Cocaine
“Cocaine trafficking is the leading drug threat in the United State and the rest of the world” (Stacy 2002), but there has been a shortage of cocaine in the United States since early 2007. This shortage of cocaine has been brought due to low production of cocaine In Mexico, and this was as a result of pressure from the United States government to DTOs (Mexico), large seizure of cocaine consignment in both US and Mexico, and lastly increase in the demand of cocaine in the rest of the world. All these factors are some of the reasons which have contributed to the drug traffickers shifting transportation routes of cocaine coming into the United States. In 2008 research was conducted by the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), and their finding was that 41 percent of all the states and local authorities in the US, cocaine was the greatest threat in their area of operation and it has contributed to 50 percent and 39 percent of general crimes and property respectively.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in their assessment of drug-related crimes found that between 2007 to 2008, cocaine-related crimes that were committed accounted for 42 percent, and this was 17,688 of 41822 arrests. While the data from NSDUH, the number of persons aged 18 years and below who use cocaine has decreased drastically i.e. in 2006 it was 2.5 percent and 2007 it was 2.3 percent, but the rate of persons aged above 18 years was still high than for all other illegal substance except marijuana. Cocaine in the form of “crack” being addictive, contributes almost 250,000 of all the admission in the government-run rehabilitation facilities in the country. “Cocaine being addictive in nature, particularly in the form of crack it contributes to nearly a quarter a million of admission to publicly funded facilities” (Long 1993). It is known that 65 percent of all the cocaine entering the United State is smuggled through the Southwest border and this is because the traffickers have invented sophisticated ways of smuggling cocaine into the United States.
Methamphetamine
“Methamphetamine production, trafficking, and its use are concentrated in the western, southwestern and midwestern regions of US” (Ashcroft 2005). Underground labs which are found in the United States (California) and Mexico are the major sources of methamphetamine that is being smuggled into the country. In the past years, methamphetamine trafficking and abuse in the US has changed significantly, In 2000 Traffickers from Mexico are organized and operate “super labs” that are capable of producing 10 pounds of methamphetamine in one day. “Mexicans criminal is responsible for supplying high quality at low-cost and are based in Mexico and California. In 2001 a total of 298 underground labs were seized, this is according to El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC)” (Long 1993), while in California the number was 24 super labs. Methamphetamine smuggling into the US has increased significantly over the years this is according to El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC). In 2001 a total of 1,370 kilograms were seized at the Mexico- United States border, as you compare it a decade ago were only a total of 6.5 kilos of methamphetamine was found. The entry point in which methamphetamine is being struggled has traditionally been the port of California- San Ysidro. The most common smuggling the traffickers are usually using is at the concealed compartments in a bus. Despite the recent Mexican government putting restrictions on the importation of precursor chemicals, this has not deterred the traffickers from increasing the availability of methamphetamine, “they are using less-efficient precursors and this has helped in increasing the availability levels in the Mexico and United States” (Ashcroft 2005).
Reference List
Ashcroft, J. (2005). Midwest Methamphetamine Crisis: Developing a Plan for Federal, State and Local Cooperation: Hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate. New York: DIANE Publishing.
Long, R.E. (1993). Drugs in America, Volume 65, Issue 4. Michigan: H.W. Wilson Publisher.
Stacy, L. (2002). Mexico and the United State, Volume 1. New York: Marshall Cavendish Publisher.