Methamphetamine is a horrible street drug. And the problem is getting worse in North Texas. Statistics show more meth coming across the border with Mexico. Meth-related drug arrests in Texas are increasing.
If you doubt meth’s power to make lives miserable, check out the allegations against Derek Michael Goalen, a 26-year-old Denton man charged with sexually assaulting two women and assaulting a 9-year-old girl after he allegedly smoked meth.
Goalen is currently in jail under a $750,000 bond. If convicted, he undoubtedly will spend many years in prison.
Meth, a stimulant more powerful and long-lasting than cocaine, destroys the health of a long-term addict. And it spells heartbreak and untold difficulties for the addict’s family and friends.
Law enforcement agencies in North Texas have identified meth as the drug most associated with violent crimes and property crimes. Derek Goalen, if found guilty, would be a prime example.
Developments in the meth trade throughout Texas during the last decade are truly troubling.
Time was when the problem was mostly homegrown. Drug users went to a pharmacy and bought boxes of cold-pill packets containing pseudoephedrine, a stimulant and decongestant. Then, they added other chemicals to the pills and “cooked” a pot of meth to smoke and sell to friends.
The U.S. Congress, Texas and other states responded by restricting manufacture and sale of pseudoephedrine starting in 2005. New laws required a pharmacist to keep it behind the counter and record a purchaser’s driver’s license number.
Meth production in the U.S. began dropping. Then, beginning in 2007, Mexican drug cartels noticed the void in the illegal drug market. They began manufacturing meth on an industrial scale in laboratories scattered throughout Mexico — literally tons of the stuff.
The drug lords sent their representatives to Texas — often couples and their children posing as “normal” families — to distribute meth. Purity levels often approach 95 percent — a great product if you’re an addict or dealer.
Today, the Dallas area is like a big warehouse that serves up Mexican meth to users throughout North and East Texas.
Intelligence reports suggest that the Mexican cartels are building relationships with Anglo, black and Asian drug gangs to expand their market beyond the Spanish-speaking community.
The United States must get a handle on this problem, either through diplomatic channels or through cooperative law enforcement actions between U.S. and Mexican agents.
Some illegal-drug experts estimate that three out of four addicts seeking rehabilitation in Texas, not including alcoholics, are strung out on Mexican meth.
It’s a shame that Derek Goalen did not seek help before he bottomed-out earlier this month. Denton police allege that he went on a rampage that damaged many people in Denton.
