[print friendly version]

Drug Situation: Oregon is a transshipment point for controlled substances smuggled to Washington and Canada, as well as a consumer site. Oregon is a source of marijuana and has a growing number of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories.

Cocaine: Cocaine is available; however, it is not the preferred drug with most drug abusers in the state. Heroin and methamphetamine continue to be preferred by most drug abusers. Hispanic traffickers are the most common sources of cocaine in Oregon which is sold to Caucasian distributors. Crack cocaine is available but more so in the areas of Salem and southern Oregon. Hispanic violators are the most common sources of cocaine in Oregon which is sold to Caucasian distributors. Crack cocaine is available but more so in the areas of Salem and southern Oregon.

Heroin: Mexican black tar and brown heroin are the primary types of heroin distributed throughout Oregon, controlled by Hispanic poly-drug trafficking organizations. Heroin continues to be shipped from Mexico by a variety of methods, primarily by vehicles with hidden compartments. Heroin typically is transported overland to Portland via the Interstate 5 corridor from source cities in Mexico through traffickers in California. Many of the Hispanic traffickers belong to extended Mexican families from regions such as Nayarit and Michoacan, where traffickers use their familial contacts in Mexico and California to smuggle heroin into the state. These organizations also traffic in cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana (of Mexican origin).

Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine is one of the most widely abused controlled substances in Oregon. Two "varieties" are generally encountered: Mexican methamphetamine, which is either manufactured locally or obtained from sources in Mexico, California or other Southwest Border states, and methamphetamine which is produced locally by area violators. Of the two types, Mexican methamphetamine continues to flood the market. Methamphetamine is available in multi-pound amounts throughout western Oregon, and smaller quantities are available in Eastern Oregon. Canadian pseudoephedrine, utilized in the manufacture of methamphetamine, is frequently seized at clandestine laboratory sites. Crystal “ice” methamphetamine is increasing in availability and is the exclusive type of methamphetamine available in central Oregon. In the greater Portland area a rise in syphilis cases accompanied the popularity rise of crystal methamphetamine and health officials fear it may fuel a surge in HIV infections.

Club Drugs: MDMA (Ecstasy) is available throughout the state, and multi-kilogram seizures are common. It is accessible in varying quantities in the larger cities and on college campuses, as well as outlying areas. MDMA is often traded for high grade marijuana, either grown locally or BC Bud marijuana from British Columbia, Canada. GHB laboratories have been seized in conjunction with methamphetamine laboratories. Mexican Ketamine is also smuggled into the state. MDMA is often traded for high grade marijuana, either grown locally or BC Bud marijuana from British Columbia, Canada.

Marijuana: Marijuana is readily available in Oregon. The majority of marijuana available in Portland is cultivated in home grow operations. Multi-thousand plant outdoor marijuana growing gardens have been discovered on national forest land in southern Oregon which indoor marijuana grows of similar size have been found in buried shipping containers.

Canadian and domestic marijuana in the Portland area is available in multi pound amounts. Mexican marijuana is present, but not prevalent. Mexican grown marijuana is transported using existing heroin and methamphetamine distribution routes and methods. It is typically transported overland via Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101 in western Oregon. Traffickers typically use passenger vehicles fitted with hidden compartments or attempt to otherwise conceal the drugs within the vehicle. Canadian marijuana smugglers use passenger vehicles, fishing vessels, private aircraft (fixed wing and helicopters), and "mules" to smuggle the drug into the state. Traffickers take advantage of rural airfields to smuggle large quantities of marijuana.

Other Drugs: The most commonly abused pharmaceutical drugs in the state are hydrocodone (Vicodin) and benzodiazepines (Xanax and Klonopin). Hydrocodone for street sales has been smuggled into the state via mail parcels from California. Soma is a Schedule IV controlled drug in Oregon and is often used in combination with narcotic analgesics. The most prevalent methods of diversion are pharmacy theft and fraudulent prescriptions. Hydrocodone for street sales has been smuggled into the state via mail parcels from California.

DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams: This cooperative program with state and local law enforcement counterparts was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns and cities across the nation. There have been 409 deployments completed resulting in 16,763 arrests of violent drug criminals as of February 2004. There have been six MET deployments in the State of Oregon since the inception of the program: Woodburn, Madras, Klamath Falls, Washington County, Keizer, and Portland.

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 Oregon.

More information about the Seattle Division Office.

Sources

Factsheet last updated: 2/2004

Click here for last year's 2003 factsheet>>