Cocaine

Cocaine poses a minor threat to Guam; abuse of the drug is minimal, and availability is limited. The powdered cocaine supply on Guam was largely eliminated in 1990 when several successful operations by Guam law enforcement agencies resulted in the seizure of significant amounts of the drug as well as the arrests of several key individuals. These operations effectively dismantled the existing distribution infrastructure, and current law enforcement information indicates that it has not been replaced. According to the most recent seizure information, a total of one-quarter kilogram of powdered cocaine was seized by law enforcement agencies in 1998, slightly less than the one-third kilogram seized in 1997.

The cocaine abused on Guam is in powdered form--crack cocaine is not abused. There is a very small cocaine user population on Guam, and law enforcement authorities report some cocaine use among tourists. Information regarding the demographics of the cocaine user population is not available.

The price of powdered cocaine varies based on widely fluctuating availability. Before 1990 cocaine sold for $120 to $150 per gram. As a consequence of increased law enforcement efforts, the price per gram increased overall to $1,000 in 2000. The average purity level was 86 percent.

The low levels of cocaine availability, distribution, and abuse on Guam are reflected in the number of drug-related arrests and the number of drug samples submitted to laboratories for analysis. In 1999, 5 of the 447 adult drug-related arrests on Guam were for cocaine-related offenses. In the same year, 5 of the 558 drug samples submitted to the Guam Police Department Crime Laboratory by all law enforcement agencies were analyzed as cocaine. In addition, the Guam CQA seized only 0.01 gram of cocaine in 2001, a decrease from 16 grams seized in 2000.

Cocaine-related federal sentences are uncommon on Guam. According to USSC data, there was one cocaine-related federal sentence from FY1997 through FY2001.

Statistical information pertaining to a correlation between violent crime and cocaine distribution and abuse on Guam is not available. However, law enforcement authorities generally acknowledge that drug abusers often turn to crime to obtain money to support their addictions.

Coca is not cultivated nor is cocaine produced on Guam, and there is no evidence to suggest that powdered cocaine is converted to crack in the territory. Typically the small quantities of the drug that are available on Guam are transported there by individual users, generally tourists, for their own consumption. Other individuals transport powdered cocaine through Guam in transit to other locations. For example, a resident of the CNMI was arrested at the Guam International Air Terminal in March 1990 after attempting to transport 14 grams of cocaine from Hawaii through Guam to the CNMI. This 14-gram seizure was the largest on Guam to date.

Current information regarding the distribution of cocaine on Guam, including the types of groups or individuals involved, is not available.

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