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National Drug Intelligence Center |
The following regional summaries provide strategic overviews of the methamphetamine situation in each of the nine Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) regions, highlighting significant trends and law enforcement concerns relating to the trafficking and abuse of the drug. The summaries were prepared through detailed analysis of recent law enforcement reporting, information obtained through interviews with law enforcement and public health officials, OCDETF case files, and currently available statistical data.
Figure 1. The nine OCDETF regions.
Methamphetamine, particularly ice methamphetamine, is a significant threat to Florida. Ice methamphetamine distribution and abuse are rising in Florida. While cocaine is generally identified by law enforcement officials as the greatest drug threat to the Florida/Caribbean Region, ice methamphetamine has emerged as the greatest drug threat to many rural areas of Florida, particularly those areas where Mexican DTOs and criminal groups are aggressively marketing the drug. Additionally, the latest available treatment data for Florida reveal a significant overall increase in the number of treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities for amphetamine (including methamphetamine) in recent years (see Table 2 in Appendix B).
Mexican DTOs have expanded their distribution operations in Florida and have supplanted many local midlevel and retail dealers in the state. Mexican DTOs have expanded their methamphetamine distribution networks in Florida, particularly in Orlando and Tampa--markets previously supplied by local distributors. Law enforcement reporting from these cities indicates a rising prevalence of Mexican DTOs at all levels of methamphetamine distribution and a concurrent increase in the availability of ice methamphetamine. In fact, law enforcement reporting reveals that ice methamphetamine now is the predominant form of the drug in Florida. Mexican DTOs and criminal groups are the predominant wholesale and retail distributors of ice methamphetamine in the state; they also supply the drug to Caucasian criminal groups, OMGs and, to a lesser extent, African American criminal groups and gangs for distribution within the region.
State and federal precursor chemical controls and sustained law enforcement pressure continue to drive down methamphetamine production levels in Florida. Methamphetamine production in Florida appears to be decreasing according to NSS data--the number of methamphetamine laboratories seized by law enforcement in the state decreased from 200 in 2005 to 148 in 2006; 71 laboratories have been seized in the region as of November 27, 2007. The decrease in production most likely is the result of several factors, including state and federal precursor chemical restrictions enacted since 2004, law enforcement pressure, increasing public awareness, and the increasing availability of Mexican ice methamphetamine.
Figure 2. The Florida/Caribbean Region.
Greatest Drug Threat to the Florida/Caribbean Region as Reported by State and Local Agencies
Methamphetamine is the second greatest drug threat to the Florida/Caribbean Region.
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.
Methamphetamine abuse in the region is at high levels, particularly in rural areas of the region. The latest available treatment data indicate that the number of amphetamine-related (including methamphetamine) admissions to publicly funded treatment facilities in the region increased significantly in recent years (see Table 2 in Appendix B). Methamphetamine abuse is most profound in rural communities and is not as prevalent in metropolitan areas.
Over the past 2 years, precursor chemical control legislation in every state of the region has contributed to a significant decline in methamphetamine production levels. According to NSS data, the number of reported methamphetamine laboratory seizures in the Great Lakes Region decreased significantly from 1,209 in 2002 to 933 in 2006; 582 laboratories have been seized in the region through November 27, 2007. According to law enforcement officials, a large percentage of this decrease resulted from the inability of small-scale laboratory operators to obtain precursor chemicals necessary for methamphetamine production from retail locations. To this end, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin currently schedule ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, and all states in the region have point-of-sale restrictions, including restrictions on quantity, packaging, or display. Other factors contributing to the decline in production include aggressive law enforcement efforts, public awareness campaigns, and rising availability of Mexican ice methamphetamine.
Mexican ice methamphetamine availability is increasing in many areas of the region. Declining local methamphetamine production is being offset by an increase in the availability of Mexican ice methamphetamine. Mexican DTOs are the primary suppliers of ice methamphetamine to distribution centers in the region, including Chicago, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Rural locations outside of these cities are often used as "stash locations," where the drug is stored for further distribution to smaller drug markets in and outside the Great Lakes Region.
Figure 3. The Great Lakes Region.
Greatest Drug Threat to the Great Lakes Region as Reported by State and Local Agencies
Methamphetamine is the second greatest drug threat to the Great Lakes Region.
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.
Increasing supplies of ice methamphetamine are contributing to rising rates of methamphetamine abuse in the region. Ice methamphetamine availability and abuse are increasing in a number of areas in the region, particularly in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, where law enforcement agencies attribute rising availability and abuse to increasing distribution of ice methamphetamine by Mexican DTOs. Rising availability in the region is evidenced by Federal-wide Drug Seizure System (FDSS) data revealing that the amount of methamphetamine seized by federal law enforcement officers in the region increased from 25.5 kilograms in 2002 to 43.7 kilograms in 2006; 12.5 kilograms were seized as of November 1, 2007. Moreover, rising abuse levels are supported by treatment data indicating that the number of amphetamine-related abuse admissions (including methamphetamine) to publicly funded treatment facilities in the region increased significantly (see Table 2 in Appendix B).
Mexican DTOs are the principal suppliers of ice methamphetamine to the Mid-Atlantic Region. Mexican DTOs transport multipound quantities of ice methamphetamine to the region from Mexico, generally using transshipment locations in southwestern states (primarily California), Pacific states (primarily Nevada), and southeastern states (primarily North Carolina and Georgia). Most of the ice methamphetamine is transported in private or rental vehicles equipped with hidden compartments and, to a lesser extent, by mail and parcel delivery services. Mexican DTOs typically supply Hispanic street gangs, Caucasian and Hispanic criminal groups and independent dealers, and OMGs with ice methamphetamine for retail distribution in the region.
Methamphetamine production in the region has diminished; it is a relatively low threat. The threat posed to the Mid-Atlantic Region from methamphetamine production is relatively low. Most of the methamphetamine laboratories discovered in the region are small-scale and are typically operated by methamphetamine abusers who produce gram quantities of the drug for personal use and sale to close associates. Methamphetamine production in the region recently decreased as evidenced by NSS data--the number of laboratories seized by law enforcement officials in the region declined from 233 in 2004 to 109 in 2006; 46 laboratories have been seized in the region as of November 27, 2007. This decline can be attributed to precursor chemical control legislation, aggressive law enforcement efforts, public awareness campaigns, and the rising availability of Mexican ice methamphetamine.
Figure 4. The Mid-Atlantic Region.
Greatest Drug Threat to the Mid-Atlantic Region as Reported by State and Local Agencies.
Methamphetamine is a relatively low drug threat to the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.
The threat posed to the region by methamphetamine is low; local production is decreasing. Methamphetamine production in the New England Region is low--according to NSS data, the number of methamphetamine laboratories seized in New England decreased from 20 in 2005 to 13 in 2006; 2 laboratories have been seized in the region as of November 27, 2007. One methamphetamine laboratory--seized in Providence--was the first laboratory seized in Rhode Island since 2003. Only gram or personal use quantities could be produced in each of the methamphetamine laboratories seized in 2006 and 2007. Additionally, amphetamine-related (including methamphetamine) admissions to publicly funded treatment facilities were relatively low in recent years as compared with other regions (see Table 2 in Appendix B).
Ice methamphetamine availability is limited within New England. Mexican DTOs transport small quantities of ice methamphetamine to New England; such transportation is limited because there is little demand for the drug in the area. New England is one of the few areas of the nation in which ice methamphetamine is rarely abused.
Vietnamese traffickers are beginning to produce and distribute methamphetamine. According to law enforcement reporting, some Canada-based Vietnamese traffickers are beginning to transition from producing high-potency marijuana to producing methamphetamine in Canada, primarily Ontario, transporting it across the U.S.-Canada border, and distributing it in drug markets within the region. Additionally, Vietnamese distributors travel to several areas in the United States, including Lowell (MA), and trade powder methamphetamine for cocaine. They then transport the cocaine back to Canada for distribution.
Figure 5. The New England Region.
Greatest Drug Threat to the New England Region as Reported by State and Local Agencies
Methamphetamine is a relatively low drug threat to the New England Region.
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.
The threat posed by powder methamphetamine to the New York/New Jersey Region, although low, has increased; abuse of Mexican ice methamphetamine also has increased. The trafficking and abuse of methamphetamine pose a lower threat to the New York/New Jersey Region than cocaine, heroin, and marijuana; however, a modest increase in methamphetamine availability is a growing concern for law enforcement and public health officials. This increase in availability is driven by slowly rising local production of powder methamphetamine and by an influx of high-purity Mexican ice methamphetamine transported into the region by Mexican DTOs. Methamphetamine-related treatment admissions in the region have been low and stable, according to the most recent treatment data (see Table 2 in Appendix B). However, treatment providers are concerned about a potential increase because ice methamphetamine abuse, previously concentrated among members of the homosexual male population, is gradually spreading beyond this community to the general population. Law enforcement officials in New Jersey report an increase in ice methamphetamine availability in the Atlantic City area (northern New Jersey) and in Burlington and Gloucester Counties (southern New Jersey).
Methamphetamine production in the region is low but may be rising. Although laboratory seizure data reveal only a few methamphetamine laboratory seizures over the past several years, law enforcement intelligence and investigative information indicate that production has slowly increased, particularly in rural areas of the region, such as Upstate New York. Most methamphetamine laboratories established in the region are small--quantities produced in these laboratories are only sufficient for personal use and limited distribution. Rural areas in the region reportedly are favored by clandestine laboratory operators because of the reduced risk of detection and the likelihood of a lesser law enforcement presence. However, according to seizure data, some small-scale laboratories have been located in urban locations such as the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, and Queens as well as Westchester County and Camden (NJ). These methamphetamine laboratories are typically small, capable of producing only personal use quantities, and are often set up in private residences and motel rooms. Although methamphetamine production in the region is low, chemicals used to produce methamphetamine frequently are diverted from chemical companies to methamphetamine producers and distributors nationwide. In New Jersey, point-of-sale restriction legislation limits the quantity of precursor chemical products that may be purchased in a single transaction; however, no such legislation exists in New York.
Mexican traffickers are the principal suppliers of methamphetamine to the region; various dealers distribute the drug at the retail level. Mexican DTOs are the primary methamphetamine distributors in the New York/New Jersey Region; they also are responsible for the influx of higher-purity ice methamphetamine to the area. Local Mexican wholesale distributors transport multipound quantities of ice methamphetamine into the region from laboratories in Mexico and California and from transshipment locations in southwestern states and, increasingly, Atlanta. Mexican DTOs are the principal wholesale distributors of methamphetamine in the region, and they, along with Hispanic street gangs, control much of the midlevel and retail distribution in the region's cities and larger towns. Caucasian independent dealers and OMGs are the predominant retail dealers in rural areas of the region, where most methamphetamine is distributed and abused. According to law enforcement officials, OMGs commonly use bars in rural areas of the region as methamphetamine distribution sites. Many OMGs have established relationships with Mexican DTOs in order to gain greater access to ice methamphetamine and expand distribution of the drug.
Figure 6. The New York/New Jersey Region.
Greatest Drug Threat to the New York/New Jersey Region as Reported by State and Local Agencies
Methamphetamine is a relatively low drug threat to the New York/New Jersey Region.
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.
Methamphetamine is the greatest drug threat to the Pacific Region. A majority of law enforcement officials who responded to the NDTS 2007 (94.3 %) identified methamphetamine as the greatest drug threat to their jurisdictions. The nature of this threat is further exemplified by drug seizure and treatment data. According to FDSS, the amount of methamphetamine seized in the region increased each year from 1,889 kilograms in 2005 to 2,440 kilograms in 2006; 1,968 kilograms have been seized in the region as of November 1, 2007. Additionally, according to the most recent treatment data, a significant number of amphetamine-related (including methamphetamine) treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities were recorded in recent years (see Table 2 in Appendix B).
Law enforcement reporting indicates that recent decreases in methamphetamine availability are occurring in many drug markets in the Pacific Region. Several drug markets within the Pacific Region are reportedly experiencing declining methamphetamine availability. Law enforcement agencies in Modesto, Oakland, and Sacramento (CA); Honolulu (HI); Boise (ID); Las Vegas (NV); Portland (OR); and Seattle (WA) recently reported decreases in availability and purity of methamphetamine in their areas, and most reported a concurrent rise in methamphetamine prices during the first 6 months of 2007. Several factors, including declining domestic production, precursor chemical controls, and law enforcement pressure quite likely are contributing to these shortages.
Mexican DTOs have augmented declining supplies of locally produced methamphetamine with ice methamphetamine from Mexico. Precursor chemical control legislation, aggressive law enforcement efforts, and public awareness campaigns have decreased the production of methamphetamine throughout the region. As a result, the number of methamphetamine laboratory seizures in the region decreased significantly from 1,717 in 2002 to 247 in 2006, according to NSS data; 106 laboratories have been seized in the region as of November 27, 2007. Small-scale laboratories still exist in the region but are typically capable of producing only limited quantities for personal use or limited distribution--on average, 4 to 7 grams per production cycle. These laboratories are generally operated by independent Caucasian producers. Law enforcement authorities report that a few superlabs still operate in the region; these laboratories, operated by Mexican DTOs, are generally located in the northern and Central Valley areas of California and in Oregon. Mexican DTOs have supplanted the decrease in methamphetamine from local laboratories with large quantities of high-purity ice methamphetamine that they smuggle into the region from Mexico.
Mexican DTOs dominate the transportation and wholesale distribution of methamphetamine in the Pacific Region; various traffickers distribute the drug at the retail level. Mexican DTOs smuggle most of the ice methamphetamine available in the region from Michoacán, Mexico; they also transport additional quantities of the drug throughout the region from production areas in central and southern California. Mexican DTOs are the primary wholesale distributors of most of this methamphetamine; they generally supply Hispanic, Caucasian, and African American traffickers as well as Hispanic and African American street gangs with the drug for retail distribution.
In response to increasing law enforcement pressure, Mexican DTOs have relocated many of their large-scale production operations to rural areas of the region and have conducted phases of production at separate processing areas. According to law enforcement reporting, Mexican DTOs have relocated some of their large-scale production operations to rural areas in northern and central California and Oregon. These DTOs reportedly rent farms or other rural properties for extended periods of time and use them to produce methamphetamine continuously until laboratory operators believe it is no longer safe to operate from the location; some locations are used for several months at a time. Moreover, laboratory operators are increasingly conducting their "cooks" in stages, transferring methamphetamine in solution from a laboratory site to a separate processing area to minimize the loss of completed product should the laboratory be detected.
Methamphetamine producers are disposing of laboratory by-products in increasingly hazardous ways in order to avoid law enforcement detection. Some methamphetamine laboratory operators in the region have recognized that laboratory waste materials provide valuable evidence to law enforcement authorities. As a result, laboratory operators in California's Central Valley are increasingly setting fire to laboratory dumpsites before abandoning them or burying waste materials on the property around the laboratory site as the waste is produced. Such practices cause wildfire hazards and significant environmental damage that result in tremendous cleanup costs.
Figure 7. The Pacific Region.
Greatest Drug Threat to the Pacific Region as Reported by State and Local Agencies
Methamphetamine is the greatest drug threat to the Pacific Region.
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.
Ice methamphetamine has emerged as a serious drug threat to the Southeast Region. Increasing distribution of ice methamphetamine by Mexican DTOs, combined with Atlanta's position as a principal domestic distribution center, has rendered ice methamphetamine a serious drug threat to the Southeast Region. Mexican ice methamphetamine has become the most prevalent type of methamphetamine available in the region, the result of concerted distribution efforts by Mexican DTOs and decreased local powder methamphetamine production. Methamphetamine is abused at high levels in the Southeast Region; according to treatment data, amphetamine-related admissions (including methamphetamine) to publicly funded treatment facilities increased significantly in recent years (see Table 2 in Appendix B). Most methamphetamine is abused by Caucasians; however, indicators in Atlanta suggest a growing level of methamphetamine abuse among African Americans. Moreover, law enforcement officials report that methamphetamine abuse is increasing in lower-income areas where crack cocaine traditionally dominated, in part because of the drug's rapidly increasing availability and long-lasting effects.
Mexican DTOs and criminal groups are the dominant wholesale distributors of ice methamphetamine in the region; African American street gangs are increasingly distributing the drug at the retail level. Mexican DTOs and criminal groups dominate the wholesale distribution of ice methamphetamine in the region. Hispanic (primarily Mexican) and Caucasian DTOs and criminal groups distribute most of the ice methamphetamine available at the retail level; however, African American street gangs are increasingly distributing the drug at the retail level as well. Asian criminal groups and members of OMGs also distribute methamphetamine at the retail level, but to a limited extent.
Local powder methamphetamine production has decreased throughout the region. Increased restrictions on the sale of precursor chemicals such as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine implemented throughout the Southeast Region have resulted in drastically decreased local methamphetamine production. According to the latest NSS data, the number of methamphetamine laboratories seized in the region decreased from 1,560 in 2002 to 930 in 2006; 538 laboratories were seized in the region as of November 27, 2007. Additionally, methamphetamine laboratory operators are attempting to bypass precursor chemical restrictions. For instance, Shelby County (TN) law enforcement officials report that methamphetamine producers are increasingly condensing ammonia, a necessary chemical in methamphetamine production. Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers are the primary methamphetamine producers in the region.
Figure 8. The Southeast Region.
Greatest Drug Threat to the Southeast Region as Reported by State and Local Agencies
Methamphetamine is the second greatest drug threat to the Southeast Region.
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.
Mexico is the primary source for ice methamphetamine available in the Southwest Region as well as in the rest of the United States. According to law enforcement reporting, Mexican DTO-produced methamphetamine accounts for approximately two-thirds of the ice methamphetamine abused in the United States, most of which is smuggled into the country across the U.S.-Mexico border. The dominance of Mexican ice methamphetamine has enabled Mexican DTOs to monopolize methamphetamine trafficking in the Southwest Region and throughout the United States, including the Pacific, West Central, and Southeast Regions. Mexican DTOs operate large-scale methamphetamine laboratories throughout Mexico, mainly concentrated in the Pacific Coast states of Baja California Norte, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, and Guerrero. The shift in production of methamphetamine from the United States to Mexico has enabled Mexican DTOs to monopolize methamphetamine trafficking in the Southwest Region and throughout the United States, including the Pacific, West Central, and Southeast Regions.
California is the primary entry point for ice methamphetamine smuggled into the region from Mexico. According to NSS data, methamphetamine seizures in California have increased significantly over the past few years, increasing from 589 kilograms seized in 2004 to 1,134 in 2005, to 1,737 kilograms in 2006; 946 kilograms of methamphetamine have been seized in California as of November 27, 2007. This pattern is most likely the result of Mexican DTO involvement in methamphetamine trafficking in California. Mexican DTOs have historically controlled many of California's superlabs and major methamphetamine production facilities; however, in recent years they have transferred most large-scale methamphetamine production operations to Mexico. Many of these DTOs now smuggle methamphetamine into California instead of producing the drug domestically. Despite the change in operations, it appears that these DTOs are using distribution networks that they developed while producing methamphetamine in California. These distribution networks encompass the Pacific, West Central, and Southeast Regions, enabling Mexican DTOs to maintain control of methamphetamine trafficking throughout California and the Southwest Region.
Methamphetamine production is decreasing throughout the region. Methamphetamine production has decreased significantly in the Southwest Region in recent years, largely as a result of successful regulatory efforts to control precursor chemicals as well as successful law enforcement operations. In fact, according to NSS data, methamphetamine laboratory seizures have decreased each year since 2002, from 1,946 in that year to 311 in 2006; 29 laboratories have been seized in the region as of November 27, 2007. Since Oklahoma passed and enacted House Bill 2167 in April 2004, all other states in the Southwest Region have enacted legislation to regulate the sale of ephedrine and/or pseudoephedrine; Oklahoma and New Mexico have scheduled these substances to further restrict their use. As a result, Mexican DTOs have transferred large-scale production operations from California to Mexico. Further, individuals operating small-scale laboratories can no longer obtain the precursor chemicals necessary to produce the drug. Small-scale operators now commonly purchase Mexican ice methamphetamine from local distributors rather than produce the drug. However, methamphetamine production persists throughout the region. Current methamphetamine production in the region primarily supplies quantities sufficient for personal use or limited distribution.
Law enforcement reporting indicates that recent decreases in methamphetamine availability are occurring in many drug markets in the Southwest Region. Several drug markets within the Southwest Region are reportedly experiencing declining methamphetamine availability. Law enforcement agencies in Phoenix (AZ) and Bakersfield, Los Angeles, and San Diego (CA) reported decreases in availability and purity of methamphetamine in their areas, and most reported a concurrent rise in methamphetamine prices during the first 6 months of 2007. Several factors, including declining domestic production, precursor chemical controls, and law enforcement pressure, quite likely are contributing to these shortages.
African American dealers are increasingly involved in methamphetamine abuse and distribution in the region. The demand for and abuse of methamphetamine are expanding beyond traditional Caucasian and Hispanic users throughout the Southwest Region and are emerging among African American individuals. Such expanding use is reflected in treatment data, which reveal an increasing number of amphetamine-related (including methamphetamine) admissions to publicly funded treatment facilities in recent years (see Table 2 in Appendix B). Some African American crack cocaine abusers are switching to methamphetamine. As a result, an increasing number of African American criminal groups, primarily crack cocaine distributors, are distributing methamphetamine in addition to crack cocaine. Moreover, some crack cocaine distributors have switched to solely distributing methamphetamine. This trend has been reported by law enforcement and health officials in southeastern New Mexico; Dallas and Tyler (TX); and Oklahoma City (OK). Law enforcement officials attribute the increasing involvement of African American criminal groups in methamphetamine distribution to increased profit potential; African American dealers are increasing their access to Caucasian and Hispanic consumers by distributing methamphetamine.
Figure 9. The Southwest Region.
Greatest Drug Threat to the Southwest Region as Reported by State and Local Agencies
Methamphetamine is the greatest drug threat to the Southwest Region.
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.
Methamphetamine abuse is of critical concern to law enforcement and public health officials. Methamphetamine poses the most serious drug abuse problem in the West Central Region, largely because of high addiction rates and the abundance of low-cost ice methamphetamine supplied by Mexican traffickers. According to treatment data, amphetamine-related admissions (including those for methamphetamine) to publicly funded treatment facilities in the West Central Region increased significantly in recent years (see Table 2 in Appendix B).
Mexican DTOs have established themselves as the primary methamphetamine source of supply for local and regional methamphetamine distributors. Mexican DTOs are the dominant wholesale methamphetamine distributors in the West Central Region; they control distribution of the drug to the region's midlevel and retail distributors. According to law enforcement reporting, Mexican DTOs supply at least 70 percent of the methamphetamine available throughout the region. Hispanic criminal groups are the primary midlevel and retail distributors in the region; however, other ethnic criminal groups, independent dealers, street gangs, and OMGs also distribute the drug to varying degrees in the region's retail drug markets. Retail distributors in remote areas of the region often travel to Denver and Salt Lake City to obtain methamphetamine from Mexican DTOs and street gangs for distribution in their communities.
Methamphetamine production is decreasing throughout the region. Methamphetamine production has decreased significantly in the West Central Region in recent years, largely as a result of successful regulatory efforts to control precursor chemicals as well as successful law enforcement operations. In fact, according to NSS data, the number of reported methamphetamine laboratory seizures in the region has decreased from 2,683 in 2004 to 917 in 2006; 594 laboratories have been seized in the region as of November 27, 2007. However, methamphetamine production persists throughout the region. Current methamphetamine production in the region primarily supplies quantities sufficient for personal use or limited distribution.
Some methamphetamine producers in Denver are forming criminal networks to circumvent precursor chemical control laws and maintain their methamphetamine production operations. According to the Denver North Metro Drug Task Force, criminal groups consisting of methamphetamine producers and abusers are forming in Denver to counter the growing dominance of Mexican ice methamphetamine and the legislatively enacted restrictions on the acquisition of pseudoephedrine and other chemicals used in methamphetamine production. These groups are locally based and self-sustaining; they prefer to produce or purchase local methamphetamine rather than use Mexican methamphetamine. They typically have from 12 to 20 members who band together for the purpose of conducting criminal activities with the ultimate purpose of acquiring materials for methamphetamine production and supplying their methamphetamine habits. Crews recruit individuals with specific criminal talents such as auto theft, prescription fraud, identity theft, credit card theft and, in some instances, counterfeiting currency on color printers. Crew members use counterfeit money for subsistence items like food and gas but typically do not use it to purchase pseudoephedrine or other essential items for methamphetamine production.
Figure 10. The West Central Region.
Greatest Drug Threat to the West Central Region as Reported by State and Local Agencies
Methamphetamine is the greatest drug threat to the West Central Region.
Source: National Drug Threat Survey 2007.
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