National Drug Intelligence Center   Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009   March 2009

Distribution

Various DTOs, criminal groups, street gangs, and independent dealers dominate retail-level drug distribution in the Milwaukee HIDTA region. Cocaine and marijuana are typically distributed by DTOs, criminal groups, and street gangs; heroin, diverted CPDs, MDMA, and limited amounts of methamphetamine are generally distributed by independent dealers or criminal groups.

Powder and crack cocaine are distributed by various criminal groups and street gangs in the HIDTA region. Most of the cocaine supplied to the region is stored at stash houses in Milwaukee, where local dealers purchase the drug for retail distribution. Within Milwaukee, powder cocaine is distributed primarily on the south side by Hispanic criminal groups and street gangs, while crack cocaine is distributed principally on the north side by African American street gangs. In Racine, where law enforcement officials report that crack cocaine distribution is the most significant drug problem in the city, some African American and Hispanic drug traffickers travel to Chicago to purchase cocaine for local distribution.

Heroin distribution in the Milwaukee HIDTA region is conducted primarily by criminal groups and independent dealers with connections to Dominican and Nigerian traffickers from Chicago (see text box). African American criminal groups are the primary distributors of heroin on the north side of Milwaukee, while Hispanic drug dealers, primarily Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, distribute most of the heroin on the south side of the city. Law enforcement officials in Racine report that heroin distribution by Hispanic criminal groups has increased since 2007; previously, nearly all the heroin in Racine had been distributed by African American dealers. Caucasian independent dealers also distribute heroin in the region, but generally in smaller quantities provided to friends or associates.

Marijuana is commonly distributed throughout the HIDTA region by a variety of criminal groups, street gangs, and independent dealers. Hispanic criminal groups and street gangs are the primary distributors of commercial-grade marijuana on the south side of Milwaukee, while African American criminal groups distribute most of the marijuana available on the north side of the city. Asian criminal groups and Caucasian independent dealers also distribute high-potency marijuana throughout the HIDTA region. Law enforcement officials report that high-potency marijuana availability is increasing in various counties of the region, including Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine. Additionally, in Waukesha County, where residents are able to afford higher prices, much of the marijuana that is available is high-potency marijuana.

Other illicit drugs, including diverted CPDs and MDMA, are also distributed throughout the region, most often by independent dealers and small criminal groups. Controlled prescription opioids, including oxycodone, methadone, morphine, and hydrocodone, are commonly distributed in the region. These drugs are typically obtained by distributors and abusers through doctor-shopping and fraudulent prescriptions, or from independent dealers who also abuse the drug. MDMA is typically distributed by Asian criminal groups and Caucasian independent dealers who receive the drug from Vietnamese, Laotian, and Hmong drug traffickers in Canada and along the West Coast; however, African American street gangs also distribute the drug on the north side of Milwaukee.

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Drug-Related Crime

Criminal activity associated with the distribution and abuse of powder and crack cocaine is a significant problem in the Milwaukee HIDTA region. According to the NDTS 2009, 12 of the 16 state and local law enforcement respondents in the Milwaukee HIDTA region identify crack cocaine as the drug most associated with violent crime; 11 respondents report the same for property crime.

Street gangs and criminal groups in the Milwaukee HIDTA region commit various violent and property crimes, including assault, automobile theft, burglary, drive-by shooting, home invasion, homicide, money laundering, robbery, and weapons trafficking to facilitate their drug trafficking operations. Street gangs in the region are commonly involved in turf-oriented rivalries that sometimes lead to violent confrontations with other street gangs in the area. For example, in June 2008 the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin indicted 15 members of the Gangster Disciples street gang in Racine for their alleged distribution of powder and crack cocaine and marijuana; gang members relied on the use of intimidation and violence to generate drug profits by excluding nongang members from selling drugs in their territory. Additionally, in July 2008, 19 members of the Trey 8 Mob street gang in Milwaukee were indicted for their alleged distribution of powder and crack cocaine and marijuana. According to the indictment, some members, to advance their criminal enterprise, used threats and acts of violence that resulted in serious bodily injuries to their victims. On the contrary, gang rivalries between African American northside gangs and Hispanic southside gangs in Milwaukee are rare, since the gangs are separated by clearly demarcated geographical boundaries and usually distribute drugs to established customer bases in their respective communities. Drug distributors are particularly vulnerable to robbery and assault: they are reluctant to report these crimes out of fear that law enforcement will discover their drug operations. As a result, dealers increasingly carry weapons and often employ heavily armed lookouts and bodyguards, who represent a threat to law enforcement officers who encounter them.

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