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Drug Situation: The State of Florida is a primary area for international drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, as well as a principal thoroughfare for cocaine and heroin transiting to the northeastern United States and Canada. Florida’s over 8,000 miles of coastline provides virtually unlimited access and opportunities for drug trafficking organizations to use maritime conveyances to smuggle drugs. The short distance between Florida and the Bahamas also serves as a smuggling corridor along the southeast coastline. Additionally, Florida’s numerous international airports and maritime ports provide traffickers with a means to smuggle drugs through the use of couriers and cargo facilities. South Florida, with its unique mix of nationalities and ties to Central and South America, is a primary domestic command and control center for Colombian narcotics traffickers and money laundering organizations. Recently, Mexican organizations have also made tremendous inroads, and are responsible for the smuggling and distribution of cocaine, methamphetamine (i.e. crystal methamphetamine) and marijuana throughout large portions of the state – from the Panhandle to as far south as Palm Beach County. Smuggling into Florida occurs via various types of maritime conveyances and cargo freighters, as well as via commercial aircraft. Additionally, the shift to ground transportation (e.g. passenger vehicle, bus and rail) as a means of transporting narcotics throughout the state continues to increase.
After the cocaine is smuggled into Florida, some is consumed locally within Miami, but the majority is destined for distribution to other areas of the state and outside Florida. A local market exists for cocaine in the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach areas, but much is designated for conversion into crack. On the west coast of Florida, Miami sources account for a portion of the cocaine found from Naples to the Tampa Bay area. Recently, sources from Mexico are transporting cocaine overland from the Southwest Border states into the Tampa Bay area. Cocaine is available in northern Florida, primarily from Mexican sources, but demand is mainly for the conversion into crack. Cocaine hydrochloride (HCl) is available throughout Florida from the gram to kilogram level. According to the 2006 Interim (January–June) Report of the Florida Medical Examiners, Jacksonville had the highest reported incidents of cocaine-related deaths (119 total), followed by West Palm Beach (90) and Orlando (84). Crack Cocaine: Miami remains the primary source of cocaine HCl procured by crack cocaine trafficking organizations for transport and conversion within their areas. Mexican organizations have especially made inroads in north and central Florida. Drug trafficking organizations dealing in crack cocaine have been identified in Orlando, Gainesville, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach, thus demonstrating the availability of crack throughout Florida. Each of these areas has organizations capable of conducting crack cocaine conversion operations. African American and Haitian traffickers, as well as street gang members, continue to dominate crack distribution throughout Florida. Distribution generally centers around public housing developments and inner city areas. Organizations typically employ minors as lookouts and runners, who re-supply the street dealers from stash locations.
Methamphetamine labs became a growing threat within Florida in the past five years. Methamphetamine labs inundated the state starting in FY 2002, when there were 129 labs to FY 2006, when there were 245 labs. The majority of the labs are small-scale, producing gram amounts up to a maximum of 1-2 ounces per cook. But the dangers lie not simply in the quantity produced so much as the number of labs and the consequences derived from them. Most labs are set up anywhere and are almost always portable. They have been found and seized in mobile homes, hotel rooms, outdoor areas and near schools. In the past, methamphetamine labs were concentrated in west central Florida, around Tampa. But in the preceding three years a shift to northern Florida and the Panhandle occurred. Most recently, the central part of the state is experiencing an increased threat, but whereas before it was mainly in the Tampa area, it now extends east towards Orlando, and specifically Brevard County.
Pharmaceutical Diversion: Unprecedented increases in levels of abuse pose a serious threat to the health and safety of Florida citizens. The Florida Medical Examiners report that five people die in Florida daily as a direct result of prescription drug overdoses. Current investigations indicate that diversion of hydrocodone (e.g. Vicodin®) and oxycodone (e.g. OxyContin®) products are a problem. Benzodiapezines (such as Xanax® and its generic alprazolam) and methadone are also identified as being among the most commonly abused and diverted pharmaceuticals in Florida. Primary methods of diversion include the Internet, illegal sale and distribution by health care professionals and workers, “doctor shopping,” forged prescriptions and employee theft. Florida has emerged as a center for Internet holding companies which organize (and sometimes control) websites, physicians, pharmacies, and even pharmaceutical wholesalers. The Tampa area has become “ground zero” for Internet diversion. Money Laundering: South Florida, especially Miami, is considered the gateway to Latin America. As such, there are assorted banking industries and commercial businesses that specifically cater to Latin markets. These are prime facilitators for money laundering activities. Money laundering in the South Florida area can be as basic as sending money via money remitter businesses back to source countries, or as elaborate as setting up numerous bank accounts and other financial-type accounts to enable the transfer of funds into and outside the U.S. Organizations utilizing the Black Market Peso Exchange system to launder money continue to operate in Florida, particularly in South Florida. Organizations utilizing this system receive large sums of money from various individuals as payment for products they sell. The majority of the merchandise is then exported to Colombia, with portions sometimes sent to other countries. Some of the businesses involved in the sale of merchandise have been identified by law enforcement as being exporters of bulk currency to Colombia. Bulk currency shipments remain a common method of laundering narcotics proceeds from the United States back to source countries. On average, currency amounts range from $10,000 to $1 million, and are often delivered to businesses for shipment in legitimate exported cargo. Many bulk currency seizures are made at agriculture and weigh stations, especially in northern Florida, where bulk amounts are concealed and transported in trucks, trailers and car carriers. Another common method of money laundering remains the use of wire transfers. Drug proceeds are electronically moved from place to place or layered to obscure the origin of the funds and the currency is then reintroduced as "clean" for trafficker use.
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, 473 deployments have been completed nationwide, resulting in 19,643 arrests. There have been 34 MET deployments in the State of Florida since the inception of the program: Ft. Pierce (3), Collier County, Opa Locka, Hendry County, Hardee County, Riviera Beach (2), Ft. Lauderdale, Highland County, Kissimmee, Lake Worth, Sumter County, Seminole County, Live Oak, Homestead, Sarasota, South Miami, Florida City, North Miami Beach, Franklin County, Key West (2), Fernandina Beach, Delray/Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Lee County, Lauderhill, Columbia County, Lake County/Clermont, Hallandale Beach, Orange County, and Ft. Meyers. DEA Regional Enforcement Teams: This program was designed to augment existing DEA division resources by targeting drug organizations operating in the United States where there is a lack of sufficient local drug law enforcement. This Program was conceived in 1999 in response to the threat posed by drug trafficking organizations that have established networks of cells to conduct drug trafficking operations in smaller, non-traditional trafficking locations in the United States. As of January 31, 2005, there have been 27 deployments nationwide, and one deployment in the U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in 671 arrests. There have been no RET deployments in the State of Florida. More information about the Miami Division Office. Factsheet last updated: 1/2008 |