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DEA Offices & Telephone Nos. Cedar Rapids—319-393-6075 Des Moines—515-284-4700 Sioux City—712-255-9128

Drug Situation: Methamphetamine, both that which is produced in Mexico or the Southwest United States and locally produced, remains the principal drug of concern in the state of Iowa. Cocaine, particularly crack cocaine, is a significant problem in the urban areas of the state. Iowa also serves as a transshipment point for drugs being transported to the eastern United States via Interstate 80. Interstates 29 and 35 also provide a critical north-south transportation avenue for drug traffickers.

Cocaine: Cocaine continues to be readily available throughout Iowa. The cocaine is transported from the West Coast by motor vehicles, and mail services. Suppliers from Chicago, Illinois, also supply cocaine to eastern Iowa. Mexican polydrug traffickers bring some of the cocaine into the state with shipments of marijuana and methamphetamine. Much of the cocaine HCl is converted into crack cocaine for sale at the retail level. Street gangs control distribution in many of the urban areas of Iowa. An increase in violence accompanies this gang presence.

Heroin: Heroin is sporadically available in retail-level quantities throughout the urban areas of Iowa. Most of the heroin seizures are of the black-tar type, but intelligence from Des Moines and Cedar Rapids also indicates the presence of white and Mexican brown powder heroin.

Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine is the primary drug of concern in Iowa. Caucasian males and females are equally the primary users. Most of the methamphetamine in the state is brought in by Hispanic organizations via motor vehicles, commercial airlines, and mail delivery services. The large Mexican communities in Iowa provide an infrastructure to import and distribute the methamphetamine. The purity of imported methamphetamine is declining from earlier years and is cited to be as low as three percent with the average of 20-25 percent. Local small toxic laboratories continue to be a significant problem throughout Iowa. Most of the laboratories produce only ounce quantities at a time. Law enforcement reports that high purity crystal methamphetamine or ice is available in Northwest Iowa.

Predatory Drugs: The state of Iowa continues to see an increase in the abuse of “club drugs” such as MDMA and GHB. MDMA (ecstasy) is found at rave parties in eastern and central Iowa. There is also intelligence indicating the trafficking of MDMA by Asian trafficking organizations in the state.

Marijuana: Marijuana is readily available throughout eastern and northwestern Iowa, usually in combination with cocaine and/or methamphetamine. The majority of the marijuana is imported from the southwest border by motor vehicles, and mail delivery services. Domestically produced marijuana is also available in Iowa. Small indoor and outdoor grow operations have been found in eastern and central Iowa. "Ditchweed" marijuana is a continuing problem. The ditchweed is used as filler for higher purity imported marijuana.

Other Drugs: Law enforcement in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids report an increasing problem with PCP. The most popular pharmaceutical substances abused in eastern and central Iowa are Vicodin, Lortab, propoxyphene, alprazolam, hydrocodone, Ultram, diazepam, Hycodan, Demerol, Dilaudid, and Percodan. Much of the diversion is through fraudulent prescriptions, doctor shopping, pharmacy break-ins, and hospital thefts. OxyContin is also noted to be a pharmaceutical drug of abuse in Iowa.

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 has been one MET deployment in the State of Iowa since the inception of the program, in Ft. Dodge.

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 Iowa since the inception of the program, in Des Moines.

Special Topics: Interstates 80 and 35 cross Iowa, providing a ready smuggling route for many drug trafficking organizations. During FY2003, Operation Pipeline highway interdictions in the state of Iowa led to seizures including approximately 177 kilograms of cocaine, 2,500 pounds of marijuana, 98 pounds of methamphetamine, and nearly $2.5 million dollars.

More information about the St. Louis Division Office.

Sources

Factsheet last updated: 2/2004

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