H I D T A  H ig h  I n t e n s it y  D r u g  T r a f f ic k in National g  A r e a  P r o g r a m  A n Drug Control n u a l R e p o r t Strategy Office of National Drug Control Policy Washington, D.C. 20503 HIDTA High Intensity Drug  Trafficking Area Program Annual Report Office of National Drug Control Policy NCJ 207693 D Executive Office of the President e c e m December 2004 b e r 2 0 0 4 The National High Intensity Drug  Trafficking Area Program Annual Report  2004 Table of Contents Overview 1 High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Map 3 Appalachia HIDTA 5 Atlanta HIDTA 10 Central Florida HIDTA 15 Central Valley California HIDTA 20 Chicago HIDTA 25 Gulf Coast HIDTA 29 Hawaii HIDTA 34 Houston HIDTA 39 Lake County HIDTA 44 Los Angeles HIDTA 49 Michigan HIDTA 54 Midwest HIDTA 58 Milwaukee HIDTA 63 Nevada HIDTA 68 New England HIDTA 72 North Florida HIDTA 78 North Texas HIDTA 83 Northern California HIDTA 87 Northwest HIDTA 92 New York/New Jersey HIDTA 97 Ohio HIDTA 102 Oregon HIDTA 106 Philadelphia/Camden HIDTA 111 Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA 116 Rocky Mountain HIDTA 122 South Florida HIDTA 127 Southwest Border HIDTA 132 Arizona Regional Partnership 132 California Regional Partnership 137 New Mexico Regional Partnership 142 South Texas Regional Partnership 147 West Texas Regional Partnership 152 Washington/Baltimore HIDTA 157 2004 National HIDTA Program Awards 165 Overview Office of National Drug Control Policy High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program: The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and the ONDCP Reauthorization Act of 1998 authorized the Director of The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to designate areas within the United States which exhibit serious drug trafficking problems and harmfully impact other areas of the country as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). The HIDTA Program provides additional federal resources to those areas to help eliminate or reduce drug trafficking and its harmful consequences. Law enforcement organizations within HIDTAs assess drug trafficking problems and design specific initiatives to reduce or eliminate the production, manufacture, transportation, distribution and chronic use of illegal drugs and money laundering. When designating a new HIDTA, the Director of ONDCP consults with the Attorney General, Secretary of the Treasury, heads of national drug control agencies and the appropriate governors and considers the following statutory criteria: • The extent to which the area is a center of illegal drug production, manufacturing, importation, or distribution; • The extent to which state and local law enforcement agencies have committed resources to respond to the drug trafficking problem in the area, thereby indicating a determination to respond aggressively to the problem; • The extent to which drug-related activities in the area are having a harmful impact in other areas of the country; and • The extent to which a significant increase in the allocation of federal resources is necessary to respond adequately to drug-related activities in the area. The HIDTA Program helps improve the effectiveness and efficiency of drug control efforts by facilitating cooperation between drug control organizations through resource and information sharing, collocating and implementing joint initiatives. HIDTA funds help federal, state and local law enforcement organizations invest in infrastructure and joint initiatives to confront drug- trafficking organizations. Funds are also used for demand reduction and drug treatment initiatives. The key priorities of the Program are: • Assess regional drug threats; • Design strategies to focus efforts that combat drug trafficking threats; • Develop and fund initiatives to implement strategies; 1 • Facilitate coordination between federal, state and local efforts; to • Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of drug control efforts to reduce or eliminate the harmful impact of drug trafficking. Each HIDTA is governed by its own Executive Board comprised of approximately 16 members—eight federal members and eight state or local members. These Boards facilitate interagency drug control efforts to eliminate or reduce drug threats. The Executive Boards ensure threat specific strategies and initiatives are developed, employed, supported and evaluated. HIDTA-designated counties comprise approximately 13 percent of U.S. counties, they are present in 43 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. The following 28 areas are designated as HIDTAs: • 1990: Houston, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, South Florida and Southwest Border (California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas); • 1994: Washington/Baltimore (Maryland, Virginia and District of Columbia) and Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands; • 1995: Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia/Camden; • 1996: Rocky Mountain (Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming), Gulf Coast (Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi), Lake County (Indiana), Midwest (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) and Northwest (Washington State); • 1997: Southeastern Michigan (subsequently, portions of western Michigan) and Northern California; • 1998: Appalachia (Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia), Central Florida, Milwaukee and North Texas (Texas and Oklahoma); and • 1999: Central Valley California, Hawaii, New England (Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont), Ohio and Oregon. • 2001: North Florida and Nevada. 2 AAAPPPPPPAAALLLAAACCCHHHIIIAAA HHHIIIDDDTTTAAA GGGEEENNNEEERRRAAALLL IIINNNFFFOOORRRMMMAAATTTIIIOOONNN::: YYYEEEAAARRR OOOFFF DDDEEESSSIIIGGGNNNAAATTTIIIOOONNN::: 1998 GGGEEEOOOGGGRRRAAAPPPHHHIIICCC AAARRREEEAAA OOOFFF RRREEESSSPPPOOONNNSSSIIIBBBIIILLLIIITTTYYY::: KKKeeennntttuuuccckkkyyy::: Adair, Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, McCreary, Magoffin, Marion, Monroe, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Taylor, Warren, Wayne, and Whitley counties; TTTeeennnnnneeesssssseeeeee::: Bledsoe, Campbell, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Cumberland, Fentress, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Macon, Marion, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Rhea, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Unicoi, Van Buren, and White counties; WWWeeesssttt VVViiirrrgggiiinnniiiaaa::: Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Gilmer, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mingo, and Wayne counties. CCCOOONNNTTTAAACCCTTT::: (606) 877-2100 MMMIIISSSSSSIIIOOONNN SSSTTTAAATTTEEEMMMEEENNNTTT::: and non-HIDTA funded resources. The mission of the Appalachia HIDTA is to TTTHHHRRREEEAAATTT AAABBBSSSTTTRRRAAACCCTTT::: reduce measurably, and particularly as it Marijuana is the number one cash crop in the relates to marijuana, the production and three states that comprise the Appalachia trafficking of illegal drugs in its immediate HIDTA. The states of Kentucky, Tennessee, area, to reduce drug-related violent crime in and West Virginia, with less than four percent the region, and to reduce the impact that of the total U.S. population, produced 34.5 HIDTA drug production and trafficking have percent of the domestic marijuana supply in on other areas of the United States. Although 2003 (measured in total eradicated plants). marijuana is its primary focus, the Appalachia Regional marijuana usage rates are generally HIDTA responds to the threat posed by the below the national average, indicating that the illicit traffic of other drugs as required. vast majority of marijuana cultivated in the Central to this mission is the expansion of HIDTA is destined for markets in other cooperative, multi-jurisdictional law regions of the country, and that the enforcement efforts involving HIDTA funded 5 Appalachia HIDTA continues to represent a have worked together to coordinate drug major drug threat to the United States. suppression activities throughout the sixty- eight designated counties, six United States Much of the marijuana produced in the Attorneys Offices, seven federal, seventeen Appalachia HIDTA is grown on public land. state, 43 local agencies, two National Forests, Marijuana growers in the Appalachia HIDTA and two National Parks. By balancing efforts intrude upon the Daniel Boone and Cherokee to attack drug trafficking at every layer, and National Forests and the Great Smoky coordinating non-enforcement efforts in Mountain and Big South Fork National Parks, targeted communities, the Appalachia HIDTA as well as lands owned by the Tennessee facilitates the needed cooperation between Valley Authority. The Daniel Boone has led federal, state and local agencies into all National Forests in marijuana cultivation collaborative initiatives that target drug for ten of the last 11 years. Public use of cultivation, distribution, and demand. these treasures has diminished because of the threat of violence from marijuana producers. More specifically, the Appalachia HIDTA consists of fourteen law enforcement The three states constituting the Appalachia initiatives, including a prosecution component HIDTA are experiencing a dramatic to enhance operational efforts. These escalation in the methamphetamine threat. initiatives target individuals and organizations The number of methamphetamine labs involved in the supply, trafficking, production dismantled in the HIDTA increased from 45 and distribution of all drugs, with an emphasis in 1999 to 474 in 2003. on marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription drugs. Further complementing the Cocaine, in both powder and crack forms, HIDTA’s operational efforts is the Appalachia remains a significant drug of abuse in HIDTA Investigative Support Center (ISC). metropolitan and rural areas. The four remaining support initiatives for the Appalachia HIDTA include Marijuana Prescription drug seizures by Appalachia Eradication, Demand Reduction Teams, HIDTA officers and agents expanded primarily targeting youths and educating the dramatically from 4,706 dosage units in 1999 public, an Appalachia HIDTA Training to 105,757 dosage units in 2003. The Initiative, and the Appalachia HIDTA trafficking and illicit usage of prescription Administration and Operations Support drugs, especially OxyContin, may well be the Initiative. most significant drug problem aside from marijuana within the HIDTA. IIINNNVVVEEESSSTTTIIIGGGAAATTTIIIVVVEEE SSSUUUPPPPPPOOORRRTTT CCCEEENNNTTTEEERRR::: The Appalachia HIDTA Investigative Support SSSTTTRRRAAATTTEEEGGGYYY AAABBBSSSTTTRRRAAACCCTTT::: Center (ISC) is the centerpiece of the HIDTA The Appalachia HIDTA Executive Board is as it provides the collocation and comprised of sixteen local, state, and federal commingling of vital federal and state law law enforcement leaders in the Kentucky, enforcement personnel, and databases to assist Tennessee, and West Virginia HIDTA areas all regional law enforcement agencies in of responsibility. The Administration counterdrug investigations, eradication, and component, or Headquarters, for the interdiction. The ISC provides event and Appalachia HIDTA can be found in London, subject deconfliction services for officer KY with offices in Tennessee and West safety and enhanced intelligence production; Virginia. Since the 1998 designation of the strategic intelligence for refined targeting and Appalachia HIDTA, participating agencies officer resource allocation; and in-service 6 analytical intelligence training. The ISC Prosecuting Attorney’s Institute, and the West provides drug intelligence analysis; prepares Virginia State Police. threat assessments, strategic reports, and organizational studies; participates in OTHER: Kentucky River Community Care informant/defendant debriefings and Regional Prevention Center, Chiefs of Police cultivates new sources of information; Association and Sheriff’s Association in performs post-seizure and search warrant Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, analysis; supports arrest operations; prepares Kentucky National Guard, Laurel County and conducts briefings for visitors to the Fiscal Court, Tennessee National Guard, West HIDTA; and assists in trial preparations. Virginia National Guard, West Virginia Additionally, the ISC initiates intelligence Prevention Resource Center, and numerous projects to generate leads for HIDTA local law enforcement agencies from all three investigative agencies and other law states. enforcement intelligence consumers nationwide. INITIATIVES: The following initiatives are included as part In 2003, the ISC purchased and implemented of the FY2005 Appalachia HIDTA Strategy: a computerized mechanism that provides investigative and eradication personnel with Demand Reduction Initiatives in Kentucky, 24/7 event deconfliction service. This Tennessee, and West Virginia – members software will be capable of case and subject conduct year-round demand reduction deconfliction in the future, reducing operations in order to reduce the use of duplication of effort in addition to enhancing marijuana and other drugs, and to alter the officer safety. public perception that marijuana is a benign drug. In 2003, the ISC produced and disseminated three strategic HIDTA special reports, all of Eradication Initiatives in Kentucky, which were disseminated at the national level. Tennessee, and West Virginia – members conduct multi-agency aerial and ground Additionally, in 2003 the ISC provided leads surveillance to identify and subsequently that led directly to the seizure of dozens of eliminate both outdoor and indoor, cultivated indoor marijuana growing operations within marijuana. the three HIDTA states and nationwide. Appalachia HIDTA Intelligence Initiative - PPPAAARRRTTTIIICCCIIIPPPAAATTTIIINNNGGG AAAGGGEEENNNCCCIIIEEESSS::: This Initiative drives the Appalachia HIDTA FEDERAL: ATF, DEA, FBI, IRS-CI, USFS, Investigative Support Center – members in the USMS and USAOs (Eastern and Western three states make up this non-collocated team Districts of Kentucky, Eastern and Middle who provide strategic, operational and tactical Districts of Tennessee, and Northern and intelligence to law enforcement officers and Southern Districts of West Virginia). agencies in the region. Through the Investigative Support Center, the team STATE: Kentucky Governor's Marijuana supports drug investigations for all assigned Strike Force, Kentucky State Police, task forces. Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement, Tennessee Appalachia HIDTA Regional Training Alcohol Beverage Commission, Tennessee Initiative implements training that is in Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee District accordance with the goals and strategy of the Attorneys’ General Conference, West Virginia Appalachia HIDTA and insures coordination 7