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Drug Situation: Historically, the mid-Atlantic region has served as a thoroughfare for drugs, drug-related proceeds, weapons, and other contraband traveling along the east coast of the United States. Virginia cities situated along Interstate-95 are vulnerable to "spillover" drug distribution from traffickers moving between the two major eastern drug importation hubs of New York City and Miami. Cocaine, crack cocaine, and the violence attendant with the trafficking of these drugs are the most significant drug problem in the state, according to most law enforcement sources. However, clandestine methamphetamine laboratories remain a problem, and Mexican trafficking organizations are making enormous inroads in the cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana distribution markets in nearly every part of the state.

Cocaine: Cocaine in both powder and crack forms is prevalent throughout the state of Virginia, in both wholesale and retail quantities. Considerable levels of violence continue to be associated with the crack cocaine trade in urban areas. Colombian and Dominican drug trafficking organizations in New York City supply much of the cocaine available in Virginia, but many local traffickers are increasingly reliant on Mexican sources of supply in the southwestern U.S., North Carolina, and Georgia. During part of 2007, reduced cocaine availability and higher prices indicated that there was a shortage of cocaine in the Richmond area, as there was in other parts of the country.

Heroin: The Richmond and Tidewater areas of Virginia both boast a consistent, long-term heroin abuse population. Portsmouth, in particular, has become known as a heroin source for the Tidewater region. Pockets of heroin distribution are present in other areas of the state as well, but the problem is less pronounced. Most of the heroin encountered in Virginia tends to be of higher-than-average purity. In the Norfolk area, heroin is packaged primarily in gelatin capsules, while it is packaged in small, usually colored, or marked Ziploc baggies in other parts of the state.

Methamphetamine: Localized clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine, which was increasing in Virginia, has decreased, due to the passage of state and Federal laws regulating precursors. Most lab activity is still centered on the far southwestern corner of the state bordering West Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. The Shenandoah Valley region contains the highest percentage of methamphetamine abusers in the state, and was the first area of the state to receive a huge influx of Mexican immigrants, whose presence encouraged an expansion of existing Mexican drug-trafficking networks. In rave and nightclub venues, both "ice" and methamphetamine have become drugs of choice.

Club Drugs: Of the club drugs widely abused and available within Virginia, MDMA is by far the easiest to obtain and most in demand. GHB and Ketamine are also widely available but unlike MDMA, tend to remain within the nightclub/rave community. Other hallucinogenic and stimulant drugs, such as the piperazines, psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, and PCP are also available, with their abuse tending to exhibit cyclical patterns or be limited to particular venues and/or events.

Marijuana: Marijuana is the most widely abused drug in the state of Virginia. Most of the marijuana available in the state is commercial grade product, imported from Mexico and transported through the southwestern U.S. High-grade marijuana, often imported from Canada, is also available in Virginia. Outdoor marijuana cultivation flourishes during the spring and summer, and indoor grows are increasingly common.

Pharmaceutical Diversion: Current investigations indicate that diversion of OxyContin® (both brand name and generic), Percocet®, and Dilaudid® continues to be a problem in Virginia. Primary methods of diversion being reported are illegal sale and distribution by health care professionals and workers, “doctor shopping” (going to a number of doctors to obtain prescriptions for a controlled pharmaceutical), employee theft, and the Internet. Hydromorphone, methadone, and benzodiazepines were also identified as being among the most commonly abused and diverted pharmaceuticals in Virginia.

DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams: This cooperative program with state and local law enforcement counterparts was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns and cities across the nation. Since the inception of the MET Program, 473 deployments have been completed nationwide, resulting in 19,643 arrests. There have been nine MET deployments in the State of Virginia since the inception of the program: Manassas, Chincoteague, Fredericksburg, Richmond, Petersburg, Hampton, Prince William County, Hopewell, and Shenandoah Valley.

DEA Regional Enforcement Teams: This program was designed to augment existing DEA division resources by targeting drug organizations operating in the United States where there is a lack of sufficient local drug law enforcement. This program was conceived in 1999 in response to the threat posed by drug trafficking organizations that have established networks of cells to conduct drug trafficking operations in smaller, non-traditional trafficking locations in the United States. As of January 31, 2005, there have been 27 deployments nationwide, and one deployment in the U.S. Virgin Islands, resulting in 671 arrests. There has been one RET deployment in the State of Virginia since the inception of the program: Portsmouth.

Other Enforcement Operations: The Washington/Baltimore HIDTA and Metropolitan Area Task Force (MATF) both participated in and assisted in the funding of enforcement groups in northern Virginia in 2007. An interdiction task force covering Reagan National and Dulles International Airport further serves Northern Virginia.

Special Topics: The Annandale High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)/MATF are composed of two DEA task forces. Seven local agencies and the State Police are represented. Intelligence Analysts assigned to the Washington Field Division’s Intelligence Group 42 provide analytical support.

More information about the Washington Division Office.

Sources

Factsheet last updated: 3/2008

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