National Drug Intelligence Center   Philadelphia/Camden High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2009   February 2009

Distribution

Various DTOs, criminal groups, gangs, and independent dealers of differing races/ethnicities distribute illicit drugs at the wholesale level, midlevel, and retail level in the PC HIDTA region. (See Table 1.)

Table 1. Drug Distribution Activities in the Philadelphia/Camden High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, 2008

Source: Philadelphia/Camden High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

Colombian and Dominican DTOs based in New York City are the principal wholesale distributors of cocaine and SA heroin in the PC HIDTA region. They supply midlevel and retail quantities of these drugs to African American, Caucasian, Dominican, Jamaican, and Puerto Rican DTOs as well as to independent dealers, street gangs, imprisoned gang members, and OMGs. Dominican DTOs also supply smaller cities in eastern Pennsylvania, such as Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and Reading, and suburban and rural areas, such as Hazelton, Sunbury, and the Pocono Mountains.

Mexican DTOs distribute wholesale quantities of cocaine, most of the commercial-grade marijuana, and significant quantities of powder and ice methamphetamine in the HIDTA region. They use well-established, national-level transportation networks to supply these drugs to African American, Dominican, Jamaican, and Puerto Rican midlevel and retail distributors. Additionally, some Mexican DTOs use Atlanta as a distribution center for cocaine and methamphetamine destined for the region.

Vietnamese criminal groups distribute MDMA, high-potency marijuana, and methamphetamine in the region that they obtain from Canada-based Asian DTOs. These criminal groups supply high-potency marijuana to a specific customer base, particularly affluent individuals who are willing to pay more for higher-quality marijuana. Additionally, Vietnamese criminal groups in the region sell wholesale quantities of MDMA and retail quantities of high-purity ice methamphetamine.

Neighborhood-based African American and Hispanic street gangs control retail drug distribution in the PC HIDTA region; however, law enforcement reporting indicates that some street gangs are becoming involved in wholesale-level drug trafficking, aided by their connections to DTOs, particularly Mexican and Asian DTOs. These gangs often distribute crack, heroin, and other illicit drugs in open-air drug markets. Various OMGs also serve as retail-level drug distributors. According to law enforcement officials, OMGs often use bars in the region as distribution sites for methamphetamine and marijuana.

Retail drug distribution typically takes place in open-air markets. Many of these markets are controlled by a particular gang or criminal group that either sells drugs at that location or collects a percentage of the profits from drug sales conducted by another group. Gangs and criminal groups generally establish ownership of open-air markets through long-term drug sales in a particular area, by taking control through violence or threats of violence, or by purchasing the right to sell drugs in a particular open-air market from other gangs or criminal groups, often at a high price.

Many street gang members store drugs in stash locations throughout the HIDTA region and then bring smaller amounts to open-air markets to facilitate distribution and to lower the risk of having large quantities of drugs seized. Many Bloods street gang members store cocaine in sparsely furnished rental properties separate from their residences. Additionally, law enforcement officials in Camden report that there are approximately 8,000 abandoned dwelling places in the city that are sometimes used by street gang members to store drugs. In April 2008, law enforcement officers in the PC HIDTA region uncovered a stash house in South Philadelphia, arrested two men (a father and a son), and seized 748 pounds of cocaine. They also seized packaging materials, a hydraulic press for making kilogram "bricks" of cocaine, and scales.

Street gang members and other drug distributors in the HIDTA region use a variety of communications methods to conduct their operations. They increasingly use prepaid cell phones, which can be purchased at a low cost and with relative anonymity--factors that encourage frequent disposal of the phones and complicate communications intercepts by law enforcement. Some gang members prefer cell phones with two-way, direct-connect communication, believing that they are more secure from law enforcement interception. Street gang members increasingly use Internet social networking sites, personal web pages, online communities and forums, and message boards to facilitate their drug trafficking operations, recruit new members, boast about gang membership or related activities, and advertise events and house parties. Some street gang members also use online role-playing games to communicate with one another. This allows them to talk to each other without being detected by law enforcement.

CPDs often are diverted by abusers through a variety of methods. Abusers in the HIDTA region historically acquired CPDs through doctor shopping, forged prescriptions, or unscrupulous physicians and pharmacists working alone or in association; however, many of these individuals have been dissuaded from using these methods because of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs)1 and increased law enforcement scrutiny. As a result, abusers have shifted to other means of obtaining CPDs, such as theft, purchase from retail distributors, or acquisition through personal networks, such as friends or family. For example, law enforcement officials report that some criminal groups and abusers in the region occasionally steal CPDs from delivery trucks that transport the controlled drugs from manufacturers to wholesale or retail distributors. Additionally, abusers in the HIDTA region, particularly teenagers and young adults, increasingly are using the Internet to obtain CPDs. These individuals reportedly place orders with online pharmacies or distributors located throughout the United States or foreign countries. They often discuss transactions and place orders on web logs (blogs) and bulletin boards, in chat rooms, or through e-mail and electronic messaging. This situation poses a particular challenge to law enforcement officials because individuals can exchange information and consummate Internet sales quickly and with relative anonymity.

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Drug-Related Crime

Drug-related violent crime is a significant threat in the PC HIDTA region. Ten of the 20 state and local law enforcement respondents to the National Drug Intelligence Center National Drug Threat Survey 2009 in the PC HIDTA region reported that crack was the drug most associated with violent crime in their jurisdictions.2 Street gang members often use firearms to demand respect, defend their turf, or acquire new distribution territories. Moreover, law enforcement officials in Camden attribute high levels of violence to attempts by the Camden Bloods street gang to take control of drug markets from smaller, less organized neighborhood gangs. Asian street gang members are increasing their presence in the PC HIDTA region. They often commit armed home invasions of Asian businessmen who, as a result of their distrust of traditional financial institutions, often have large amounts of cash in their homes. Additionally, law enforcement reporting in New Jersey indicates that Trinitarios, a Dominican street gang, is increasing its presence in the region. Trinitarios members are establishing a reputation for using extreme violence throughout the area.

Many of the homicides in the PC HIDTA region involve individuals with a history of drug use and/or arrests; however, most of the homicides are the result of interpersonal disputes. During the past decade, the number of homicides in Philadelphia rose to a high of 406 in 2006 and decreased to 392 in 2007 and 332 in 2008. (See Figure 2.) However, despite the decrease, Philadelphia's homicide rate is one of the highest among the nation's 10 largest cities. The number of homicides in Camden increased from 32 in 2006 to 42 in 2007 and 55 to 2008. Violence against law enforcement officers also is a major concern to officials in the PC HIDTA region. From October 2007 through November 2008, three Philadelphia police officers were shot and killed in the line of duty.

Figure 2. Number of Homicides in Philadelphia, 1998-2008.

Source: Philadelphia Police Department.

Footnotes

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