2011 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program Report
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Executive Office of the President Office of National Drug Control Policy High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program Report to Congress June 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ………………….……………………………. 1 Strategic Objectives…………...………..………………….………. 3 I. HIDTA Program Background Information …………........………..…...... 5 II. National HIDTA Program Evaluation ……….......…………….....…… 9 III. Assessment of Law Enforcement Intelligence Sharing in the HIDTA Program……. 13 IV. Assessment of Drug Enforcement Task Forces in HIDTAs…….....……....… 20 V. Individual HIDTA Reports 24 Appalachia ……………………………………….……..….. 27 Atlanta …………………………………………….……… 32 Central Florida ………………………………………………. 36 Central Valley California ………………………….………..…... 39 Chicago …………………………..…..….……………..…. 43 Gulf Coast ………………………………..………………... 47 Hawaii ………………………………………………..…... 52 Houston ………...………………………….…………..….. 58 Lake County ……….…………………….…………………. 64 Los Angeles …………..………………………………...…... 68 Michigan ……………..………………………..…..………. 74 Midwest …………………………...……….………...……. 78 Milwaukee ………………………………………...…...…... 85 Nevada …………………………………………...……...... 90 New England ……………………………………………….. 94 New York/New Jersey ……………………………...………….. 99 North Florida …………………………………...……..……. 106 North Texas ……………………………...……......………... 111 Northern California ……………………………...…….……… 116 Northwest ……………………………...…….........……….. 122 Ohio ……………………………...……............…………. 126 Oregon ……………………………...……............……….. 131 Philadelphia/Camden ……………………………...…………... 136 Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands ………………………………... 143 Rocky Mountain ……………………………...……………… 147 South Florida ……………………………...……....……....... 152 SWB - Arizona Region ……………………………...…….…… 156 SWB - California Region ……………………………...……..…. 162 SWB - New Mexico Region ……………………………………... 167 SWB - South Texas Region ……………………………………... 171 SWB - West Texas Region ……………………………………… 175 Washington/Baltimore …………………………………………. 179 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Pursuant to the requirements of Section 707 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Reauthorization Act of 1998, as amended by Section 301 of the ONDCP Reauthorization Act of 2006, P.L. 109-469, ONDCP is providing Congress with this report on the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs). In order to present a national overview and individual HIDTA focus, this report provides background information and addresses three Congressional reporting requirements in one cohesive and coordinated document. This document is divided into an Executive Summary, Strategic Objectives, and five primary sections: 1. HIDTA Program Background Information The HIDTA program provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the Nation. There are currently 28 regional HIDTAs which include approximately 16 percent of all counties in the United States and 60 percent of the population. HIDTA-designated counties are located in 45 states plus Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. Through the HIDTA program, representatives of Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies in each HIDTA region coordinate and collaborate to address the specific drug threats of that region. 2. National HIDTA Program Evaluation This report provides Congress with an evaluation of HIDTA performance. ONDCP has established two goals for the HIDTA program which address program effectiveness, program efficiency, and program management. These goals also reflect the continued refinement of the process ONDCP has developed to manage and measure HIDTA performance. The first goal is to reduce drug availability by assisting Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies participating in HIDTAs to dismantle and disrupt drug trafficking organizations. The second goal is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HIDTA initiatives. In order to report on their achievement of these goals, each HIDTA is required to provide the following four documents pertaining to its geographical area, on which its performance evaluation is based: 1) Threat Assessment; 2) Strategy; 3) Initiative Budget Proposals; and 4) Annual Report. 3. Assessment of Law Enforcement Intelligence Sharing in the HIDTA Program This report outlines the formal processes of the HIDTA program to assess law enforcement intelligence and information sharing, and highlights the formal evaluation and review process of the HIDTA program, including policy and budget guidance; FY 2009 funding levels for intelligence; processes for sharing Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement information; and the measures needed to achieve effective sharing of information. The HIDTA program has 57 operational intelligence and information sharing initiatives. Each HIDTA capitalizes on the combined resources of the Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement communities. The HIDTAs prepare and review threat assessments and apply the appropriate law enforcement response to combat illegal drug activity in our Nation. 1 4. Assessment of Drug Enforcement Task Forces in HIDTAs Regardless of the method of funding task forces (e.g., HIDTA, Justice Action Grant (JAG)/Byrne-sponsored), the 28 HIDTAs provide a coordination umbrella for Federal, state, local, and tribal drug law enforcement efforts; foster a strategy-driven systemic approach to integrate and synchronize efforts; facilitate efficiency, effectiveness, and cooperation among and between various agencies; and focus on outcomes and impacts. Using both formal and informal methods of coordination among drug enforcement task forces, the HIDTAs act as neutral centers to manage, deconflict, analyze, and report on drug enforcement activities in their respective regions. 5. Individual HIDTA Reports To address the specific reporting requirements, an analysis of each HIDTA is included in this report. These reports are succinct descriptions of the individual HIDTAs and their responses to the Congressional report requirements. For more comprehensive information on an individual HIDTA’s performance in addressing specific drug threats, ONDCP can provide, upon request, that HIDTA’s Annual Report, Strategy, or Threat Assessment. 2 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES This report demonstrates how the HIDTA program works to achieve the long-term goal of reducing drug trafficking and drug production in the United States by: (A) facilitating cooperation among Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to share information and implement coordinated enforcement activities; (B) enhancing law enforcement intelligence sharing among Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies; (C) providing reliable law enforcement intelligence to law enforcement agencies needed to design effective enforcement strategies and operations; and, (D) supporting coordinated law enforcement strategies which maximize the use of available resources to reduce the supply of illegal drugs in designated areas and in the United States as a whole. ONDCP developed three specific strategic objectives in response to an analysis of the various components of this report. These strategic objectives, to be accomplished in FY 2011, include processes ONDCP either is currently undertaking or will soon undertake to achieve a more effective and efficient HIDTA program. Increase the Level of Participation in HIDTA Intelligence and Investigative Support Centers (IISCs)1 by Federal Agencies. • Surveying every HIDTA annually to determine the percentage of full-time agency participation in HIDTA IISCs. • Creating a headquarters-level interagency working group to assess Federal efforts to provide resources to HIDTA IISCs, and identify obstacles, and needed resources. • Encouraging increased participation and active engagement in IISCs by Federal agencies (DEA, FBI, ICE) through a series of focused meetings outlining the benefits of pooling resources and continuing to enhance the effectiveness of IISCs through integration with federal intelligence and investigative centers. Improve Information Flow and Collaboration Among HIDTAs and Non-HIDTA Task Forces. • Receive and disseminate recommendations and best practices from HIDTAs regarding the improvement of information flow and collaboration among HIDTA and non-HIDTA task forces. • Survey the HIDTAs to: o identify barriers o determine resource requirements to connect to the National Virtual Pointer System (NVPS).2 1 The Intelligence and Investigative Support Centers (IISCs) were previously known as Intelligence Support Centers (ISC) or Investigative Support Centers (ISC). 2 The NVPS was developed by the DEA, in partnership with the HIDTA program and the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS), to connect databases of participating Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies into a single automated system. Through NVPS, participating agencies have the capability to exchange target information through a single point of entry using a sensitive but unclassified secure network. It allows participating agencies to determine if any other law enforcement agency is investigating the same subject. 3 • Host strategy coordination meetings with HIDTAs on improving information flow among all drug enforcement task forces in their regions. Ensure HIDTA Investigative and Interdiction Initiatives Focus on Primary Drug Threats and are in Alignment with the National Drug Control Strategy and National goals. • Require all HIDTAs to establish and submit operational priorities in their annual Strategies, to include the identification of primary