DEA
Offices & Telephone Nos.
Providence401-732-2550 |
State
Facts
Population: 1,058,920
Law Enforcement Officers: 2,818
State Prison Population: 3,500
Probation Population: 25,914
Violent Crime Rate
National Ranking: 37 |
2003
Federal Drug Seizures
Cocaine: 3.4 kgs.
Heroin: 2.7 kgs.
Methamphetamine: 0 kgs.
Marijuana: 21 kgs.
Ecstasy: 271 tablets
Methamphetamine Laboratories: 1 (DEA, state, and
local) |
Drug
Situation: Cocaine is the primary drug of choice in Rhode Island.
High quality cocaine is available in Rhode Island and is generally 60%
-90% pure. Cocaine traffickers in Rhode Island also service customers
in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire and utilize Rhode Island as
a transshipment point for distribution throughout New England.
Cocaine:
Cocaine continues to be readily available throughout Rhode Island. The
cocaine is transported from South America through Southwest Border States
via commercial airlines and motor vehicles fitted with sophisticated hidden
hydraulic compartments. Cocaine is also brought to New England from the
Mexican border, hidden within shipments of legitimate goods being transported
by tractor-trailer. Much of the cocaine HCl is converted into crack cocaine
for sale at the retail level. Cocaine is distributed primarily by Colombian
and Dominican traffickers. The majority of the cocaine purchased in Rhode
Island is transported in by local suppliers who travel to New York and
return to distribute the product.
Heroin:
Heroin is widely available in the Rhode Island area and can be purchased
in nearly every town and city. Heroin is available in Rhode Island at
very high purity levels. Dominican, Colombian and Puerto Rican traffickers
continue to dominate the heroin trafficking market in Rhode Island. The
Dominican Traffickers network the most among the various ethnic groups,
and as such they control the street level distribution of heroin. Heroin
is transported by courier to Providence via airplane, train and automobile
for distribution. Heroin is sold at the retail level in bags, bundles,
browns and bricks. Kilogram quantities of heroin are rarely seen in Rhode
Island.
![Methamphetamine lab seizures chart: 1999=0, 2000=1, 2001=2, 2002=3, 2003=1](/peth04/20041015221413im_/http://www.dea.gov/pubs/states/rhodeisland_meth2004.gif) Methamphetamine:
Methamphetamine is rarely seen in Rhode Island.
Club
Drugs: The state of Rhode Island continues to see an abuse
of club drugs, such as MDMA and GHB. MDMA is found in various
Nightclubs located in Providence, RI and at rave parties throughout the
state. Almost all-local Police departments in Rhode Island have reported
and increase in Ecstasy, GHB and Ketamine or K. The majority
of the MDMA seen in Rhode Island comes from Canada, New York and Boston,
MA.
Marijuana:
The marijuana trend in Rhode Island supports a widespread and readily
available market of fairly large amounts of this drug. Prices of marijuana
will vary seasonally as the supply fluctuates. The marijuana available
in Rhode Island is mostly Mexican, however it is supplemented by limited
amounts of other foreign based and domestic marijuana. The majority of
the marijuana is imported from the southwest border via parcel carriers
and couriers on commercial airlines. Hydroponically produced marijuana
is also available in Rhode Island. A majority of the hydro
marijuana is transported into Rhode Island via tractor trailers and is
sold for $3500 - $5000 per pound. Canada is the major source of supply
for this type of marijuana in Rhode Island.
Other
Drugs: The
most popular pharmaceutical substance abused in Rhode Island is OxyContin.
Much of the diversion is through fraudulent prescriptions, doctor shopping,
pharmacy break-ins, and hospital thefts. OxyContin is being sold for approximately
$1.00 per milligram.
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 two MET deployments in the State of Rhode Island
since the inception of the program: Pawtucket and Providence.
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 Rhode Island.
Other
Enforcement Operations:
Drug traffickers operating in Rhode Island exploit every possible avenue
to smuggle drugs into Rhode Island. Route 95 links Rhode Island with New
York, Bridgeport, and Boston and is essential for the states industries
and residents as well as drug traffickers and money launderers. More than
5,000 miles of intrastate roads are traveled in Rhode Island. The Providence
Resident Office has observed every major highway, airline carrier, postal
service and port of entry being exploited in order to infiltrate drugs
into the state.
Drug
Courts/Treatment Centers:
There are currently two drug courts operating in the state of Rhode Island.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Services, there are currently 58 drug and alcohol treatment centers
operating in the state of Rhode Island.
Special
Topics:
There are currently two drug treatment courts operating in the state of
Rhode Island. According to the Rhode Island Department of Mental Health
and Substance Abuse Services, there are currently 58 drug and alcohol
treatment centers operating in the state of Rhode Island.
More information
about the New England Division Office.
Sources
Factsheet
last updated: 2/2004
Click
here for last year's 2003 factsheet>>
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