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National Drug
Intelligence Center Minnesota Drug Threat Assessment August 2001 MethamphetamineMethamphetamine availability and abuse continue to increase, and methamphetamine is supplanting cocaine as the principal drug of abuse in many areas of Minnesota. Approximately 80 percent of the methamphetamine in the state originates in California and Mexico and is controlled by Mexican DTOs. AbuseMethamphetamine is supplanting cocaine as the principal drug of abuse in many areas of Minnesota. Among all felony sentences levied in 1998, 47 percent were for cocaine, followed by 26 percent for amphetamine, which includes methamphetamine. According to Minnesota Sentencing Guideline Commission statistics, amphetamine/methamphetamine felony sentences increased nearly sevenfold between 1994 and 1998. Minnesota drug task force arrest statistics also attest to methamphetamine's tightening grip on the state's drug abusers. As recently as 1996, there were over 65 percent more arrests for cocaine than amphetamine. However, there were more arrests for amphetamine than for cocaine in 2 of the following 3 years. ED methamphetamine mentions dropped sharply between 1997 and 1999 in Minneapolis. Methamphetamine mentions accounted for 2.4 percent of all drug mentions in 1999, compared with 4.4 percent in 1997. This appears to reflect a national trend, as ED mentions steadied or fell in 17 of the 21 DAWN sites. This trend is probably indicative of the low-purity Mexican methamphetamine being distributed and consumed. According to the DEA System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE), retail purity declined in Minnesota from nearly 50 percent in 1995 to about 14 percent in 1999. (See Table 2.) State and local sources support DEA figures. The Hazelden Foundation's Butler Center for Research reports that almost 80 percent of methamphetamine samples seized by law enforcement contained less than 30 percent pure methamphetamine in 1999. The Minneapolis Police Department states that average methamphetamine purity was only 26.6 percent in 1999.
Methamphetamine is becoming the drug of choice among Caucasian males, the primary methamphetamine abusers in Minnesota. In 1998 and 1999, over 90 percent of methamphetamine treatment admissions were Caucasian, 60 percent were male, and almost 60 percent were over the age of 25. The primary route of administration was snorting for 44 percent, followed by injection for 29 percent.
AvailabilityMethamphetamine is readily available throughout the state. Most law enforcement agencies in Minnesota report an increase in methamphetamine arrests, investigations, and seizures. Between 1997 and 1998, drug task force arrests for methamphetamine and amphetamine increased by more than 10 percent, and the amount seized nearly tripled, from 33 to 96 kilograms. In 1999, the amount increased to over 165 kilograms. The Minneapolis Police Department reports that in 1998 the amount of methamphetamine seized may have exceeded the amount of crack cocaine seized. The St. Paul Police Department reports that methamphetamine accounted for more than 50 percent of all drugs seized by the Department in 1998 compared with only 20 percent in 1997. The increase in methamphetamine availability may be measured by comparing prices over time. An ounce of methamphetamine sold for $1,500 to $2,600 in 1993. In 2000 it sold for $650 to $1,400. The price decreased, indicating an increase in availability.
ViolenceThe relationship between methamphetamine abuse and violence is well documented generally, although little specific information is available from Minnesota law enforcement authorities. Individuals addicted to methamphetamine are unpredictable and will go to great lengths to obtain the drug. Users experience feelings of paranoia, fright, and confusion, and, as a result, become violent. As the euphoric effect of methamphetamine diminishes, abusers enter a stage called "tweaking," in which they are prone to violence, hallucinations, and paranoia. Many abusers try to alleviate the effect of the methamphetamine "crash" by buffering it with other drugs such as heroin. These effects, in combination with severe sleep deprivation, can result in a very unpredictable, uncontrollable individual.
ProductionMost of the methamphetamine in the United States is produced by Mexican DTOs in Mexico and California. Law enforcement authorities estimate that Mexican DTOs supply 80 percent of the methamphetamine in Minnesota. While Mexican DTOs remain the principal suppliers, the number of local producers in Minnesota has increased dramatically. Seizures of laboratories by DEA throughout Minnesota increased from 13 in 1995 to 38 in 2000.
Methamphetamine laboratories can be set up virtually anywhere. They have been discovered in settings ranging from farms, homes, and motels to abandoned cars. One was even discovered in an ice-fishing house. Most laboratories are small; the essential chemicals and equipment can be carried in a box. This makes them easily movable and difficult to detect. Using the Nazi method, laboratory operators can in a few hours set up a laboratory, produce methamphetamine, and disassemble the operation.
The Nazi method is popular in agricultural states such as Minnesota because of the availability of anhydrous ammonia, which is used as a fertilizer. Theft of the chemical from farms for methamphetamine production is becoming more common. Because of the proliferation of Nazi method methamphetamine laboratories in Minnesota, the state legislature enacted a law in August 2000 making it a felony to steal, tamper with, or improperly transport anhydrous ammonia. Maximum penalties are 5 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. The production of methamphetamine creates public health and environmental hazards. The volatile and toxic chemicals used to manufacture the drug pose a high risk of explosion and fire. Numerous laboratories have been found in Minnesota by officers responding to fire alarms. Some of the chemicals cause burns on contact, and vapors can cause lung damage as well as harm the brain, eyes, and kidneys. Hazardous waste that is damaging to the environment and expensive to remove is a by-product of methamphetamine production. Five to 6 pounds of toxic waste are created for every pound of methamphetamine produced. Most often, the waste is dumped at the production site. This contaminates the soil and can pollute nearby streams. Cleanup efforts are costly and potentially dangerous. The St. Paul Police Department reports that the average cost to clean up a laboratory is $5,000.
TransportationMexican DTOs dominate the transportation of methamphetamine into Minnesota. Law enforcement officials estimate that 80 percent of the methamphetamine destined for Minnesota is produced in Mexico and California. In 1996, one Mexican DTO was responsible for transporting between 40 and 50 pounds of methamphetamine per month into the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Since then, law enforcement officials have identified several other Mexican organizations that transport even larger amounts. Private automobiles with hidden compartments are the primary means of transporting methamphetamine into Minnesota. Law enforcement officers have seized many multikilogram shipments of methamphetamine from automobiles en route to Minnesota. However, methamphetamine has also been seized from commercial aircraft. USCS seized 6 pounds in FY1999 and over 54 pounds in FY1998 at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. Criminal elements within Minnesota's growing Asian population may become an additional source of methamphetamine. Asian methamphetamine pills were first discovered in Minnesota in March 2001. Law enforcement seized 19 pills of Asian methamphetamine from a parcel at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. The pills, along with over 5 pounds of opium, were seized from a package originating in California. Southeast Asian methamphetamine in pill form surfaced in California in late 1999. Seizures by local police in Sacramento and by USCS have shown increasing amounts being transported from Southeast Asia, with northern California's Southeast Asian population being the apparent destination. The methamphetamine is smuggled in mail parcels, a method similar to that used by Southeast Asian traffickers to smuggle opium into Minneapolis.
Distribution Mexican DTOs are the principal wholesale distributors of
methamphetamine in Minnesota. They use the same networks as those
established for the distribution of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. In May
2000, members of a Mexican DTO were convicted for distributing 30 pounds
of methamphetamine per month in Minnesota from a network that originated
in California. Wholesale distribution is conducted primarily by Mexican
DTOs and OMGs in the St. Paul area. The Minneapolis Police Department
reports that OMGs, known for producing their own supply, also buy
methamphetamine from Mexican DTOs. Retail distribution is controlled by
Mexican criminal groups, Hispanic and African American street gangs, OMGs,
and local independent Caucasians. The St. Paul Police Department reports
that Mexican criminal groups, local independent dealers, and OMGs conduct
retail distribution. In Ramsey County, Mexican criminal groups and street
gangs are the primary retailers, according to the Ramsey County Sheriff's
Department. |
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