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

Production

Drug production in the Milwaukee HIDTA region is generally limited to crack cocaine conversion and cannabis cultivation. African American criminal groups and street gangs are the primary producers of crack cocaine, while Caucasian and Hispanic producers are the principal cultivators of cannabis.

The conversion of powder cocaine to crack is a significant concern in the HIDTA region because of the drug's association with violent and property crimes. Crack cocaine distributors commit crimes including assault and homicide in order to control local drug operations, while crack abusers sometimes commit robbery or theft to obtain the drug. African American street gang members typically convert powder cocaine into crack in half-kilogram quantities at a time.

Most marijuana available in the Milwaukee HIDTA region is commercial-grade Mexican marijuana; high-potency marijuana produced in California and Canada and locally produced marijuana also are available. Much of the marijuana produced locally originates from cannabis cultivated at indoor grow sites, which are more common than outdoor sites, largely because of the short outdoor growing season and high population density in the HIDTA region. Indoor grow sites typically are operated by Caucasian independent dealers who produce the drug for personal use or limited local distribution. Law enforcement officials report that the number of outdoor grows has increased, particularly in Kenosha and Racine counties in the HIDTA region and in the neighboring counties of Rock and Walworth in Wisconsin and Lake and McHenry in Illinois. Most of these grows are coordinated and maintained by Hispanics and are located in cornfields and forests, where trees are cut down in order to allow the plants to get sunlight. These grow sites can yield 1,000 to more than 10,000 cannabis plants. The operators often use generators and pumps to draw water from nearby ponds. Some local producers purchase equipment from Internet web sites, while other producers purchase growing equipment from local stores.

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Transportation

Traffickers use numerous modes of transportation to smuggle illicit drugs into the HIDTA region; however, they most frequently use private and commercial vehicles. Drug shipments transported in vehicles are typically placed in hidden compartments or commingled with legitimate products. Drug traffickers also employ couriers on trains, buses, and aircraft to transport illicit drugs into the region. Some criminals ship marijuana, cocaine, heroin, MDMA, and other illicit drugs through the U.S. Postal Service and private parcel delivery services. For example, in January 2009 the Kenosha Metro Drug Unit seized 2.64 pounds of Mexican black tar heroin that was shipped to a residence in Kenosha; the residence was occupied by a male and female, both Caucasian and 40 years of age. Some drug traffickers use axle grease, coffee grounds, dryer sheets, garlic, mustard, pepper, or spray foam in the packaging to mask drug odor and deter law enforcement interdiction. Law enforcement officials are also encountering packaging coated with more caustic chemicals, such as bleach and drain cleaner, which are believed to be used to hide the scent of the drugs and to thwart drug-detecting canines.

Mexican traffickers transport wholesale quantities of powder cocaine and commercial-grade marijuana into the area from Chicago and various source locations in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and southern California. Mexican traffickers typically transport drug shipments to Milwaukee, where they are stored and broken down into smaller quantities for distribution in markets such as Racine, Waukesha, and Kenosha. Many Mexican criminal groups and street gangs in the region have organizational or familial connections in Chicago and Mexico that supply them with significant amounts of illicit drugs. Additionally, some traffickers are increasingly dealing directly with Mexican drug cartels and traffickers based along the Southwest Border, who generally offer better prices than suppliers in Chicago.

Dominican and Nigerian traffickers transport wholesale quantities of heroin and powder cocaine to the HIDTA region from Chicago. Prior to 2005 heroin traffickers in New York, New York, and Boston, Massachusetts, supplied much of the heroin available in the region; however, increased availability of, and competitive prices for, heroin in Chicago contributed to a shift in heroin supply from sources on the East Coast to sources based in Chicago. Nearly all of the heroin available in the area now originates in Colombia. Most heroin transits the U.S.-Mexico border en route to Chicago for eventual distribution in Milwaukee; however, law enforcement officials report that some heroin traffickers are transporting heroin from Mexico to Canada and then to Chicago. Dominican and Nigerian drug traffickers in Chicago typically supply heroin to Hispanic dealers, primarily Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, on the south side of Milwaukee and African American dealers on the north side of the city.

Asian drug traffickers (primarily Vietnamese, Laotian, and Hmong) transport wholesale quantities of high-potency marijuana and MDMA into the region from locations in Canada and western states (see text box). Some Asian traffickers transport these drugs from Canada through Michigan and Minnesota and into the HIDTA region. For example, law enforcement officials report that MDMA is increasingly transported from Canada through Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, through Marinette, Wisconsin, and then south on U.S. Highway 41 to southern Wisconsin counties. Some traffickers recruit young Caucasian females and elderly couples to transport MDMA into the United States from Canada. Asian traffickers also transport high-potency marijuana and MDMA to the region from the West Coast of the United States. Additionally, some Asian traffickers based in California also transport powder cocaine to the area.

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