Illegal drug trafficking has it markets, like any other business. Federal officials charged with enforcing drug laws have a lot of work on their hands in dealing with the illegal business of drug trafficking, particularly when it comes to drug trafficking across borders.
While there are problems with drug trafficking on both the northern and southern borders, it is the southwest that is the major supplier for markets like Chicago and Atlanta. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Drug Intelligence Center, drug seizures on the southwest border accounted for 96 percent of all marijuana seizures, 80 percent of methamphetamine seizures, 64 percent of all cocaine seizures and 58 percent of all heroine seizures in 2010.
Arizona, in particular, has been sourced as a major supplier by drug enforcement agencies. According to the 2011 National Drug Threat Assessment, most drugs are trafficked over land, though the use of private boats and light aircraft is on the increase. Cartels also smuggle drugs through ports of entry or over remote border areas. Smugglers use a variety of methods to get drugs across the border, some quite creative.
Once in Arizona, loads are transported to store houses in Tucson and Phoenix. Arizona is a feeder state for many U.S. markets.
The trafficking problems on the northern border are different than those in the southwest, but still serious. Part of the problem in the north is that there are far fewer law enforcement agents in the north protecting a very large and remote area.
Of course, violence and other criminal activity tend to surround drug trafficking, and oftentimes innocent people—sometimes minors—get caught up in trafficking. Those who find themselves facing criminal charges don’t always know their rights or how to defend themselves.
Drug trafficking charges can be an intimidating thing to deal with, and it can help to have an experienced advocate at one’s side.
Source: Source: Cronkite News, “Long borders, long odds on winning drug wars,” David Robles, May 7, 2013.
