Drugs in Native American Communities
Last week, the National Drug Intelligence Center released a report on drug availabilities in Native American Communities.
From the findings of the report:
- The illicit drug threat to Indian Country varies geographically across Native American communities. Overall, marijuana is the most widely available illicit drug on reservations. Ice methamphetamine, powder and crack cocaine, diverted pharmaceuticals, heroin, and MDMA also are available and abused at various levels on reservations throughout the United States.
- Most illicit drugs available throughout Indian Country are transported to reservations by Native American criminal groups and independent dealers who travel to nearby cities to purchase illicit drugs, primarily from Mexican DTOs and criminal groups, for distribution in their home communities.
- Mexican DTOs are the principal wholesale suppliers and producers of illicit drugs available to reservations throughout Indian Country and pose the greatest organizational threat to Native American communities across the United States. Mexican DTOs typically supply Native American traffickers with illicit drugs for distribution on their reservations. Mexican DTOs also smuggle significant quantities of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin from Mexico into the United States through reservations that border Mexico.
