Drugs in the United States: Utah

Cocaine: Cocaine continues to be a problem throughout all areas of Utah. Kilogram quantities of cocaine HCL are available along the Wasatch Range, which stretches from Provo to Ogden, and includes approximately 75 percent of the state’s population. Mexican organizations tend to dominate large scale cocaine distribution, though several other groups/organizations are capable of distributing kilogram quantities. Crack cocaine is available in ounce quantities, though it is confined primarily to larger cities.

Heroin: Heroin remains a serious problem in Utah. Mexican organizations control virtually all of the heroin distributed in Utah. Mexican brown and black tar heroin are readily available throughout the state, though multi-ounce and larger quantities are primarily distributed in the major cities. Traditional Mexican organizations are becoming more entrenched within Utah and currently are capable of selling multi-pound quantities of heroin. Almost without exception, the Mexican organizations trafficking in heroin also distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine remains the largest drug threat throughout Utah, though several favorable indicators are emerging. For example, the number of methamphetamine laboratories seized by law enforcement in Utah dropped for the second straight year, and this trend is expected to continue in 2002 (see attached chart). More importantly, the size of the methamphetamine laboratories (measured by the amount of finished product per cook) also appears to be decreasing, as the majority of labs uncovered are classified as small and rudimentary. Lastly, the “Black Market” prices for necessary precursor chemicals (i.e. ephedrine, pseudophedrine, iodine, etc.) has increased significantly over the last several years. Nonetheless, methamphetamine remains readily available throughout the state via local clandestine labs, as well as from Mexican organizations that import and distribute large quantities.

Club Drugs: Ecstasy, GHB, Ketamine, and Oxycontin are quickly becoming a significant law enforcement problem, with the potential for exponential growth. Club drugs, primarily Ecstasy, have been identified as the second largest drug threat within Utah. Ecstasy is typically purchased in tablet form, although powder is also available in very limited quantities. Information about the use of Ketamine, a veterinary tranquilizer, has been received, though only small purchases by local law enforcement have been made. Smaller quantities of OxyContin are being distributed in various pockets throughout the state. GHB is also available in many portions of Utah. The Salt Lake City District Office concluded its priority target investigation involving a large organization that was distributing MDMA, GHB, and GBL to many of the Wasatch Range dance and strip clubs. This organization was estimated at controlling 80% of the MDMA and GHB market in the Salt Lake City area. LSD and Hallucinogens: LSD use and availability appear to be reduced from previous years. DEA Salt Lake City considers LSD to be a continuing problem, though its popularity has decreased with the increase in MDMA availability and usage. Because of the ease of procuring quantities of MDMA, many LSD dealers shifted to MDMA because of the large profit margins and the lower sentencing guidelines. The remaining LSD dealers still have strong ties to sources of supply in the San Francisco Bay area.

Marijuana: Marijuana is easily grown in the remote areas of the state, which are most conducive for growing operations due to the fertile soil. Some owners of outdoor grows have utilized armed Mexican immigrants to tend the plants. Homemade irrigation systems have been developed to counteract the arid climate of these remote sites and camouflage techniques have become more sophisticated. Also, the importation of marijuana from British Columbia, Canada, remains active in Utah. The majority of bulk-seized marijuana is of Mexican origin.

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. There have been 359 deployments completed resulting in over 14,456 arrests of violent drug criminals as of April 1, 2002. There have been two Mobile Enforcement Team (MET) deployments in the State of Utah since the inception of the program: Salt Lake City and Midvale. These deployments resulted in 11 arrests and the seizure of 70.3 pounds of cocaine, 1.3 pounds of heroin and 12.2 pounds of methamphetamine. Also seized were 1 firearm, 4 vehicles, and $4,000 in U.S. currency.

Special Topics: HIDTA: The State of Utah participates in the Rocky Mountain HIDTA, which is based in Denver, Colorado. The DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force receives the “lion’s share” of HIDTA monies in Utah. HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) supplies nearly $1,000,000 directly to the DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force on a yearly basis, though indirectly supplies much more. (For example, two attorneys from the Utah Attorney General’s Office are co-located in DEA space and their salaries are reimbursed directly from Rocky Mountain HIDTA to the State of Utah. Other positions are also funded in a similar fashion.) In mid-2001, a new HIDTA Investigative Support Center was established in Utah and is being co-located within DEA space.