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Drug Situation: Sharing a border with Canada, Washington is a transshipment point for drugs and monies entering Canada, as well as a Canadian pseudoephedrine, Canadian marijuana (BC Bud), and other drugs entering the United States. Washington has severe clandestine methamphetamine laboratory problems. Mexican National poly-drug organizations dominate the drug trade and many have added MDMA as a drug they can now supply. The greater Yakima Valley is home to large scale poly-drug trafficking organizations responsible for the distribution of drugs throughout the United States.
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 has been one RET deployment in the State of Washington since the inception of the program, in Seattle. More information about the Seattle Division Office. Factsheet last updated: 2/2004 Click here for last year's 2003 factsheet>>
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Blaine—360-332-8692 
Cocaine:
Cocaine and crack cocaine are readily available. Crack cocaine is largely
limited to inner city areas. Cocaine is consumed in the state, and
smuggled into Canada for redistribution, where it commands a higher
price than in the United States. According to a recent Royal Canadian
Mounted Police report, up to 24 tons of cocaine enter Canada each
year. BC Bud marijuana from British Columbia, Canada is sold or traded
in the United States for cocaine to be sold in Canada.
Heroin:
Mexican black tar and brown heroin are the primary types of heroin found
throughout Washington. Mexican poly-drug trafficking organizations remain
the primary source of black tar heroin in Washington. Heroin is smuggled
from Mexico to Washington by a variety of methods, including vehicles
equipped with concealed compartments. 
Methamphetamine:
Methamphetamine is one of the most widely abused controlled substances
in Washington. 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-kilogram amounts throughout
the state. Canadian pseudoephedrine, utilized in the manufacture
of methamphetamine, is frequently seized at clandestine laboratory
sites. Washington State continues to see an influx of crystal “ice” methamphetamine.
Club
Drugs: MDMA (Ecstasy) is smuggled into the state from elsewhere
in the country, Canada, and Europe. Club drugs are growing in popularity
across the state, and have been targeted in several successful investigations
by the DEA. Smuggling methods have included MDMA shipped in express mail
packages, concealed in lumber, hidden compartments in vehicles, and transported
in luggage on international or domestic flights. Mexican National poly-drug
traffickers have become more involved in MDMA trade in Washington. 
Marijuana:
Marijuana is readily available in multi-pound quantities throughout the
state. Three types are normally encountered: locally grown (either
from indoor or outdoor grow operations), Canadian BC Bud from British
Columbia, and Mexican marijuana. Of these varieties, locally grown
sinsemilla and BC Bud are preferred, because they have a far superior
THC content than Mexican grown marijuana. Canadian BC Bud is the most
prevalent variety in many areas, given the proximity to the border
and the extent of cross border smuggling. BC Bud marijuana is sold
or traded in the United States for cocaine to be sold in Canada. The
arid and warm mountainous areas of Eastern Washington are being utilized
by Mexican National organizations to grow multi-thousand plants of
marijuana. These large scale marijuana gardens have been found on National
Forest land and Native American Tribal lands.
Other
Drugs: The primary method of pharmaceutical drug diversion
continues to be forgery and telephone prescriptions by non-registrants.
Illegal dispensing and prescribing by practitioners still exists in the
state. OxyContin is often the target of criminals involved in burglary
and armed robbery. Sting operations in Washington State have found high
school students selling Oxycontin, cocaine, and marijuana. Often these
drugs were purchased over the internet.
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 12 MET deployments in the State of Washington since the inception
of the program: Puyallup, Everett, Chehalis, Thurston/Yelm, Seattle,
Lakewood, Lynnwood, Vancouver, Bremerton, Pierce County, Auburn, and
Snohomish.