DEA
Offices & Telephone Nos.
Las Vegas—702-759-8000
Reno—775-784-5617 |
State
Facts
Population: 2,106,074
Law Enforcement Officers: 5,731
State Prison Population: 16,500
Probation Population: 12,416
Violent Crime Rate
National Ranking: 7 |
2003
Federal Drug Seizures
Cocaine: 77.5 kgs.
Heroin: 4.6 kgs.
Methamphetamine: 82.8 kgs.
Marijuana: 267.0 kgs.
Ecstasy: 276 tablets
Methamphetamine Laboratories: 125 (DEA, state,
and local) |
Drug
Situation: Methamphetamine, specifically crystal methamphetamine
produced in Mexico and imported into the state, has become the principal
drug of concern in Nevada.
In
addition, cocaine, particularly crack cocaine, is a significant problem
in the urban areas of the state. "Club Drugs," specifically
MDMA, are rising in popularity and availability in the southern section
of the state. Due to its close proximity to California and its porous
border, Nevada often serves as a transshipment point for various drugs
to the central and eastern sections of the United States.
Cocaine:
Cocaine HCL is moderately available in northern Nevada and readily available
throughout southern Nevada. Cocaine HCL is transported into Nevada primarily
from California via ground transportation. Southern Nevada, specifically
Las Vegas, serves as a transshipment point for cocaine HCL with distribution
points across the nation. Crack cocaine is readily available in the urban
areas of Nevada. African American street gangs predominantly control the
distribution market for crack cocaine and base their operations in inexpensive
motel rooms and apartments located in impoverished areas throughout Nevada's
larger cities.
Heroin:
Mexican black tar heroin remains the most prevalent heroin available in
Nevada. Mexican poly-drug trafficking organizations control the heroin
trafficking in the state. These trafficking organizations continue to
recruit Mexican nationals to live in the urban areas of Nevada to distribute
heroin for the organization. User amounts of low-purity black tar heroin
remain readily available from these low-level suppliers and are most often
distributed in open air-markets.
![Methamphetamine Lab Seizures: 1999=291, 2000=284, 2001=259, 2002=105, 2003=125](/peth04/20041017150821im_/http://www.dea.gov/pubs/states/nevada_meth2004.gif) Methamphetamine: Meth
is the most frequently encountered drug in Nevada and remains available
in both personal use and distribution quantities. Nevada is both a
point of importation and a transshipment location for methamphetamine.
The manufacture of methamphetamine in Nevada occurs on a limited basis.
The
meth imported into the state is produced primarily in "super
labs"
(producing 10 pounds or more in a 24-hour period) by ethnic Mexican drug
trafficking organizations operating in Mexico and California. Meth is
transported to Nevada primarily via ground transportation. Organized
Mexican poly-drug trafficking groups monopolize the large-scale meth
trade in
Nevada. Distributor levels of imported methamphetamine average in pound
quantities or greater. Mexican-produced, crystal methamphetamine is the
most readily available in Nevada and ranges in purity levels from 90-99%.
Local meth manufacturing
entrepreneurs continue to manufacture meth in small quantities, usually
under one ounce per cook. Laboratories seized this quarter utilized
the
pseudoephedrine, red phosphorus, and iodine method to manufacture methamphetamine.
Locally produced meth often contains a higher purity level that frequently
averages 90 percent.
Club
Drugs: The availability of "club drugs" in Nevada
ranges from sporadic in the northern urban areas to readily available
in cities located in the southern section ofthe state, particularly Las
Vegas. Club Drugs, specifically MDMA, GHB, and LSD,are trafficked and
abused in local nightclubs, adult entertainment clubs, and atraves. The
trafficking of these drugs ranges from hand-to-hand sales within clubs
orraves to larger sales between locals and out-of-town distributors. Las
Vegas serves as a point of importation and a transshipment area for MDMA.
Most MDMA that passes through or is destined for Las Vegas continues to
come primarily from Southern California and New York.
Marijuana:
Domestically cultivated and Mexican-grown marijuana remains readily available
in Nevada. Mexican poly-drug trafficking organizations are still the primary
source of marijuana smuggled into the area, primarily from California
via ground transport. There has been an increased prevalence of indoor
marijuana cultivation inthe Las Vegas area during the past year. Growers
are using elaborate hydroponicequipment to cultivate high-grade marijuana.
Marijuana Legislation: In June 2001,Assembly Bill 453 was signed into
law and made Nevada the ninth state in the U.S. where patients can use
marijuana for medicinal purposes. In addition, the new state law which
went into effect October 1, 2001, decriminalizes possession of small amounts
(ounce quantity or less) of marijuana, which previously was a state felony.
Other
Drugs:
The pharmaceutical controlled substances of choice in Nevada include
hydrocodone, Xanax, codeine, diazepam, Ketamine, Lortab, and oxycodone.
Drug combinations which are abused in the state of Nevada are Lortab
and Soma and Lortab and benzodiazepines. Non-controlled substances which
appear to be abused in Nevada are Soma Compound and Ultram. The primary
method of diversion in Nevada is the illegal purchase of controlled substances
via Internet pharmacies. In addition, prescription fraud is on the rise
in both the Las Vegas and Reno areas. Pseudoephedrine sales are reported
down since the new law which added pseudoephedrine to the Nevada Controlled
Substance list passed in December 2001.
![Drug-Violation Arrests: 1999=310, 2000=250, 2001=180, 2002=165, 2003=176](/peth04/20041017150821im_/http://www.dea.gov/pubs/states/nevada_arrests2004.gif) 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 Nevada since the inception
of the program: Reno and Carson City.
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 Nevada.
Special
Topics: The
Clark County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) was established
by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2001 to combat the influx
of drug trafficking in southern Nevada. In order to alleviate the meth
problem in southern Nevada, a HIDTA initiative, the Southern Nevada Joint
Methamphetamine Task Force was created to address domestic trafficking
organizations and career criminal enterprises which are involved in the
manufacture of methamphetamine and the transport and distribution of meth
and precursor chemicals within and through the HIDTA area of operation.
The primary focus of this Task Force will be the dismantlement and Federal
prosecution of such organized drug and precursor chemical trafficking
groups.
More information
about the Los Angeles Division Office.
Sources
Factsheet
last updated: 2/2004
Click
here for last year's 2003 factsheet>> |