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Cocaine, particularly crack, poses the greatest threat to Albany County and the city of Albany. Heroin and marijuana, particularly Canadian hydroponic marijuana, also pose a serious threat to the area. Pharmaceutical drugs pose an increasing threat.
Cocaine, both powder and crack, available in Albany County is supplied by Dominican sources in New York City, specifically Washington Heights. Some New York City-based Dominican dealers travel to Albany to deliver multiounce to kilogram quantities of powder cocaine to their regular customers. Additionally, some Albany County distributors, usually Caucasian and African American males, travel to Washington Heights, either in personal vehicles or by bus, to obtain multiounce quantities of powder cocaine for distribution in Albany County. Some African American males obtain crack cocaine from distributors in New York City; however, most purchase powder cocaine that they convert locally to crack.
Heroin abuse has remained stable in Albany County since 2007. Hispanic males and females and some African American males distribute heroin in the area. Most heroin distributors travel to Washington Heights, by private vehicle, bus, or train, and obtain bundles of heroin that they transport to Albany for retail distribution.
Marijuana poses a serious threat to the Albany area. Most marijuana distributors obtain high-potency marijuana from Native American traffickers on the St. Regis Mohawk (Akwesasne) Reservation on the U.S.-Canada border for distribution in the Albany area. Some law enforcement officials indicate that this higher-potency marijuana often serves as a gateway drug for pharmaceutical abuse by young people and, eventually, heroin abuse.
Diverted pharmaceuticals pose an increasing drug threat in Albany County. Vicodin (hydrocodone), OxyContin (oxycodone), and other opioids, as well as Xanax (alprazolam) are the primary pharmaceuticals abused in Albany County.
Albany serves as a distribution center for crack cocaine in Upstate New York. The city also is a source of supply for powder cocaine, crack, and heroin to smaller cities and towns in surrounding areas as well as Vermont and Massachusetts. Dealers and abusers from surrounding towns travel to Albany to obtain drugs for further distribution or personal use. Some Albany dealers also deliver powder cocaine and crack to their regular customers in these secondary markets. Deals typically take place at prearranged meeting locations in residences or parking lots.
Cocaine, particularly crack, poses the primary drug threat to Erie County and the city of Buffalo. Canadian high-potency, hydroponic marijuana is a serious threat to the area, particularly as Buffalo serves as a significant transshipment point for Canadian marijuana smuggled into the United States. The abuse of heroin and pharmaceutical drugs has increased in the Buffalo area.
Hispanic traffickers, particularly Dominican, on the west side of Buffalo and African American traffickers on the east side are the primary distributors of powder cocaine, crack, and heroin in the city. Most of the dealers are males and range from 17 to 50 years of age.
Dominican and African American traffickers are the primary powder cocaine, crack, and heroin distributors in Buffalo. They obtain multikilogram quantities of drug supplies from sources of supply in New York City, Atlanta, Detroit, and various cities in Florida. Some local dealers obtain cocaine directly from sources of supply near the Southwest Border.
Heroin traffickers in Buffalo typically use female couriers to transport prepackaged heroin supplies to the local area from New York City.
Pharmaceutical diversion has increased significantly in Buffalo, according to local law enforcement sources. Abusers are obtaining Lortab (hydrocodone) and OxyContin (oxycodone) through traditional diversion methods such as doctor shopping and forged prescriptions. Additionally, law enforcement officials and treatment providers report that many prescription narcotic abusers in the area have progressed to heroin abuse.
Buffalo serves as a source of supply for many secondary markets in Erie County and the surrounding area. Dealers and abusers from surrounding towns and cities such as Amherst, Jamestown, Niagara Falls, and Tonawanda travel to Buffalo to obtain cocaine, heroin, and marijuana supplies for personal use and for further distribution in their respective areas.
Buffalo is a major transshipment point for hydroponic marijuana entering the United States and cocaine entering Canada; the Niagara Frontier Region is the primary transit area for cocaine entering eastern Canada, according to DEA. Western New York POEs are being increasingly used by Canada-based traffickers for transshipment of marijuana into the United States; a large portion of the marijuana seized in Buffalo is destined for locations outside western New York. The size of hydroponic marijuana shipments to the United States from Canada has increased significantly. Previously, loads shipped through the western New York POEs were several hundred pounds; now most are several thousand pounds.
Powder cocaine poses the most serious threat to Monroe County and the city of Rochester. Crack cocaine, heroin, and marijuana also pose a significant threat to the city.
Rochester-based drug distributors obtain cocaine and heroin primarily from distributors in New York City; however, some obtain cocaine from sources in Houston, Texas, and Atlanta and heroin from sources in Detroit. Local distributors, usually young Dominican males, travel to New York City by private vehicle, often outfitted with sophisticated traps, to purchase illicit drugs for distribution in their areas; some also travel by bus and by train. They obtain multikilogram quantities of cocaine and multiounce quantities of heroin and transport the drugs back to Rochester for distribution to local midlevel and retail-level dealers. Dominican and African American individuals are the primary cocaine and heroin distributors in the area, while young African American males are the primary crack cocaine dealers.
Rochester is a distribution center for powder cocaine, crack, and heroin to cities, towns, and counties within a 40-mile radius of the city, including Corning and Elmira as well as Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates Counties.
Cocaine, particularly crack, poses the most serious threat to Onondaga County and the city of Syracuse. Marijuana, particularly Canadian hydroponic marijuana, also poses a significant threat. Heroin abuse is increasing in Syracuse, particularly in the city's affluent areas.
Syracuse-based drug dealers frequently travel to the Washington Heights section of New York City by private vehicle, bus, and train to obtain multiounce quantities of cocaine and smaller quantities of heroin. Additionally, some female couriers occasionally transport these drugs to Syracuse for local distributors. Heroin is also obtained by local distributors from sources of supply in Rochester and then cut and repackaged for retail distribution locally. Most of the crack cocaine available in the area is converted locally from powder cocaine.
Local distributors acquire high-potency Canadian marijuana from traffickers who smuggle the drug from Canada across the St. Regis Mohawk (Akwesasne) Reservation into the United States.
Syracuse supplies secondary markets in an approximate 60-mile radius of the city, including Binghamton, Ft. Drum, Oswego, Utica, and Watertown.
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