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 US 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 US Coast Guard history (totalling 20 tons, worth over 600 million USD), off the coast of Panama.

The US 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 US was $34 billion in 2013. The Office of National Drug Control Policy estimates that $100 billion worth of illegal drugs were sold in the US 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 US, perhaps even the world. [3]

In the United States, "narcotics" and "drugs" are legally considered different classes and/or types of substances. [4]

War on drugs

Marijuana seized at the Nogales border by US Border Patrol 7 Tons of seized Marijuana.jpg
Marijuana seized at the Nogales border by US Border Patrol
Total incarceration in the US by year US incarceration timeline.gif
Total incarceration in the US 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 US 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 US that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of illegal psychoactive drugs. The term was first used by US President Richard Nixon, and was later popularized by the media. [5]

Minors

The US 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. [6] The 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey by the US 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%). [7]

Despite over US$7 billion spent annually towards arresting [8] 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. [9]

In 2009, the Justice Department identified more than 200 US cities in which Mexican drug cartels "maintain drug distribution networks or supply drugs to distributors"- up from 100 three years earlier. [10] Most of the US imports of drugs come from Mexican drug cartels. In the US, 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 US, not only supplying the Mexican drug cartels with the profit necessary for survival, but also furthering America's economic dependence on drugs. [11]

Women

Women are often involved in the illegal drug trade in the US, typically in marginal, low-level roles. [12]

Controversies

Smuggling

Drug smuggling across US borders may be done by several means. [13] Packages may be carried by people, or by cars, trucks and Railcar, hidden in Compartment. [13] Boats and submarines penetrate sea borders. [13] Drones pass above and tunnels pass below the usual routes of smuggling. [13]

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 US behind cannabis, [14] and the US is the world's largest consumer of cocaine. [15]

According to the DEA, about 93% of the cocaine in the US originated in Colombia and was smuggled across the Mexico–US border. [16]

In 2020, the state of Oregon became the first US state to decriminalize cocaine. [17] [18] This new law prevents people with small amounts of cocaine from facing jail time. In 2020, the US state of Oregon would also become the first state to decriminalize the use of heroin. [19] This measure will allow people with small amounts to avoid arrest. [20]

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.

Opioid epidemic

In 2021, around 80,411 people died from opioid overdoses in the US. [22] Many of the deaths are from an extremely potent opioid, fentanyl, which is trafficked from Mexico. [23] The drug is usually manufactured in China, then shipped to Mexico, where it is processed and packaged, which is then smuggled into the US by Mexican drug cartels. [24]

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 [25]
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. [26] Trafficking of a substance tends to incidentally, disproportionately increase its nearby usage, and thus excretion. [26] 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. [26] Drug abuse poses a significant challenge in the US, 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 acetylfentanyl, are frequently manufactured in China and smuggled into the US 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 US 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. [27] 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 US. [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heroin</span> Opioid analgesic and recreational drug

Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the dried latex of the opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. 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. 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.

<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 30 to 50 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">Drug Enforcement Administration</span> United States federal law enforcement agency

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, sharing concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The DEA is responsible for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations both domestically and internationally.

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">Clandestine chemistry</span> Illegal preparation of chemicals

Clandestine chemistry is chemistry carried out in secret, and particularly in illegal drug laboratories. Larger labs are usually run by gangs or organized crime intending to produce for distribution on the black market. Smaller labs can be run by individual chemists working clandestinely in order to synthesize smaller amounts of controlled substances or simply out of a hobbyist interest in chemistry, often because of the difficulty in ascertaining the purity of other, illegally synthesized drugs obtained on the black market. The term clandestine lab is generally used in any situation involving the production of illicit compounds, regardless of whether the facilities being used qualify as a true laboratory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War on drugs</span> Campaign against illegal drug use and trade

The war on drugs is the policy of a global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of drug prohibition, foreign assistance, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the US. 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">Sinaloa Cartel</span> Transnational drug-trafficking organization

The Sinaloa Cartel, also known as the Guzmán-Loera Organization, the Federation, the Blood Alliance, or the Pacific Cartel, is a large, transnational 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 drug use per person was higher than the national average, with marijuana, methamphetamine, and illicit painkillers being the most commonly used substances.

<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. It has been called "one of the most devastating public health catastrophes of our time". The opioid epidemic unfolded in three waves. The first wave of the epidemic in the United States began 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. The second wave was from an expansion in the heroin market to supply already addicted people. The third wave, starting in 2013, was marked by a steep tenfold increase in the synthetic opioid-involved death rate as synthetic opioids flooded the US market.

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 or La Nueva Familia, 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.

The drug economy in Lebanon refers to the expanding Lebanese involvement in both drug production and trade, a phenomenon substantiated by studies. The economic and political upheaval in Lebanon, as delineated in a study by the Euro-Gulf Information Center, has driven Hezbollah, wherein narcotics serve as a notable revenue stream, to intensify its involvement in the drug economy. Western intelligence agencies estimate that Lebanon produces over 4 million pounds of hashish and 20,000 pounds of heroin annually, generating profits exceeding US$4 billion. According to The Washington Post, Lebanon's drug industry contributes substantially to the country's economy, accounting for over half of its foreign-exchange earnings.

References

  1. ↑ "The Biggest Organized Crime Groups in the World". Fortune. 2014-09-14.
  2. ↑ Drug Trafficking Retrieved 28 May 2024
  3. ↑ "How L.A. became the cartels' global distribution center and why it's part of an even bigger problem". ABC7 Los Angeles. June 7, 2024.
  4. ↑ DOJ, DEA (April 1, 2020). "DOJ/DEA Drug Fact Sheet: Narcotics" (PDF). Drug Enforcement Administration.
  5. ↑ "החזקת סמים". Saturday, 5 June 2021
  6. ↑ "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.
  7. ↑ "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2005". Cdc.gov. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
  8. ↑ "Costs of Marijuana Prohibition: Economic Analysis". Prohibitioncosts.org. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
  9. ↑ "Trends in Availability of Drugs as Perceived by Twelfth Graders" (PDF). Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  10. ↑ "Border violence threatens Americans". The Washington Times. April 1, 2010.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Theresa (2017). "Drug Smugglers Have Already Beaten Trump's Wall". Reason .
  14. ↑ "erowid.org". Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
  15. ↑ "Field Listing – Illicit drugs (by country)". Cia.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-12-29. Retrieved 2011-01-15.
  16. ↑ "Fact-checking Trump on drug traffic from Mexico". CNN. June 1, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Oregon becomes first state to decriminalize hard drugs like heroin and cocaine". Fox News . 3 November 2020.
  18. ↑ "Oregon becomes the first state to decriminalize hard drugs like cocaine and heroin". CBS News . 4 November 2020.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ "Oregon becomes first US state to decriminalize possession of hard drugs". TheGuardian.com . 4 November 2020.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. ↑ "Opioid Deaths Could Hit 165,000 Annually Without Intervention, Biden Official Warns". Forbes. June 7, 2023.
  23. ↑ Miroff N (November 13, 2017). "Mexican traffickers making New York a hub for lucrative — and deadly — fentanyl". The Washington Post .
  24. ↑ Linthicum, Kate (2020-04-24). "Coronavirus chokes the drug trade — from Wuhan, through Mexico and onto U.S. streets". Los Angeles Times .
  25. ↑ Reardon, Claudia (2014). "Drug Abuse in Athletes". Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation. 5: 95–105. doi: 10.2147/SAR.S53784 . PMC   4140700 . PMID   25187752.
  26. 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.
  27. ↑ Trafficking Statistics Retrieved 28 May 2024
  28. ↑ 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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