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Illicit drug production in the Nevada HIDTA region is typically limited to small-scale methamphetamine production, indoor cannabis cultivation, and crack cocaine conversion. Local production of powder methamphetamine has declined significantly a result of restrictions the Nevada legislature placed on retail pseudoephedrine sales in 2001. The Nevada legislature also implemented enhanced penalties for manufacturing methamphetamine under certain circumstances, further curtailing methamphetamine production in the region.2 Methamphetamine production steadily decreased over the past 7 years from a high of 195 laboratories seized in 2001 to only eight seized in 2007 within the state (see Table 1). Most laboratories in the region are small and capable of producing less than an ounce of the drug per production cycle--enough for personal use or limited retail-level distribution.
Table 1. Methamphetamine Laboratories Seized in Clark County, Washoe County, and State of Nevada, 2001-2007
| Year | Clark County | Washoe County | State of Nevada |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 179 | 13 | 195 |
| 2002 | 69 | 10 | 81 |
| 2003 | 68 | 6 | 77 |
| 2004 | 43 | 9 | 52 |
| 2005 | 22 | 2 | 27 |
| 2006 | 13 | 1 | 16 |
| 2007 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
Source: National Seizure System, as of March 10, 2008.
Marijuana is the most widely abused drug in the region and demand for high-potency marijuana is increasing. To meet demand, traffickers in the region are increasingly establishing indoor cannabis cultivation operations--Nevada's arid climate and poor soil conditions are not conducive to outdoor cultivation. Most indoor cultivation sites employ sophisticated hydroponic growing techniques necessary for high-potency marijuana production. Caucasian criminal groups, independent dealers, and Asian DTOs are the predominant cannabis cultivators in the region; they generally manage grow sites independently; however, Asian DTOs often operate several sites simultaneously, working in coordination with associates in other cities within and outside the region. The number of indoor grow sites seized by law enforcement officials increased from 15 in 2005, to 27 in 2006, to 38 in 2007. The number of plants eradicated at these sites ranged from 30 to 300 and the sites typically were found in residential neighborhoods and rural areas such as the south side of Lake Tahoe and in sections of North Las Vegas. Moreover, the number of cannabis plants eradicated by officials increased significantly in the region, from 953 plants in 2005 to 5,970 plants in 2007, according to data from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP) (see Figure 2). Some cannabis plants are cultivated legally in the region under Nevada's medical marijuana law, which allows for limited, personal-use marijuana production. Individuals registered with the state may cultivate up to three mature and four immature plants at one time for medicinal purposes. Law enforcement officials report that some marijuana traffickers are cultivating cannabis under the guise of this law, but are doing so well in excess of legal limits.
Figure 2. Indoor Cannabis Plants Eradicated in Nevada, 2005-2007
Source: Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program.
African American street gangs and, to a lesser extent, Hispanic street gangs convert most of the crack cocaine available in the region from powder cocaine they typically acquire from Mexican DTOs and criminal groups. They generally produce crack at or near distribution sites in urban areas such as Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Reno.
The Nevada HIDTA region, particularly Las Vegas, is a regional and national-level transshipment area for Mexican DTOs that transport wholesale quantities of ice methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Mexican DTOs also use the region as a transshipment center for Mexican black tar and brown powder heroin. Illicit drugs destined for markets outside the region often are stored by traffickers at stash locations in the area before being transshipped to drug markets throughout the country, including markets in Hawaii and in midwestern and eastern states.
Mexican traffickers transport most illicit drugs available in the Nevada HIDTA region from Mexico, southern California, and Arizona into the area in privately owned and commercial vehicles traveling on I-15 and I-80 as well as US 93, 95, and 395. Traffickers also use commercial air, buses, and railroads to transport drugs to the region. Additionally, distributors and abusers who acquire ODDs and pharmaceutical drugs over the Internet typically receive them by package delivery services and U.S. mail.
Many Mexican traffickers use vehicles modified with hidden storage compartments capable of concealing multipound shipments of drugs or bulk cash. These compartments generally have electronic or magnetic switches that require several steps to open. They usually are welded into body frames, gas tanks, and passenger areas. Additionally, trafficking vehicles may have global positioning system (GPS) devices hard-wired into them to enable DTO leaders to track deliveries and observe deviations from prescribed routes as a result of law enforcement intervention. The drivers of these vehicles are frequently illegal immigrants who are hired to drive from one location to another without knowledge of the specific contraband that is in the vehicle or specific knowledge of the DTO. Additionally, the drivers usually hold fraudulent identification.
Asian criminal groups, particularly Vietnamese and Chinese, and some outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) transport high-potency marijuana and MDMA from Canada, California, and the Pacific Northwest to the Nevada HIDTA region in privately owned vehicles, rental cars and, to a lesser extent, commercial aircraft, buses, and trains. They also employ package delivery services and U.S. mail to transport illicit drugs into the region.
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