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Drug Situation: Cocaine, Heroin and Marijuana continue to be the primary drug threats in the state of Michigan. Narcotic traffickers of varying degrees are supplied with controlled substances from source cities and areas from around the country. In addition, traffickers of Russian, Israeli and Middle Eastern descent, as well as Vietnamese Criminal Syndicates are involved in the importation and distribution of MDMA, with the Metropolitan Detroit area serving as a transshipment point. Much of the MDMA is obtained through sources of supply based in Toronto, Ontario. Detroit-based Middle Eastern Trafficking groups distributing large quantities of pseudoephedrine prior to the successes of Operation Mountain Express III and Northern Star have now focused their efforts on the distribution of MDMA.
The primary ethnic groups that dominate cocaine trafficking are large Mexican and Dominican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) with local distribution cells and links to Colombian cartels, and local African American distribution organizations that typically have Mexican sources of supply. A large majority of the cocaine transported to Michigan by these Mexican and African American organizations is transported in personal vehicles equipped with traps and/or concealed within the legitimate cargo on large semi tractor-trailers. In purity levels between 60% and 90%, cocaine remains the primary drug threat in Michigan.
Recent intelligence indicates that Detroit-based Middle Eastern trafficking groups, distributing large quantities of pseudoephedrine prior to the successes of Operation Mountain Express III and Northern Star, have now focused their efforts on the distribution of MDMA. Chaldean (Iraqi Christians) criminal organizations operating in the metropolitan Detroit area frequently utilize couriers to smuggle multi-thousand quantity dosage units of MDMA in personal vehicles across the border into the United States. MDMA is then distributed at local rave parties and College and University campuses in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. Our Division has experienced an increase in MDMA use and abuse due to the large volume of Colleges and Universities operating within our area of responsibility. Current MDMA investigations in our Division reveal that multi-thousand dosage unit quantities of the drug are being transported into our Division from New York, NY. Russian criminal syndicates controlling and operating in the metropolitan New York area are supplying Russian distributors in our area of responsibility. These organizations are utilizing traditional concealment methods such as personal vehicles equipped with traps and couriers on aircraft, buses and Amtrak trains to transport the MDMA into our Division. MDMA distribution cells, operating in the greater metropolitan Detroit area have direct ties to a large-scale MDMA manufacturing plant in the Netherlands. Intelligence indicates that the organization has ties to large-scale drug traffickers and criminal syndicates throughout the world. The organization has direct access to multi-millions of MDMA tablets being manufactured at the clandestine laboratory in the Netherlands.
The smuggling of marijuana from Canada, via Michigan, into the United States via watercraft has been suspected without substantiation for many years and has resulted in a new method of concealment for marijuana traffickers. The ease of travel without detection across the narrow body of water that separates several areas of Ontario and Michigan cannot be overly expressed. The large number of pleasure watercraft registered in Michigan and the province of Ontario provide substantial opportunity for legitimate travel, recreation and also smuggling. Although Canadian BC Bud is finding its way into mainstream drug markets in Michigan, Mexican and African American trafficking organizations, with Mexico-based sources of supply and ties to the Southwest Border, are responsible for the lion share of marijuana distributed in Michigan. These organizations continue to utilize traditional trafficking routes and concealment methods to transport marijuana into Michigan. Recent trafficking trends and seizures indicate that they are responsible for distributing multi-thousand pound quantities on a monthly basis. African-American trafficking organizations transport marijuana into our Division from the Southwest Border utilizing personal vehicles, semi-trucks and tractor-trailers. Two recent multi-ton seizures revealed that the organization was commingling the marijuana with legitimate shipments of produce. This is a common trend utilized by Mexican drug trafficking organizations operating along the Southwest Border. A recent 4.8 million-dollar seizure in Michigan supports the assertion that large, multi-ton shipments of marijuana are destined for Michigan from the Southwest Border on a monthly basis. In this instance, the money seized was from a large-scale Mexican trafficking group with direct links back to a major Mexican marijuana drug trafficking organization operating out or Mexico. The money seized has been linked to multiple, large multi-ton shipments of marijuana, which were transported to Michigan and other cities in the mid-west. ![]()
DEA Regional Enforcement Teams: This program was designed to augment existing DEA division resources by targeting drug organizations operating in the United States where there is a lack of sufficient local drug law enforcement. This Program was conceived in 1999 in response to the threat posed by drug trafficking organizations that have established networks of cells to conduct drug trafficking operations in smaller, non-traditional trafficking locations in the United States. Nationwide, there have been 22 deployments completed resulting in 608 arrests of drug trafficking criminals as of February 2004. There have been no RET deployments in the State of Michigan. Special Topics HIDTA: In 2002, based on drug trafficking trends, specifically the increased production of methamphetamine in the western portion of Michigan, additional funding was secured from ONDCP to expand HIDTA. This expansion was comprised of the addition of the five counties of Allegan, Genesee, Kalamazoo, Kent, and Van Buren. The HIDTA is now known as the Michigan HIDTA and its area of responsibility includes the cities of Grand Rapids, Flint, Kalamazoo, and Detroit accounting for approximately 60% of the population of Michigan. The Michigan HIDTA is responsible for supplying funding and assistance to twenty-two initiatives, of which seventeen are federal, state and local drug task forces. These initiatives have been designed to address specific drug-related threats in their areas of responsibility. The Michigan HIDTA also funds an Intelligence Support and Deconfliction Center (ISDC) located in Detroit. The mission of the ISDC is to provide law enforcement agencies with timely deconfliction and intelligence support through the sharing of multi-agency information related to international and domestic narcotics trafficking, violent crimes, and terrorists activities. Currently, the following agencies participate in the Michigan HIDTA: Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Bureau of Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshall Service, Michigan State Police, Detroit Police Department, Grand Rapids PD, Kalamazoo PD, Flint PD, Sheriff’s Departments from the nine HIDTA counties, Michigan National Guard, Michigan Office of Drug Control Policy and many other local law enforcement agencies. More information about the Detroit Division Office. Factsheet last updated: 2/2004 Click here for last year's 2003 factsheet>>
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