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National Drug Intelligence Center |
Cedar Rapids is the second-largest city in Iowa and is located in the eastern part of the state on the Cedar River in Linn County, which has a population of over 197,000. Cedar Rapids is primarily a consumer market for illicit drugs, but some cocaine and marijuana are supplied from Cedar Rapids to neighboring cities in Iowa, particularly Cedar Falls, Waterloo, and Dubuque.
Crack cocaine distribution and abuse are significant drug concerns to law enforcement and public health officials in Cedar Rapids. Chicago-based African American street gangs, primarily Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples, and Vice Lords, control the retail distribution of crack cocaine in Cedar Rapids; they also distribute powder cocaine and heroin. Mexican DTOs and criminal groups transport large quantities of methamphetamine to Cedar Rapids by commercial and private vehicles and package delivery services. Mexican DTOs dominate methamphetamine distribution in the market, and the presence of a large, undocumented Hispanic population in the Cedar Rapids area has facilitated this control. Marijuana and powder cocaine also are highly available in the market area. MDMA is available and is transported from New York, California, Spain, and the Netherlands to Cedar Rapids by package delivery services; the drug is used at rave parties.
The Des Moines metropolitan area, which includes the city of Des Moines as well as the rest of Polk County, has almost 375,000 residents. The highway infrastructure in the Des Moines area facilitates the transportation of illicit drugs and drug proceeds to and from the area. Interstates 35 and 80 intersect in Polk County, northeast of Des Moines and are the principal highways that serve the area. Des Moines is primarily a consumer market, but Mexican DTOs also use Des Moines as a transshipment center for ice methamphetamine destined for northeast markets.
Mexican DTOs are the primary transporters of ice methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana into the area; they use private vehicles to transport the drugs from Mexico, California, Texas, and Arizona. Additionally, African American street gangs from Chicago and the Kansas City metropolitan area transport powder cocaine, crack, and marijuana to Des Moines. They generally transport these drugs to Des Moines in private vehicles, sell the drugs, and return home with the drug proceeds. Moreover, African American street gangs from Detroit have been increasing their influence in Des Moines.
African American and Hispanic street gangs are the primary retail distributors throughout Des Moines. Local African American street gangs are the primary powder cocaine and crack distributors. These gangs tend to be loosely organized and formed in and around housing developments. Hispanic street gangs tend to be more hierarchical and tied to nationally affiliated gangs such as 18th Street, Latin Kings, and MS 13. Hispanic street gangs distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Both African American and Hispanic street gangs have used violence in the past to protect their drug territories.
The Fargo/Grand Forks area includes Cass, Grand Forks, Ramsey, Richland, and Walsh Counties in North Dakota. The population of the area's five counties is approximately 215,000, roughly one-third of the total population of the state. The Fargo/Grand Forks area is primarily a consumer market for illicit drugs; however, it does serve as a distribution center for small communities in eastern and central North Dakota.
Cocaine and methamphetamine distribution and abuse are significant drug concerns to law enforcement and public health officials in Fargo and Grand Forks. Methamphetamine distribution and abuse previously have dominated in both markets; however, officials with the Fargo Police Department report that methamphetamine distribution has recently decreased. In addition, law enforcement officials report a recent increase in crack cocaine availability in Fargo and in powder cocaine availability in Grand Forks. Mexican criminal groups are the principal transporters and distributors of most illicit drugs in the Fargo/Grand Forks area. African American street gangs from Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Milwaukee are the primary transporters and distributors of crack cocaine in the Fargo/Grand Forks area. (See Table 1 in Drug Trafficking Organizations section.) Marijuana is highly available and frequently abused; despite the Fargo/Grand Forks area's proximity to Canada, Mexican commercial-grade marijuana is more available than Canadian hydroponic marijuana. However, the Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force reports an increase in BC Bud availability in the first quarter of 2008.
The Sioux City/Sioux Falls area--which includes Woodbury County, Iowa; Dakota County, Nebraska; and Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties, South Dakota--is located along the Interstate 29 corridor in northwestern Iowa (Sioux City), northeastern Nebraska (South Sioux City), and southeastern South Dakota (Sioux Falls). Sioux City/Sioux Falls is a regional distribution center for methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and MDMA; these drugs are distributed from the area to markets in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Mexican criminal groups are the principal transporters of illicit drugs to the Sioux City/Sioux Falls area. They transport wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, and powder cocaine, and limited quantities of Mexican black tar heroin to the area from California and Arizona, as well as from Omaha. Mexican wholesale traffickers sell methamphetamine and other illicit drugs to Mexican and Caucasian midlevel dealers, who in turn sell the drugs to the area's retail distributors. Caucasian independent dealers are the primary retail distributors in the Sioux City/Sioux Falls area; Mexican and Native American independent dealers also distribute drugs at the retail level, but to a lesser extent.
The distribution and abuse of methamphetamine are significant drug problems in the Sioux City/Sioux Falls area and frequently are associated with violent and property crimes. Increasing crack cocaine availability in Sioux City is attributed to an influx of African American street gang members from Chicago, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and St. Louis. These gang members travel to Sioux City, often by commercial buses, to distribute crack cocaine because of the drug's large profit margin in the area. A rock of crack cocaine in Chicago sells for $15, while a rock of crack cocaine in Sioux Falls sells for approximately $75. In addition, powder cocaine distribution and abuse are increasing in Sioux Falls; law enforcement officials report that they anticipate a continued increase in cocaine availability and a decline in methamphetamine availability in the near term.
Springfield, with a population of more than 150,000, is the county seat of Greene County and is situated on I-44, which connects Springfield to St. Louis and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Springfield is a consumer market and a state distribution center. Cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine are distributed from Springfield to areas throughout Missouri.
Ice methamphetamine distribution and abuse are major drug threats in Springfield, although crack cocaine distribution and abuse are prevalent and frequently associated with violent crimes. A slight increase in hydroponic marijuana availability and abuse is attributed to the large college population in Springfield that typically prefers this marijuana.
Mexican DTOs and criminal groups are the principal transporters and wholesale distributors of most illicit drugs in Springfield. Mexican traffickers transport wholesale quantities of ice methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas to Springfield for distribution. African American local independent dealers, some with street gang affiliations, dominate retail distribution of crack cocaine. African American criminal groups and street gangs in Detroit, Chicago, the Kansas City metropolitan area, Little Rock, and St. Louis transport and distribute cocaine to Springfield. These groups previously transported the drug in crack form but now typically transport the drug in powder form and convert it to crack in Springfield in an attempt to avoid increased penalties for trafficking crack. Since 2005, the number of Gangster Disciples gang members operating in this market has doubled; these gang members frequently engage in shootings and assaults in order to protect their distribution territory.
The Wichita metropolitan area (which includes Wichita as well as the rest of Sedgwick County) has more than 450,000 residents and is located in south central Kansas. Situated on I-35 and U.S. Highway 54, two major drug transportation routes from the Southwest Border, Wichita is a drug distribution hub as well as a significant consumer market. Mexican DTOs and criminal groups are the principal transporters of most illicit drugs available in Wichita and Sedgwick County. They may be using indirect routes, transporting drugs from the Southwest to Wichita through South Dakota or Nebraska in an effort to avoid detection. Mexican ice methamphetamine, powder cocaine, and marijuana are distributed from Wichita to many southeast and south central Kansas towns.
Mexican DTOs and criminal groups control the wholesale distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana in Wichita. While these three drugs usually are highly available and widely abused in this market, DEA Wichita officials reported a noticeable decline in cocaine availability in 2007. African American street gangs and Hispanic local independent dealers and street gangs dominate retail-level drug distribution. Additionally, African American distributors convert most of the powder cocaine available in the area to crack for retail distribution. Asian criminal groups from Canada and Washington transport MDMA to Wichita, where it is distributed by Asian criminal groups and independent college age users.
Street gang activity is increasing in Wichita. Some of the increased street gang activity and gang-related violence is caused by rival distributors, including Asian street gangs, becoming active in crack cocaine distribution, which was typically controlled by African American criminal groups.
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