SMITH COUNTY, TX (KLTV) -
East Texas may have more in common with Dallas and Houston than meets the eye. According to law enforcement officials, Smith County has become a drug hub.
According to Sheriff Larry Smith, over the last few years, drug cartels have made their way to East Texas.
"When you wanted to buy kilogram quantities of cocaine, you'd have to go to Dallas or Houston," Smith said.
He says that's not the case anymore.
"You can do that here now if you know the right individual,” Smith said.
And he says it could be anybody.
"Family members of a cartel are your neighbors next door that you wouldn't know anything about but they help coordinate and build up that line of drugs," Smith said.
According to Smith the drug activity in Smith County has increased over the past five years.
"Tyler, because of the influx of people coming in from the border, it's easy to get their drugs different places. There is a lot of drug trafficking even through this Highway 59, Highway 69 and Interstate 20," Smith said.
According to the 2013 National Drug Threat Assessment Summary the southwest region of the U.S. has had a 232 percent increase in the amount of heroin seized from 2008 to 2012. Over the same time period, prices of methamphetamine decreased indicating more had become available.
Inside city limits, Tyler police officials say drug violations have fluctuated over the past few years. And they are seeing an increased amount of meth.
"The drug cartels are manufacturing more meth and pushing it out across the United States. It's coming here as well so we are seeing an increase in that," said Don Martin, spokesperson Tyler PD.
Smith says throughout the county, the harder drugs are having a major influence on crime.
"Meth, crack cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride and heroin, we don't see people breaking into houses to go buy marijuana," Smith said.
Smith says their focus now is following changes in trafficking patterns and getting to the source of the problem. A task that smith says could take years.
"For every dealer we arrest out here, there are 10 more willing to take his place out there. So in order to do any long term good we have to work up the chain and get the trafficker and manufacturer," Smith said.
Smith is urging the public to be aware of constant traffic at residences, which he says can be an indication of drug trafficking.
Copyright 2014 KLTV. All rights reserved.
According to Sheriff Smith the drug activity in Smith County has increased over the past five years.
Inside city limits, Tyler Police officials say drug violations have fluctuated over the past few years.
