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DEA Offices & Telephone Nos. Garden City—620-275-4373 Kansas City—913-825-4100 Topeka—785-232-4065 Wichita—316-838-2500

Drug Situation: Methamphetamine, both imported and domestically produced, is the principal drug of concern in the state of Kansas. Cocaine, particularly crack cocaine, is also readily available throughout the state, primarily in major urban areas such as Kansas City, Topeka, and Wichita. In addition, Kansas is a transshipment point for drugs being transported to the eastern United States via Interstates 35 and 70 from the southwest border and west coast cities.

Cocaine: Cocaine is readily available throughout Kansas. The cocaine is transported from the West Coast by motor vehicles, and mail services. Trafficking organizations, often with direct familial ties to Mexico, bring most of the cocaine into the state where much of it is converted into crack cocaine for retail distribution. A high level of violent crime is also associated with the drug. Many different ethnic groups are involved in the retail level distribution. The proceeds from the sales are often transported back to Mexico in the same vehicles used to bring the drugs into the state.

Heroin: Small quantities of low-purity Mexican heroin is sporadically available in personal use quantities in the urban areas of Kansas. Most of the heroin seizures are of the black-tar type.

Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine is the primary drug of concern in Kansas. Most of the methamphetamine in the state is smuggled in by Hispanic organizations via motor vehicles, commercial airlines, and mail delivery services. Large Mexican communities in Kansas provide an infrastructure to import and distribute the methamphetamine. Between 1994 and 1999, drug treatment admissions for meth in Kansas increased while admissions for heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol decreased. Local, small toxic laboratories continue to be a significant problem throughout Kansas. Laboratories in the Kansas City Metropolitan area now predominantly use the Birch method of production, as has been common in other parts of Kansas. Most of the meth laboratories in Kansas produce only ounce quantities at a time. Law enforcement man-hours and financial resources are being severely impacted by the number of laboratories and dumpsites.

Predatory Drugs: Club and Predatory Drugs such as MDMA (ecstasy) and GHB continue to be available throughout Kansas. MDMA is found at rave parties in all parts of Kansas. Law enforcement in western Kansas reports that MDMA is brought into the area from Denver, Colorado and Asian trafficking organizations have reportedly been distributing the drug. GHB is also a drug of concern throughout the state.

Marijuana: Marijuana is readily available throughout Kansas. It is imported from Mexico through cities on the southwest border and transported in large shipments by the interstate highways through Dallas and Oklahoma City, and on to Kansas City. From Kansas City, the marijuana is further distributed to other cities in Kansas and other states. Imported marijuana from Mexico dominates the market, however indoor and hydroponically grown marijuana is a growing concern in the Kansas City area. The high purity has made it popular among users.

Other Drugs: PCP is available primarily in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. The PCP is delivered via parcel services from traffickers based in California. Kansas treatment centers are reporting that many of their new clients are seeking treatment for OxyContin addiction. Lawrence, Kansas, reports that it is the most abused pharmaceutical drug in the area and is available for $40 a tablet.

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 Kansas since the inception of the program: Topeka and Manhattan.

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 Kansas.

Special Topics: Interstates 70 and 35 cross Kansas and serve as major smuggling routes for drug trafficking organizations. During 2003, Operation Pipeline interdictions in the state of Kansas led to seizures including 650 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, 10,000 pounds of marijuana, 182 pounds of methamphetamine, $5.3 million dollars, and 19 vehicles.

More information about the St. Louis Division Office.

Sources

Factsheet last updated: 2/2004

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