Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2008
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ARCHIVED Drug Market Analysis 2008 Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area NATIONAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE CENTER U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE National Drug Intelligence Center 319 Washington Street 5th Floor, Johnstown, PA 15901-1622 • (814) 532-4601 NDIC publications are available on the following web sites: INTERNET www.usdoj.gov/ndic ADNET http://ndicosa RISS ndic.riss.net LEO https://www.leo.gov/http://leowcs.leopriv.gov/lesig/ndic/index.htm 060408 This document may contain dated information. It has been made available to provide access to historical materials. ARCHIVED Product No. 2008-R0813-003 June 2008 Drug Market Analysis 2008 Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area NATIONAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE CENTER U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE This assessment is an outgrowth of a partnership between the NDIC and HIDTA Program for preparation of annual assessments depicting drug trafficking trends and developments in HIDTA Program areas. The report has been coordinated with the HIDTA, is limited in scope to HIDTA jurisdictional boundaries, and draws upon a wide variety of sources within those boundaries. This document may contain dated information. It has been made available to provide access to historical materials. ARCHIVED National Drug Intelligence Center This page intentionally left blank. ii This document may contain dated information. It has been made available to provide access to historical materials. ARCHIVED ATLANTA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area 2008 TABLE OF CON T EN T S Preface ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 Strategic Drug Threat Developments ......................................................................................................... 2 HIDTA Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Drug Threat Overview ............................................................................................................................... 4 Drug Trafficking Organizations .................................................................................................................. 5 Production ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Transportation ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Distribution ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Drug-Related Crime ................................................................................................................................. 11 Abuse ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 Illicit Finance ........................................................................................................................................... 13 Outlook ................................................................................................................................................... 14 Sources .................................................................................................................................................... 15 iii This document may contain dated information. It has been made available to provide access to historical materials. ARCHIVED National Drug Intelligence Center This page intentionally left blank. iv This document may contain dated information. It has been made available to provide access to historical materials. ARCHIVED ATLANTA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area 2008 PREFA C E This assessment provides a strategic overview of the illicit drug situation in the Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), highlighting significant trends and law enforcement concerns related to the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs. The report was prepared through detailed analysis of recent law enforcement reporting, information obtained through interviews with law enforcement and public health officials, and available statistical data. The report is designed to provide policymakers, resource planners, and law enforcement officials with a focused discussion of key drug issues and developments facing the Atlanta HIDTA. WEST VIRGINIA KENTUCKY VIRGINIA DURHAM TENNESSEE WAKE WILSON NORTH CAROLINA WAYNE JOHNSTON BARTOW CHEROKEE FORSYTH BARROW SOUTH CAROLINA COBB GWINNETT DOUGLAS DEKALB FULTON HENRY CLAYTON FAYETTE ALABAMA IN OH MD WV DE GEORGIA KY VA TN NC SC AL GA HIDTA County Area of FL New HIDTA County Atlanta HIDTA FLORIDA Figure 1. Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. 1 This document may contain dated information. It has been made available to provide access to historical materials. ARCHIVED National Drug Intelligence Center ST RA T EGI C DRUG THREA T HIDTA OVERVIEW DEVELO P MEN T S The Atlanta HIDTA region’s emergence as a national-level drug distribution center has resulted • The Atlanta HIDTA region has become the in the continued expansion of the HIDTA region. principal drug distribution center for Mexican When established in 1995, the Atlanta HIDTA drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that sup- region was composed of DeKalb and Fulton ply illicit drugs to drug markets in the eastern Counties; in 2006, Cobb and Gwinnett Counties United States. in Georgia were added to the region. Then, in • Mexican DTOs have moved some of their February 2008, the Office of National Drug Con- illicit drug operations from Atlanta, Georgia, trol Policy (ONDCP) announced the designation to North Carolina and are increasingly using of Barrow, Bartow, Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, North Carolina locations to distribute whole- Fayette, Forsyth, and Henry Counties in Georgia sale quantities of illicit drugs to eastern U.S. and Durham, Johnston, Wake, Wayne, and Wil- drug markets. The Mexican traffickers operat- son Counties in North Carolina as additions to the ing in North Carolina are not competing with Atlanta HIDTA region. (See Figure 1 on page 1.) the Mexican traffickers operating in Atlanta; Moreover, many HIDTA initiatives and investiga- instead, the traffickers have formed a coop- tions extend into counties within the Atlanta Met- ropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) that are adjacent erative relationship in an attempt to expand 1 control of Mexican drug trafficking and to to the HIDTA region. (See Figure 2 on page 3.) increase market share. The Atlanta HIDTA region is the leading drug • A shortage in wholesale quantities of powder distribution center for Mexican DTOs that supply illicit drugs, particularly powder cocaine, to drug cocaine was reported by several law enforce- 2 ment agencies in the Atlanta area in 2007. markets in the eastern United States. The drug flow This shortage led to an increase in wholesale from the Atlanta HIDTA region has positioned it as kilogram prices; however, retail prices did not a national-level drug distribution center for many increase because retail distributors adapted to eastern U.S. drug markets. Mexican DTOs distrib- the shortage by cutting cocaine to stretch sup- ute illicit drugs from the Atlanta HIDTA region to plies. This action resulted in a slight decrease cities throughout the eastern United States, includ- in the purity of cocaine sold at the retail level ing Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; during this period. In early 2008 mixed report- Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Columbia, South ing from law enforcement agencies revealed Carolina; Gainesville, Orlando, and Pensacola, that some wholesale powder cocaine distribu- Florida; Indianapolis, Indiana; Knoxville, Tennes- tors continue to experience decreased cocaine see; Louisville, Kentucky; and Norfolk, Virginia. availability, while others are able to supply multikilogram quantities. 1. The Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes the following 28 counties: Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, • MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphet- Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, amine, also known as ecstasy) distribution and Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, abuse have increased among African Ameri- Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Newton, Pauld- ing, Pickens, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton. cans in the Atlanta HIDTA region. MDMA is 2. According to the Rand McNally Road Atlas and Travel frequently mentioned and referred to as “X” Guide 2007, the eastern United States consists of Ala- in hip-hop music, which may account for the bama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, increased popularity and abuse of the drug. Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. 2 This document may contain dated information. It has been made available to provide access to historical materials. ARCHIVED ATLANTA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area 2008 KY VA KY VA Chattanooga 75 TENNESSEE NORTH CAROLINA 24 TN NC 76 SC AL Dalton 76 GA 59 75 5 PICKENS DAWSON 23 Area of FL Atlanta HIDTA CHEROKEE FORSYTH Gainesville BARTOW 985 575 85 Roswell Sandy Springs BARROW Athens COBB PAULDING GWINNETT 285 ALABAMA Atlanta HARALSON WALTON DEKALB DOUGLAS ROCKDALE 20 FULTON Major City* CARROLL