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Cocaine: Cocaine continues to be a problem throughout
all areas of Utah. Kilogram quantities of cocaine HCL are available along the
Wasatch Range, which stretches from Provo to Ogden, and includes approximately
75 percent of the state's population. Mexican organizations tend to dominate
large scale cocaine distribution, though several other groups/organizations are
capable of distributing kilogram quantities. Crack cocaine is available in
ounce quantities, though it is confined primarily to larger cities.
Heroin: Heroin remains a serious problem in Utah.
Mexican organizations control virtually all of the heroin distributed in Utah.
Mexican brown and black tar heroin are readily available throughout the state,
though multi-ounce and larger quantities are primarily distributed in the major
cities. Traditional Mexican organizations are becoming more entrenched within
Utah and currently are capable of selling multi-pound quantities of heroin.
Almost without exception, the Mexican organizations trafficking in heroin also
distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine remains the largest
drug threat throughout Utah, though several favorable indicators are emerging.
For example, the number of methamphetamine laboratories seized by law
enforcement in Utah dropped by 29 percent from 2001. More importantly, the size
of the methamphetamine laboratories (measured by the amount of finished product
per cook) also appears to be decreasing, as the majority of labs uncovered are
classified as small and rudimentary. Lastly, the "Black Market" prices for
necessary precursor chemicals (i.e., ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, iodine, etc.)
has increased significantly over the last several years. Nonetheless,
methamphetamine remains readily available throughout the state via local
clandestine labs, as well as from Mexican organizations that import and
distribute large quantities.
Club Drugs: Ecstasy, GHB, Ketamine, and Oxycontin are
quickly becoming a significant law enforcement problem, with the potential for
exponential growth. Club drugs, primarily Ecstasy, have been identified as the
second largest drug threat within Utah. Ecstasy is typically purchased in
tablet form, although powder is also available in very limited quantities.
Information about the use of Ketamine, a veterinary tranquilizer, has been
received, though only small purchases by local law enforcement have been made.
Smaller quantities of OxyContin are being distributed in various pockets
throughout the state. GHB is also available in many portions of Utah.
LSD and Hallucinogens: LSD use and availability appear
to be reduced from previous years. DEA Salt Lake City considers LSD to be a
continuing problem, though its popularity has decreased with the increase in
MDMA availability and usage. Because of the ease of procuring quantities of
MDMA, many LSD dealers shifted to MDMA because of the large profit margins and
the lower sentencing guidelines. The remaining LSD dealers still have strong
ties to sources of supply in the San Francisco Bay area.
Marijuana: Marijuana is easily grown in the remote areas
of the state, which are most conducive for growing operations due to the
fertile soil. Some owners of outdoor grows have utilized armed Mexican
immigrants to tend the plants. Homemade irrigation systems have been developed
to counteract the arid climate of these remote sites and camouflage techniques
have become more sophisticated. Also, the importation of marijuana from British
Columbia, Canada, remains active in Utah. The majority of bulk-seized marijuana
is of Mexican origin. |