Illegal drug trade in the United States

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International drug routes. CIA Map of International illegal drug connections.gif
International drug routes.
Panamanian motor vessel Gatun during the largest cocaine bust in United States Coast Guard history (totalling 20 tons, worth over 600 million USD), off the coast of Panama. MV Gatun Cocaine seizure by USCG.jpg
Panamanian motor vessel Gatun during the largest cocaine bust in United States Coast Guard history (totalling 20 tons, worth over 600 million USD), off the coast of Panama.

The U.S. Federal Government is an opponent of the illegal drug trade; however, state laws vary greatly and in some cases contradict federal laws.

Contents

The Organization of American States estimated that the revenue for cocaine sales in the U.S. was $34 billion in 2013. The Office of National Drug Control Policy estimates that $100 billion worth of illegal drugs were sold in the U.S. in 2013. [1]

In the fiscal year of 2023, a total of 19,066 cases related to drugs were reported, with drug trafficking accounting for 18,939 of these cases. The majority of drug trafficking crimes, amounting to 98.1%, involved seven specific types of drugs. Quick Facts offers a general understanding of these crimes, although the details may differ depending on the specific drug involved in the offense. [2] In 2024, it was reported that LAX airport is the central hub for narcotics in the United States, perhaps even the world. [3]

War on Drugs

Marijuana seized at the Nogales border by U.S. Border Patrol 7 Tons of seized Marijuana.jpg
Marijuana seized at the Nogales border by U.S. Border Patrol
Total incarceration in the United States by year US incarceration timeline.gif
Total incarceration in the United States by year
Video of drug smugglers in high-speed boat dumping 2,300 pounds (1,000 kg) of cocaine in Eastern Pacific Ocean

The "War on Drugs" is a term commonly applied to a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, and the stated aim to define and reduce the illegal drug trade. This initiative includes a set of drug policies of the United States that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of illegal psychoactive drugs. The term was first used by U.S. President Richard Nixon, and was later popularized by the media. [4]

Minors

The U.S. government's most recent 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that nationwide over 800,000 adolescents ages 12–17 sold illegal drugs during the twelve months preceding the survey. [5] The 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that nationwide 25.4% of students had been offered, sold, or given an illegal drug by someone on school property. The prevalence of having been offered, sold, or given an illegal drug on school property ranged from 15.5% to 38.8% across state CDC surveys (median: 26.1%) and from 20.3% to 40.0% across local surveys (median: 29.4%). [6]

Despite over US$7 billion spent annually towards arresting [7] and prosecuting nearly 800,000 people across the country for marijuana offenses in 2005 (FBI Uniform Crime Reports), the federally funded Monitoring the Future Survey reports about 85% of high school seniors find marijuana “easy to obtain.” That figure has remained virtually unchanged since 1975, never dropping below 82.7% in three decades of national surveys. [8]

In 2009, the Justice Department identified more than 200 U.S. cities in which Mexican drug cartels "maintain drug distribution networks or supply drugs to distributors"- up from 100 three years earlier. [9] Most of the U.S. imports of drugs come from Mexican drug cartels. In the United States, around 195 cities have been infiltrated by drug trafficking that originated in Mexico. An estimated $10bn of the Mexican drug cartel's profits come from the United States, not only supplying the Mexican drug cartels with the profit necessary for survival, but also furthering America's economic dependence on drugs. [10]

Women

Women are often involved in the illegal drug trade in the United States, typically in marginal, low-level roles. [11]

Controversies

Smuggling

Drug smuggling across US borders may be done by several means. [12] Packages may be carried by people, or by cars, trucks and Railcar, hidden in Compartment. [12] Boats and submarines penetrate sea borders. [12] Drones pass above and tunnels pass below the usual routes of smuggling. [12]

Cocaine

A piece of compressed cocaine powder CocaineHCl.jpg
A piece of compressed cocaine powder

Cocaine is the second most popular illegal recreational drug in the United States behind cannabis, [13] and the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of cocaine. [14]

In 2020, the state of Oregon became the first U.S. state to decriminalize cocaine. [15] [16] This new law prevents people with small amounts of cocaine from facing jail time. In 2020, the U.S. state of Oregon would also become the first state to decriminalize the use of heroin. [17] This measure will allow people with small amounts to avoid arrest. [18]

Psilocybe semilanceata,a psilocybin mushroom species sold in the U.S. Psilocybe semilanceata 6514.jpg
Psilocybe semilanceata ,a psilocybin mushroom species sold in the U.S.

Doping in sports

Doping is the taking of performance-enhancing drugs, generally for sporting activities. Doping has been detected in many sporting codes, especially baseball and football.

SubstanceAthlete populationPercentage of athletes using substance [20]
Any substance banned by WADAElite athletes across sports (positive drug tests)2% over past year
Anabolic steroidsProfessional football players (self-report)9% used at some point in career
OpiatesProfessional football players (self-report)52% used at some point in career (71% of those misused at some point in career)
Smokeless tobaccoProfessional basketball players (self-report)35%–40% over past year
Professional football players (self-report)20%–30% over past year

Monitoring

Environmental monitoring can be used to map trafficking. [21] Trafficking of a substance tends to incidentally, disproportionately increase its nearby usage, and thus excretion. [21] This has been used to quantify trafficking into this country, and has also highlighted routes of smuggling through nearby countries which feed this country's large market – for example, Martinique. [21] Drug abuse poses a significant challenge in the United States, with individuals looking to abuse drugs having easy access to such substances. The abuse of prescription and nonprescription opioids remains a critical public health issue. A consequence of the widespread abuse of prescription opioids is the rise in new heroin users. This increase is partly due to a growing number of individuals transitioning from prescription opioids to heroin in search of a cheaper and more accessible alternative. Synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, are contributing significantly to the alarming increase in overdose deaths. A considerable amount of illicitly produced fentanyl originates from Mexico and China. Moreover, dangerous analogs of fentanyl, such as acetyl fentanyl, are frequently manufactured in China and smuggled into the U.S. Fentanyl is up to 40 times more potent than heroin and approximately 100 times more potent than morphine. Acetyl fentanyl, a close relative of fentanyl, has been associated with numerous overdose fatalities in the U.S. Opioid-dependent individuals often use fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl as substitutes for heroin, or these substances are mixed with heroin to increase volume or enhance effects. [22] In the 1950s and 1960s, most heroin was produced in Turkey and transshipped in France via the French Connection crime ring, with much of it arriving in the United States. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heroin</span> Opioid used as an analgesic and a recreational drug for its euphoric effects

Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the dried latex of the Papaver somniferum plant; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical-grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brown powders sold illegally around the world as heroin are routinely diluted with cutting agents. Black tar heroin is a variable admixture of morphine derivatives—predominantly 6-MAM (6-monoacetylmorphine), which is the result of crude acetylation during clandestine production of street heroin. Heroin is used medically in several countries to relieve pain, such as during childbirth or a heart attack, as well as in opioid replacement therapy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fentanyl</span> Opioid medication

Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic piperidine opioid primarily used as an analgesic. It is 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine; its primary clinical utility is in pain management for cancer patients and those recovering from painful surgeries. Fentanyl is also used as a sedative. Depending on the method of delivery, fentanyl can be very fast acting and ingesting a relatively small quantity can cause overdose. Fentanyl works by activating μ-opioid receptors. Fentanyl is sold under the brand names Actiq, Duragesic and Sublimaze, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal drug trade</span> Global black market

The illegal drug trade, drug trafficking, or narcotrafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through the use of drug prohibition laws. The think tank Global Financial Integrity's Transnational Crime and the Developing World report estimates the size of the global illicit drug market between US$426 and US$652 billion in 2014 alone. With a world GDP of US$78 trillion in the same year, the illegal drug trade may be estimated as nearly 1% of total global trade. Consumption of illegal drugs is widespread globally, and it remains very difficult for local authorities to reduce the rates of drug consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narco-state</span> Political and economic term

Narco-state is a political and economic term applied to countries where all legitimate institutions become penetrated by the power and wealth of the illegal drug trade. The term was first used to describe Bolivia following the 1980 coup of Luis García Meza which was seen to be primarily financed with the help of narcotics traffickers. Other well-known examples are the British Empire, Honduras, Guinea-Bissau, Mexico, Myanmar and Syria, and the USA where drug cartels produce, ship and sell drugs such as captagon, cocaine, heroin and marijuana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War on drugs</span> Global anti-drug campaign led by the United States

The war on drugs is the policy of a global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the United States. The initiative includes a set of drug policies that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of psychoactive drugs that the participating governments, through United Nations treaties, have made illegal.

Commonly-cited arguments for and against the prohibition of drugs include the following:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal drug policy of the United States</span> Nationwide framework regarding the abuse of drugs in the United States

The drug policy in the United States is the activity of the federal government relating to the regulation of drugs. Starting in the early 1900s, the United States government began enforcing drug policies. These policies criminalized drugs such as opium, morphine, heroin, and cocaine outside of medical use. The drug policies put into place are enforced by the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Classification of Drugs are defined and enforced using the Controlled Substance Act, which lists different drugs into their respective substances based on its potential of abuse and potential for medical use. Four different categories of drugs are Alcohol, Cannabis, Opioids, and Stimulants.

A drug policy is the policy regarding the control and regulation of psychoactive substances, particularly those that are addictive or cause physical and mental dependence. While drug policies are generally implemented by governments, entities at all levels may have specific policies related to drugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal drug trade in Colombia</span> Colombian sale and distribution of illegal narcotics

The illegal drug trade in Colombia has, since the 1970s, centered successively on four major drug trafficking cartels: Medellín, Cali, Norte del Valle, and North Coast, as well as several bandas criminales, or BACRIMs. The trade eventually created a new social class and influenced several aspects of Colombian culture, economics, and politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drug liberalization</span> Process of reducing drug prohibition laws

Drug liberalization is a drug policy process of decriminalizing, legalizing, or repealing laws that prohibit the production, possession, sale, or use of prohibited drugs. Variations of drug liberalization include drug legalization, drug relegalization, and drug decriminalization. Proponents of drug liberalization may favor a regulatory regime for the production, marketing, and distribution of some or all currently illegal drugs in a manner analogous to that for alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinaloa Cartel</span> Transnational drug-trafficking organization

The Sinaloa Cartel, also known as the Guzmán-Zambada Organization, the Federation, the Blood Alliance, or the Pacific Cartel, is a large, international organized crime syndicate based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico that specializes in illegal drug trafficking and money laundering.

The U.S. state of Oregon has various policies restricting the production, sale, and use of different substances. In 2006, Oregon's per capita drug use exceeded the national average. The most used substances were marijuana, methamphetamine and illicit painkillers and stimulants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal drug trade in Latin America</span>

The illegal drug trade in Latin America concerns primarily the production and sale of cocaine and cannabis, including the export of these banned substances to the United States and Europe. The coca cultivation is concentrated in the Andes of South America, particularly in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia; this is the world's only source region for coca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Arellano Félix</span> Mexican medical doctor (born 1955)

Carlos Alberto Arellano Félix is a Mexican medical doctor who is known for his illegal involvement in money laundering for the Tijuana Cartel. Carlos was born on the 20th of August in the year 1955 in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa. Historian Paul Eiss states that Culiacán is the origin of modern drug trafficking and the home of Mexico's most powerful drug cartel. Carlos is currently working as a licensed surgeon. He finished his surgical training at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara The Tijuana Cartel is an organisation that is notorious for being one of the most well-known drug trafficking groups in Mexico to smuggle goods into the United States. Carlos’ family is made up of seven brothers and four sisters who inherited the Arellano Felix Organisation from their godfather, Miguel Ángel Félix. Despite Carlos’ involvement in money laundering for the Tijuana Cartel, he is one of two brothers who remains free and is not wanted by the United States law enforcement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drugs in the United States</span>

In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defined the word "drug" as an "article intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in man or other animals" and those "(other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals." Consistent with that definition, the U.S. separately defines narcotic drugs and controlled substances, which may include non-drugs, and explicitly excludes tobacco, caffeine and alcoholic beverages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methamphetamine in the United States</span>

Methamphetamine in the United States is regulated under Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act. It is approved for pharmacological use in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy, and treatment-resistant obesity, but it is primarily used as a recreational drug. In 2012, 16,000 prescriptions for methamphetamine were filled, approximately 1.2 million Americans reported using it in the past year, and 440,000 reported using the drug in the past month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opioid epidemic in the United States</span> Ongoing overuse of opioid medication in the US

There is an ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States, originating out of both medical prescriptions and illegal sources. The epidemic began in the United States in the late 1990s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when opioids were increasingly prescribed for pain management, resulting in a rise in overall opioid use throughout subsequent years.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the drug trade in West Africa rapidly expanded amid dramatic increases in US and European demand for cocaine, cannabis, and other drugs. This resulted in the expansion of two distinct trade routes, both of which went through West Africa. One route exported domestically produced cannabis from West Africa to South Africa, Europe, and Asia. The other trade route moved cocaine from Latin America and heroin from Afghanistan and Southeast Asia to Europe and the United States. In both of these routes, drug traffickers took advantage of trading networks created by Malian and Berber traders in colonial times to move drugs through the region, as well as West Africa's broader geographical location as an intermediate stop from Latin America and Southwest Asia to Europe and the United States. This was due in part to West Africa's badly policed borders, endemic corruption, and economic inequalities.

East African drug trade refers to the sale and trafficking of illegal drugs that take place in East African countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, and Ethiopia. The most prevalent types of drugs traded in East Africa are heroin, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and khat, all of which are strictly prohibited in East African countries.

La Nueva Familia Michoacana, La Nueva Familia or LNFM is a criminal organization that specializes in illegal drug trafficking, illegal mining, and extortion. It is currently headed by Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, alias ”El Pez”, and his brother, Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, alias ”El Fresa”. The Organization formed as a splinter group in 2011 after the original La Familia Michoacana lost their power in 2010 with the formation of the Knights Templar Cartel and with Nazario Moreno's suspected death. The Organization mainly dedicated to drug trafficking and battling the CJNG criminal organization out of Tierra Caliente region in Michoacán and Guerrero. According to The United States Department of the Treasury, the organization is primarily involved in the distribution of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to the United States, but it’s also involved in growing marijuana and poppies. Many of its leaders have been arrested for threatening and blackmailing people on social media. La Nueva Familia Michoacana operates in at least 35 municipalities in the southern areas of Mexico.

References

  1. ↑ "The Biggest Organized Crime Groups in the World". Fortune. 2014-09-14.
  2. ↑ Drug Trafficking Retrieved 28 May 2024
  3. ↑ https://abc7.com/post/drug-smuggling-lax-how-los-angeles-became-cartels/14922882/
  4. ↑ "החזקת סמים". Saturday, 5 June 2021
  5. ↑ "Results from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings". Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  6. ↑ "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2005". Cdc.gov. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
  7. ↑ "Costs of Marijuana Prohibition: Economic Analysis". Prohibitioncosts.org. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
  8. ↑ "Trends in Availability of Drugs as Perceived by Twelfth Graders" (PDF). Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  9. ↑ "Border violence threatens Americans". The Washington Times. April 1, 2010.
  10. ↑ Epstein, RJ (18 November 1989). "Drug Wars in the United States". British Medical Journal. 299 (6710): 1275–1276. doi:10.1136/bmj.299.6710.1275. JSTOR   29706058. PMC   1838155 . PMID   2513908.
  11. ↑ Maher, L.; Hudson, S. L. (1 October 2007). "Women in the Drug Economy: A Metasynthesis of the Qualitative Literature". Journal of Drug Issues. 37 (4): 805–826. doi:10.1177/002204260703700404. S2CID   145168397.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Theresa (2017). "Drug Smugglers Have Already Beaten Trump's Wall". Reason .
  13. ↑ "erowid.org". Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
  14. ↑ "Field Listing – Illicit drugs (by country)". Cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-12-29. Retrieved 2011-01-15.
  15. ↑ "Oregon becomes first state to decriminalize hard drugs like heroin and cocaine". Fox News . 3 November 2020.
  16. ↑ "Oregon becomes the first state to decriminalize hard drugs like cocaine and heroin". CBS News . 4 November 2020.
  17. ↑ Cleve R. Wootson Jr.; Jaclyn Peiser (2020-11-04). "Oregon decriminalizes possession of hard drugs, as four other states legalize recreational marijuana". The Washington Post . Washington, D.C. ISSN   0190-8286. OCLC   1330888409.
  18. ↑ "Oregon becomes first US state to decriminalize possession of hard drugs". TheGuardian.com . 4 November 2020.
  19. ↑ Andrew Whalen (July 3, 2019). "Magic Mushrooms Guide: Where Shrooms Are Legal and How To Take Psilocybin". Newsweek . Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  20. ↑ Reardon, Claudia (2014). "Drug Abuse in Athletes". Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation. 5: 95–105. doi: 10.2147/SAR.S53784 . PMC   4140700 . PMID   25187752.
  21. 1 2 3 {{ Unbulleted list citebundle | •Damien, Devault; Thomas, Nefau; Helene, Pascaline; Sara, Karolak; Yves, Levi (2014). "First evaluation of illicit and licit drug consumption based on wastewater analysis in Fort de France urban area (Martinique, Caribbean), a transit area for drug smuggling". Science of the Total Environment . 490. Elsevier B.V.: 970–978. Bibcode:2014ScTEn.490..970D. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.05.090. ISSN   0048-9697. PMID   24914526. S2CID   5477664. | This is cited by the following review: | •Hernandez, Felix (2018). "Mass spectrometric strategies for the investigation of biomarkers of illicit drug use in wastewater". Review Article. Mass Spectrometry Reviews . 37 (3). Wiley Periodicals, Inc.: 258–280. Bibcode:2018MSRv...37..258H. doi:10.1002/mas.21525. eISSN   1098-2787. PMC   6191649 . PMID   27750373. S2CID   206232532.
  22. ↑ Trafficking Statistics Retrieved 28 May 2024
  23. ↑ Collins, Larry; Lapierre, Dominique (6 February 1972). "The French Connection—In Real Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
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