Drugs in the United States: Virginia

State Facts Population: 7,078,515 Law Enforcement Officers: 15,634 State Prison Population: 30,510 Probation Population: 32,098 Violent Crime Rate National Ranking: 35

2001 Federal Drug Seizures Cocaine: 82.1 kgs. Heroin: 4.7 kgs. Methamphetamine: 19.1 kgs. Marijuana: 110.3 kgs. Clandestine Laboratories: 366 (DEA, state, and local)

Cocaine: Cocaine is widely abused and available throughout Virginia. Crack cocaine continues to plague inner city settings, particularly in Richmond, Roanoke, and the Tidewater area. New York has long been a key source city for the cocaine sold in Virginia, often supplied by Dominican drug traffickers to African-American distributors. However, during the past 18 months, several DEA investigations in Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk and Winchester have identified Mexican drug traffickers based in North Carolina who have been supplying increasing amounts of cocaine to Virginia.

Heroin: Heroin is widely available in Virginia’s urban areas, but is less prevalent in rural counties of the Commonwealth. Washington, D.C. is the source city for users living in Northern Virginia. In the Richmond metropolitan area, heroin is not only an inner city phenomenon, but has gained popularity amongst white young people from upper middle class suburbs. Heroin also poses an increasing threat in the Tidewater area. Dominican drug trafficking groups based in New York City and Philadelphia supply African-American distributors who travel to the Northeast for their supply.

Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine began making inroads into Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley in the mid-1990’s. Since that time, methamphetamine has become the drug of choice in certain Valley towns such as Harrisonburg and Staunton. Most methamphetamine is imported by Mexican groups who live and work in the Shenandoah Valley. The user population in that part of the state is largely white, rural, and uneducated. By contrast, the user population in the Richmond area consists of white college-aged young people involved in the rave scene. The drug has gained popularity in the city’s clubs over the past year and a half. In addition to some distribution by Mexican organizations, Richmond District Office investigations indicate that young people from Richmond are traveling to the Southwestern United States and bringing back quantities to sell on the local market. Methamphetamine is also increasingly popular in Northern Virginia among young people who frequent clubs in Washington, D.C. Methamphetamine does not yet appear to pose a serious threat in the Tidewater area.

Club Drugs: MDMA is available throughout Virginia’s urban areas and is sold largely in dance clubs and raves where young college-aged young people congregate. MDMA is widely distributed in Richmond’s club district known as Shockoe Bottom. In the case of Northern Virginia, suburban white college-aged ecstasy users have easy access to Washington D.C., known nationwide for its active club and rave scene. In that area, MDMA is rapidly encroaching on the mainstream drug trade and cuts across all categories of race, age and socio-economic status. In smaller cities such as Roanoke, Charlottesville, and Fredericksburg, and in small college towns, MDMA is the drug of choice among this particular demographic.

Marijuana: Marijuana is widely available throughout the Commonwealth, and is imported into Virginia from a number of diverse trafficking groups from many different source areas. The Southwest Border is frequently cited as the primary source area for marijuana smuggled into Virginia by Mexican trafficking organizations. Mexican groups based in North Carolina often supply the Central and Western parts of Virginia. Cannabis is cultivated in clandestine outdoor plots, primarily in the remote Southwestern corner of Virginia. Each year, the Virginia State Police launches a state-wide eradication campaign concentrating principally on those counties that border Kentucky and Tennessee.

Other Drugs: Oxycontin use is pervasive in Virginia’s rural Southwestern counties. OxyContin abuse has impacted all socio-economic levels of the area’s populace. Although enforcement efforts have curbed sales from certain unscrupulous practitioners in Virginia, OxyContin remains widely available as distribution rings and users travel to neighboring states and to Northern Virginia to purchase their supply.

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 seven MET deployments in the state of Virginia since the inception of the program: Manassas City, Chincoteague, Fredericksburg, Richmond, Petersburg, Prince William County, and Hopewell. These deployments resulted in 208 arrests and the seizure of 3.1 pounds of cocaine, and 2.8 pounds of crack cocaine. Also seized were 10 weapons, 24 vehicles, and over $177,000 in U.S. currency and property.

Special Topics: The Annandale High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)/MATF is comprised of two DEA task forces. Seven local agencies and the State Police are represented. On the federal level, the FBI provides three Special Agents. Housed within the same office space is a joint IRS/Secret Service money laundering group. Analytical support is provided by intelligence analysts assigned to the Washington Field Division’s Intelligence Group 31.

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