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Drug Situation: Arizona is directly north of the Mexican State of Sonora, a major trafficker stronghold which has experienced a significant increase in violence associated with drug smuggling over the past year. Along the 350 mile Arizona/Mexico border are three principal ports of entry (Nogales, Douglas, and San Luis) and three secondary ports of entry (Lukeville, Sasabe, and Naco). Most of the border area consists of inhospitable desert and steep mountain ranges, which are sparsely populated, infrequently patrolled by law enforcement, and ideal for drug smuggling. Arizona serves primarily as a drug importation and transshipment state. Drug smuggling and transportation are dominated by major Mexican trafficking organizations. These groups are poly-drug organizations smuggling cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin and precursor chemicals.

Cocaine: The Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas are major transshipment points for cocaine distribution from Arizona throughout the United States. Cocaine is shipped from Colombia by air, land and sea to controlled regions in Mexico, where it is then transported to staging areas near the Arizona/Mexico border. Transportation groups aligned with the major Mexican cartels smuggle the cocaine into Arizona typically utilizing commercial trucks, private vehicles, animal caravans and backpackers. Multi-ton quantities of cocaine are smuggled across the border on a regular basis through heavily trafficked Ports of Entry, as well as between these Ports. It is common practice for the cocaine to be sent across the border in 20-30 kilogram loads at a time to minimize the loss if a vehicle is searched by law enforcement. The cocaine is usually wrapped in cellophane and electrical tape or duct tape, and secreted in elaborate compartments built into the vehicles, as well as in natural voids in the vehicles. Numerous seizures have occurred during the past two years in which methamphetamine has co-mingled with loads of cocaine. Traffickers utilize the vast irregular terrain of southern Arizona and lack of adequate border surveillance by law enforcement in this area to their advantage in the movement of cocaine to staging areas.

Heroin: Mexican black tar heroin is the predominant type of heroin found in Arizona. Heroin is smuggled into Arizona primarily through Arizona’s Ports of Entry by pedestrians or within hidden compartments in vehicles. When comparing the availability of heroin throughout Arizona, the Phoenix Metropolitan Area continues to remain the greatest area in the state for heroin availability. Although heroin is the least abused of all drugs in Arizona, the availability of heroin continues to increase as the demand and distribution networks throughout the U.S. increases. To date, the Phoenix Field Division has not encountered the new heroin drug mixture referred to as “Cheese”, which is considered the “starter form” of heroin being directed to school aged children. Arizona continues to witness a steady increase in the abuse of the prescription drug, OxyContin. Oxycodone products are opiate agonists, like heroin and methadone. They are commonly prescribed to cancer patients, patients with chronic back pain, and patients recovering from surgery. Of these, OxyContin is heavily abused because it is available in high does and when ingested, it produces an intense high similar to heroin. An emerging trend in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area is high school students switching to inject or smoke heroin after no longer being able to purchase or acquire OxyContin.

Methamphetamine: There are two types of methamphetamine available in Arizona, Mexican-produced and locally produced methamphetamine. Mexican-produced methamphetamine is the most predominant type encountered in the state and is frequently smuggled across the Southwest Border (SWB) where it transits through Arizona. The locally produced methamphetamine originates from independently owned and operated laboratories that are responsible for yielding small quantities for local consumption. Arizona serves as a major distribution hub, staging area, and transshipment point for Mexican methamphetamine smuggled across the SWB destined for domestic cities throughout the U.S., specifically Midwest cities. The Arizona nexus to these areas is an indicator that the Mexican methamphetamine sources of supply are based in Arizona and responsible for supplying trafficking groups throughout the U.S.

Marijuana: Marijuana remains widely available in quantities up to multi-hundred pounds packaged for delivery. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement routinely seize hundred pound quantities of marijuana between the Ports of Entry as well as abandoned in remote sites along the border. A large portion of marijuana smuggled into the United States is delivered by individuals known as “mules” who are paid to carry loads on their backs through remote and often rugged wilderness areas. Backpacks are designed from burlap bags used to carry potatoes and sugar, with ropes attached so the bags can be carried over the shoulders. Horses are also used to carry hundred pound loads. Large scale marijuana traffickers utilize tractor-trailers as well as refrigerated utility trailers to transport loads through established U. S. routes. Tucson and Phoenix are commonly used as stash locations until the loads are ready to be sent to their final destination.

Pharmaceutical Diversion: Current investigations indicate that the diversion of oxycodone products (such as OxyContin®) and Percocet®) and hydrocodone products (such as Vicodin ®) , continues to be a significant problem in Arizona. Primary methods of diversion being reported are illegal sale and distribution by healthcare professionals and workers, “doctor shopping” (going to a number of doctors to obtain prescriptions for a controlled pharmaceutical), forged prescriptions, employee theft, and the Internet. During 2007, there were 42 incidents of thefts from pharmacies, specifically for OxyContin type products. Benzodiazepines (such as Xanax®), codeine, Dilaudid®, and methadone were also identified as being among the most commonly abused and diverted pharmaceuticals in Arizona.

Prescription Drugs: Methadone clinics estimate that over 50 percent of the new admissions for drug addiction treatment in the Phoenix metropolitan area are attributed to pharmaceutical controlled substances. The Phoenix Division continues to find that Vicodin, Lortab and other hydrocodone products; Percocet; OxyContin and other oxycodone products; benzodiazepines; and codeine products are the most abused pharmaceutical controlled substances in Arizona. The use of Soma in combination with other analgesic controlled substances, Ultram (tramadol) and Nubain, continue to be highly abused prescription-only substances. The primary methods of diversion are prescription fraud through forgeries, bogus call-ins, and doctor-shoppers. The Phoenix Division continues to investigate thefts in-transit to pharmacies and distributors, as well as reports of thefts by employees and robberies of pharmacies. Prescription controlled drugs from Mexico are frequently smuggled into Arizona, and internet shipments of controlled substances from foreign source websites are on-going. Internet websites with prescriptions shipped from U.S. pharmacies are also being investigated by the Phoenix Diversion Group.

Drug Proceeds: Drug proceeds continue to be seized on the highways throughout Arizona with numerous cash seizures made in other areas of the United States and linked back to groups operating in Arizona. Passenger cars and rental vehicles remained the most common method of transporting bulk currency, with concealment techniques that included hidden compartments in gas tanks, engine intake manifolds, fenders as well as bags or boxes in the trunk area. The use of commercial vehicles has increased as a means to transport bulk shipments of drug proceeds to Mexico. Seizures from air travel has declined with the increased level of security at airports and are now less numerous than vehicle seizures. Airline couriers used concealment techniques that included pants pockets, purses, carry-on luggage, as well as within folded clothing in checked baggage. Commercial package services such as Federal Express, Airborne Express, etc. are also utilized to move trafficker funds with the currency hidden inside electrical equipment, shrink-wrapped bundles covered with carbon paper and inside packaged books. Money remitters such as Western Union and Money Gram are being used to wire transfer currency out of the country in smaller increments.

DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams: This cooperative program with state and local law enforcement counterparts was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns and cities across the nation. Since the inception of the MET Program, 475 deployments have been completed nationwide, resulting in 19,741 arrests. There have been 24 MET deployments in the State of Arizona: Eloy/Pinal, Bullhead City, Prescott, Lake Havasu City, Sierra Vista, Apache County, Coconino County, Navajo County, Payson, Show Low, Glendale, Tombstone, Maricopa County, Cottonwood, Avondale, Maryvale, Scottsdale, Cochise County, Peoria, Navajo County, Mojave County, Surprise ,Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Gila River Indian Community. In March 2005, the METs prioritized investigations to target and dismantle methamphetamine trafficking organizations and clandestine laboratory operators. The following five MET deployments targeted methamphetamine trafficking organizations: Navajo County, Mojave County, Surprise , Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Gila River Indian Community.

Special Topics: Law enforcement agencies in the Nogales, Arizona area continue to receive information regarding the use of subterranean tunnels to transfer both narcotics and undocumented migrants from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico into the United States. The tunnels usually tie into the drainage system and at least 30 tunnels have been discovered between 1990 and 2008. ( NOTE:  Several of these tunnels are a re-emergence of prior tunnels that had been filled in by the government, and then excavated by traffickers familiar with the route the prior tunnel had taken).Gaps in the border fences and open areas with no barriers at all are also used by drug traffickers and others who wish to enter the United States illegally. There is widespread use of unguarded crossing points between Sierra Vista and Nogales. The Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation stretches 90 miles across southern Arizona along the Mexican border, encompassing 2,773,357 acres. The proximity to the border and the limited law enforcement personnel working on the reservation, make this area a primary transit point for narcotics being smuggled from Mexico into the United States.

More information about the Phoenix Division Office.

Sources

Factsheet last updated: 3/2008

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