provides a continuous view of law enforcement presence on both sides of the border, making it easier to direct loads around law enforcement presence. The scout’s role is fundamental to the drug organization’s success in supplying drugs to the U.S. cities,” explained Elizabeth Kempshall, the director of the Arizona High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
Former ONDCP director Barry McCaffrey described what a typical spotter is like, “As he walks in his five miles of U.S. farm here, there are dozens of cartel scouts wearing camouflage uniforms, with padded boots…with $2,500 solar power encrypted satellite phones, with AK47s. That’s who is in control of the border.” There are many farms and ranches along the borders of the Southwestern United States where the spotters and mules are used to bring in dangerous drugs.
If the bill is passed, law enforcement would be able to arrest anyone providing information to drug cartels about the whereabouts of police and border patrol. If found guilty, scouts could receive up to ten years in prison and because many of them carry firearms, an additional ten years could be added on to their sentence.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on March 15, 2015 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
In order to keep the lucrative drug empires going, Mexican drug cartels use violence and fear. Due to the incredible demand for drugs in the United States, the cartels have used their power to dominate Mexican citizens and the media. With the millions of dollars pouring in from America, the cartels are able to use that money to employ thousands of soldiers who are deployed to kill, kidnap or injure anyone who stands in the way of the incredible profit from the sale of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and illegal guns.
Reporters in Mexico have been a target for the cartels because of their attempts at furnishing Mexican citizens with reports on cartel violence and agendas. As retaliation for publishing stories having to do with the cartels, many editors have been killed, kidnapped or beaten as warnings to stop reporting on the activities of the drug cartels. Due to the treat to life, many editors have determined that it is safer to report “soft” news and stay away from anything that has to do with the illegal drug trade.
“We have been threatened twice. But this time we said yes we are going to publish…and after that, we will have to return to self-censorship. Criminals have taken over the editorial line. They say what to publish and what not to publish, and there are consequences,” explained Hildebrando Deandar, the General Director of El Manana Publishing Group.
After the abduction and beating of Enrique Juarez Torres, editor of the newspaper, the publisher decided to step back from reporting on the activities of the drug cartels altogether. Despite police guards, many people from the newspaper resigned in fear of their lives. The drug cartel’s method of fear worked well in this situation, preventing any more publicity of their activities.
The United States’ role in the drug cartel’s ability to overpower newspapers and wreak havoc on entire towns cannot be overlooked. The demand for drugs in the U.S. is so high that the power given to the cartels often trumps that of the Mexican police forces and government.
While some people believe that legalizing more drugs in our country will reduce the amount of violence associated with trafficking, it is unlikely that that will ever happen. Instead, many substance abuse treatment professionals point out that focusing on reducing the demand
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on February 28, 2015 under Addiction Trends |
Typically, many incidents involving the drug cartels occur near the Mexican border, however law enforcement has been seeing a dangerous new trend. Drug cartels are moving into other states and taking the violence with them. Washington State is one of the areas that has seen an increase in drug cartel activity. Public officials warn that the violence will continue and the drug cartels will also continue to move throughout the nation as long as the demand for drugs remains high.
“For this area it’s sort of just unbelievable,” explained a resident wholives in a quiet West Washington suburb. Police and the DEA worked together to arrest Cristian Berrelleza Verduzco for his part in a black ice ring. Black ice is a form of methamphetamine and has gained quite a following in the northwestern states. The DEA became aware of Verduzco while they were investigating the Beltran Leyva cartel. The cartel is well known for their sale and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin and illegal fire arms.
The DEA was surprised to learn that one of the top sellers in the cartel was living in a quiet suburb in Washington State. Instead of typical drug-dealing behavior like people coming to the house at odd hours, lots of different cars in front of the house and violence and arguing in public, Verduzco kept a low profile. “There was no drug trafficking, no big parties or anything like that so they were being pretty discrete about what they were doing,” explained the neighbor.
Hiding in plain sight seems to have worked for a bit. The DEA reports that Verduzco lived in the location for years and never aroused suspicion. However, the DEA has been aware that Washington State is a common place for drug cartel members to live. An agent from the DEA explained that around 80 percent of the incidents that are investigated have ties to the drug cartels in Mexico. One reason for this incredible number is that Interstate 5 seems to be a major route of transportation for illegal drugs that come in through Arizona and Texas.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on January 13, 2015 under AZ Drug Rehab News |
Border Patrol Agents working near the state line in Arizona were busy in 2014. The law enforcement agents spent their days policing the border and ensuring that illegal drugs like marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine did not get into the country. Public officials have known for a long time that most of the drugs consumed in the U.S. originate in Mexico and other South American countries and have set up agents all along U.S. borders to prevent as much drugs from getting into the hands of U.S. citizens as possible. By the end of the year, the border control agents had seized more drugs at the Arizona state line than in any other year prior.
Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs that the drug cartels attempt to smuggle into the country. In 2014 border patrol was ready, and seized more than 2,183 pounds of marijuana. When officials divided the pot up in dosages (the amount an average user would consume) it was found that the marijuana that was seized equaled almost one million dosages.
“I think it’s important to note how many dosages this involves. When you see how many doses, you get an idea of how many people would have been using these drugs,” explained Randy Moffit, a lieutenant in Arizona. While it is unclear how much marijuana actually made it into the country, officials can say that the amount of weed that was seized this year added up to a street value of almost $4 million dollars. Agents were pleased to announce that they seized more than twice the amount that was intercepted in 2013.
In addition to marijuana, agents seized heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. In Arizona alone, fourteen pounds of heroin was taken before it could hit the streets and be dispersed to other states in the country. In the past, methamphetamine was manufactured in the United States, however 2014 saw much of the drug being made in Mexico and smuggled into the U.S. Agents were able to prevent 177 pounds of the drug from making it to users, this is more than four times the amount that was seized in 2013.
Preventing illegal drugs from coming into the country is a vital part of Arizona border patrol agents jobs, and in 2014 they managed to exceed almost all numbers from the previous year.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on September 10, 2014 under AZ Drug Rehab News |
Despite the mounting efforts exhibited by Arizona border control, there is still an alarming amount of heroin getting through from Mexico. Once the heroin crosses over into the United States, it is then shipped throughout the country.
Unfortunately, as the heroin spreads through to different cities and states, suburban youth are the most targeted clients of drug dealers. The work that Arizona border control is doing to police the thousands of people who attempt to come into Arizona on a daily basis is helping somewhat, but there is more work to be done to put a significant dent into the heroin trafficking into the United States.
Heroin can be hidden in just about anything. Arizona border control has learned that heroin can be strapped to a baby, hidden in any part of a car, even inside tires. Another scary trend that is being noticed throughout Arizona is that some people are simply walking across the state line carrying the heroin themselves. Agents have picked up grandmothers and children carrying heroin for drug cartels. Had the heroin not been intercepted it would have gone on to safe houses where it would have been distributed to waiting transporters for further distribution.
Once the heroin leaves Arizona it usually travels to major cities throughout the United States, and the usual destination is often into teenagers’ hands. The alarming number of youth who are abusing heroin is growing at a rate that is shocking law enforcement and families throughout the country. “We’ve seen a number of deaths and overdoses among young people – people who are naïve about heroin,” says Gil Kerlikowske the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
In the past, young adults have had to travel to the inner city to obtain the heroin they are seeking. Now, because there is such a demand for the potent drug, most teenagers can get their hands on heroin without ever having to leave their town. As the drug makes it way from the Arizona border into the homes of many American families, it may be time to look at alternative ways to combat the growing heroin problem in the country.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on August 9, 2014 under AZ Drug Rehab News |
In May, President Obama designated a portion of New Mexico’s state line to be recognized as a protected national monument despite common border security concerns. Those who oppose the president’s decision argued that creating a national monument on the border would hinder efforts to police any drug activity or trafficking coming in from Mexico.
This issue also reignited debates about Arizona, a state whose border sees tons of pounds of illegal drugs smuggled into the United States. In both states, local and federal law enforcement officials are hoping to garner enough manpower and resources to effectively police the borders, and many feel that this designation will represent a step backwards in this effort.
The White House subsequently issued a statement reassuring the public that the new monument will in no way impact border control’s ability to monitor state lines, however some people are not convinced. Speaker of the House, John Boehner was one of the first people to announce their displeasure with the new monument distinction.
The primary intention of the The White House in making the land a monument is to protect and preserve it. “I have personally seen from my time in Arizona how pristine landscapes can be quickly destroyed after illegal encampment, covered in trash and waste,” explained Brandon Judd, a Border Patrol agent and president of the National Border Patrol Council.
Many feel that the president ignored the opinions of local authorities and residents when approving the designation for the sake of preservation. As a result, the U.S. Border Patrol, as well as, state and local law enforcement officers will no longer have full access to nearly 500,000 acres of land near the Mexican border. Many argue that the effort to protect the land, now known as the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, will have no impact on those using the land for drug smuggling and human trafficking. Some even predict that those hoping to elude authorities will benefit since Border Patrol will now face delays when cutting through “red tape” to be able to access the area.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on June 20, 2014 under Addiction Trends |
In order to handle the drug trafficking problem in the United States you have to stay one step ahead of the drug dealers. Siddharth Chandra is an economist at Michigan State University and has been researching the drug trafficking patterns in the United States. He believes he has found connections and areas that are not being heavily policed that are responsible for supplying cocaine to addicts.
By using the information provided by the National Drug Intelligence Center and comparing prices of cocaine in different cities, Chandra started seeing some connections. He noticed that when the price for cocaine went up in one city, surrounding areas had an identical spike. Chandra realized that larger cities were connected to smaller cities and towns as the supplier city.
Chandra took the results a step further and noticed that some cities were “destination” cities – the cocaine was ultimately going to end up in these locations. Some cities were “source” cities – the cocaine originated in these cities and was then being trafficked to other places. Most cities in the north and northeast were destination cities, while cities in the south were source cities. Cities like Atlanta and Chicago proved to be both – a major hub for cocaine sales and abuse.
Chandra, who was working with other researchers on the project, published his study and hopes that it will help law enforcement. Ideally, his work would point out places that are not heavily policed and have the potential to put a dent in the amount of cocaine that is being consumed by addicts across the United States. Once Chandra had his results he sat down and mapped everything out. He then compared his map to that on the National Drug Intelligence Center’s website and found that his map had locations that were not noted on the government’s map. Chandra wonders if law enforcement agencies are really aware of the cocaine problem they have in some areas.
Unfortunately, the National Drug Intelligence Center has shut down since they published the data that Chandra used for his study. Updates to maps and trafficking patterns would need information supplied by an organization like the NDIC.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on February 13, 2014 under Addiction Trends |
While the overall total of methamphetamine users in the United States is still lower than it was several years ago, recent trafficking information indicates it is on the rise again. A U.S. Attorney in the Southern California area just charged nearly 50 people with trafficking after a year-long investigation. She claimed they prosecuted more than 900 meth cases last year.
The staggering number for just that one area is indicative of the amount of meth being brought into the U.S. from Mexico since laws reduced local small-labs around the country. Total cases are up more than six times from the number just five years ago.
Additionally, officials say that over 12,000 pounds of meth were seized last year crossing into California from Mexico, which is double the amount from just two years earlier. The methamphetamine from this latest investigation was found to be sold from San Diego to as far away as Minnesota.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Southwest Border Initiative (SWBI) has been operating for 20 years. It combines resources and efforts from multiple law enforcement agencies to combat the drug trafficking groups that bring in very large amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States from Mexico. While efforts to reduce the supply may not be completely done in vain, many experts and people throughout the country would prefer to have more funding diverted from drug war operations into drug prevention and treatment programs.
