Title:

Wisconsin Drug Threat Assessment

Publication Date:  May 2001
Update: June 2002

Document ID: 2001-S0382WI-001

Archived on:  January 1, 2006. This document may contain dated information. It remains available to provide access to historical materials.

This report is a strategic assessment that addresses the status and outlook of the drug threat in Wisconsin. Analytical judgment determined the threat posed by each drug type or category, taking into account the most current quantitative and qualitative information on availability, demand, production or cultivation, transportation, and distribution, as well as the effects of a particular drug on abusers and society as a whole. While NDIC sought to incorporate the latest available information, a time lag often exists between collection and publication of data, particularly demand-related data sets. NDIC anticipates that this drug threat assessment will be useful to policymakers, law enforcement personnel, and treatment providers at the federal, state, and local levels because it draws upon a broad range of information sources to describe and analyze the drug threat in Wisconsin.

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Contents  

Executive Summary

Overview 
   Fast Facts

Cocaine
  Abuse
  Availability
  Violence
  Production
  Transportation
  Distribution

Marijuana
  Abuse
  Availability
  Violence
  Production
  Transportation
  Distribution

Methamphetamine 
  Abuse
  Availability
  Violence
  Production
  Transportation
  Distribution

Heroin 
  Abuse
  Availability
  Violence
  Production
  Transportation
  Distribution

Other Dangerous Drugs
  Abuse
  Availability
  Violence
  Production
  Transportation
  Distribution

Outlook

Sources

Chart 1. Drug Abuse Deaths, Wisconsin, 1975-1997  
Chart 2. Drug Arrests, Wisconsin, 1986-1998 
Chart 3. Methamphetamine Emergency Department Mentions, Wisconsin, 1996-1998
Chart 4. Heroin-Related Deaths, Milwaukee County, 1996-2000
Chart 5. State Crime Laboratory Cases for Other Dangerous Drugs, 1997-1999 

List of Tables 

Table 1. Milwaukee Area Drug
     Availability and Trends in Abuse
Table 2. CEASE Statistics, Wisconsin, 1993-1998

 List of Figures

Figure 1. Methamphetamine Abuse Problem Areas, Wisconsin, 1998-1999

Milwaukee is an ideal drug transportation and distribution center in part because of its geographic location and multifaceted transportation infrastructure. Three types of organizations are responsible for most of the transportation and wholesale distribution of drugs in Wisconsin: Mexican drug trafficking organizations transport cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine; Nigerian criminal groups distribute Southeast Asian heroin; and Dominican criminal groups distribute cocaine and South American heroin. The most common means that transporters use to ship drugs into Milwaukee are private vehicles, commercial trucks, bus services, package delivery services, air parcel services or couriers on commercial flights, and railways. Organized street gangs such as the Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, and Latin Kings control the distribution and retail sales of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana not only in Milwaukee, but also throughout the state. Violent crime associated with street gangs, while declining in some major urban areas, is increasing in suburban and rural areas of the state as these gangs expand their drug markets.

The primary drug threats in Wisconsin are the availability and abuse of powdered cocaine and the subsequent conversion, distribution, and abuse of crack cocaine. Most cocaine in the state is transported either directly from the Southwest Border or via Chicago. Law enforcement authorities report that crack cocaine is the primary drug threat in central and eastern Wisconsin. Deaths attributed to cocaine abuse were reported in record numbers in Wisconsin in 1997. Moreover, data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Episode Data Set show an increase in admissions for cocaine abuse from 1993 to 1998.

The availability of marijuana transported from Mexico remains a problem in the state, and the cultivation of domestic marijuana in indoor grow operations is increasing. Domestic marijuana distributors are "cutting" their product with Mexican marijuana to extend distribution operations year-round and to gain inroads into Mexican distribution operations. These relationships may lead to the increased availability of other drugs since most Mexican drug trafficking organizations in the region also distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine continues to be transported eastward through the Great Lakes Region from Minnesota into northwestern Wisconsin and from Iowa into southwestern Wisconsin. As methamphetamine abuse increases, the violent criminal activity associated with it may rival or exceed that associated with crack cocaine abuse. Unpredictable behavior by methamphetamine abusers has contributed to increases in domestic violence, and local methamphetamine production increasingly endangers law enforcement, the environment, and surrounding communities.

While not as significant as the abuse of those drugs already mentioned, heroin abuse continues to increase, especially in the Milwaukee area. Chicago and New York City remain the most frequently cited heroin sources for the Milwaukee area. Nigerian and Dominican criminals are increasing their distribution operations in Milwaukee, possibly moving as far as the Madison area. Heroin's highly addictive nature forces many users to resort to crime to fund their habit, much like crack cocaine users.

There is growing concern regarding the abuse of MDMA and other club drugs in Wisconsin. MDMA availability and abuse increased in 1999. GHB and ketamine, both of which have been factors in several rape and poisoning cases in Wisconsin, are also a law enforcement concern. The increasing popularity of these drugs, especially among school age youth, will cause significant problems in the state, particularly in college towns such as Milwaukee, Madison, and La Crosse.

Addresses

National Drug Intelligence Center
319 Washington Street, 5th Floor
Johnstown, PA 15901

Tel. (814) 532-4601
FAX (814) 532-4690
E-mail NDIC.Contacts@usdoj.gov

Tel. (703) 556-8970
FAX (703) 556-7807

Web Addresses

ADNET:  http://ndicosa 
      DOJ:  http://www.usdoj.gov/archive/ndic/
      LEO:  home.leo.gov/lesig/ndic