Drugs in the United States: Wisconsin

State Facts Population: 5,363,675 Law Enforcement Officers: 12,407 State Prison Population: 21,042 Probation Population: 54,131 Violent Crime Rate National Ranking: 41

2001 Federal Drug Seizures Cocaine: 68.3 kgs. Heroin: 2.8 kgs. Methamphetamine: 16.8 kgs. Marijuana: 5.2 kgs. Clandestine Laboratories: 44 (DEA, state, and local)

The drug threat in Wisconsin varies by area. Of concern in eastern and central Wisconsin are the availability, distribution, and abuse of powder and crack cocaine; the increasing availability of high-purity heroin; and the number of new users, particularly in the Milwaukee area. Marijuana remains the most readily available and most widely abused drug throughout Wisconsin. Methamphetamine production and use are expanding from the neighboring states of Iowa and Minnesota into northwestern and southwestern Wisconsin. MDMA is becoming increasingly popular, particularly among young people in urban areas and in college towns. State sources estimate that there are 390,000 drug abusers in Wisconsin and that more than 60,000 residents received publicly funded treatment for drug abuse in 1998. Statewide prison statistics show that 67 percent of new inmates between 1997 and 1998 were identified as needing drug treatment. Three types of organizations are responsible for most of the transportation and wholesale distribution of drugs in Wisconsin: Mexican drug trafficking organizations transport cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine; Nigerian criminal groups distribute Southeast Asian heroin; and Dominican criminal groups distribute cocaine and South American heroin. African-American and Hispanic street gangs, particularly organized street gangs such as the Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, and Latin Kings, dominate the street-level distribution of most drugs, particularly crack cocaine.

Cocaine: Both cocaine and crack are widely available in Wisconsin. Cocaine is transported into the state by Mexican drug trafficking organizations. These organizations transport large shipments of cocaine from the Southwest Border either through Chicago or to Milwaukee directly, concealed within shipments of legitimate goods in tractor-trailers. These Mexican organizations also are the primary wholesale distributors of cocaine and supply African-American and Hispanic street gangs that control the retail distribution of crack throughout the state. DEA Milwaukee and the DEA Madison report that cocaine is readily available in multi-kilogram quantities. DEA Green Bay reports that cocaine is readily available in multi-ounce to kilogram quantities.

Heroin: The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office records show that heroin abuse has been increasing in Wisconsin over the past few years. That office listed 12 heroin-related deaths in 1999, 26 in 2000, and 11 in 2001. Approximately three-fourths of all reported heroin-related deaths in Wisconsin occurred in Milwaukee. Most heroin use is concentrated in the Milwaukee and Racine areas. Rising levels of purity, some measured as high as 95 percent, give users the option of snorting the drug rather than injecting, an option that may appeal to younger users. DEA Milwaukee reports that Southeast Asian heroin, trafficked by Nigerian criminal groups, is the predominant type available. A recent DEA Milwaukee investigation resulted in the seizure of 2.3 kilograms of Southeast Asian heroin, the largest seizure of heroin in Wisconsin history. The seizure resulted in the arrest of multiple Nigerian defendants. The office further reports that Southwest Asian heroin has not been encountered in the Milwaukee area. South American heroin is distributed by Dominican traffickers. The availability of brown heroin remains low, and black tar heroin is rare in Milwaukee.

Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine production and abuse are expanding from Minnesota and Iowa into rural counties in western Wisconsin. To a lesser extent, some meth is imported into the state by Mexican sources from the Southwest Border. According to the El Paso Intelligence Center, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin reported 44 meth-related incidents involving the seizure of clandestine laboratories, dumpsites, or chemicals, glassware, and equipment during 2001, while no such incidents were reported during 1997. DEA Milwaukee has not observed a significant increase in distribution or use of meth. DEA Green Bay reports that there is limited availability of meth in its area, as most is produced locally by small clandestine laboratories. However, a recent seizure of 37 pounds of meth was made from out of state individuals, who were attempting to create a market in the Green Bay area. DEA Madison reports that methamphetamine is readily available in ounce quantities in northwestern Wisconsin, supplied by sources from Minneapolis.

Club Drugs: “Club drugs” and “designer drugs” are general terms for synthetic chemical drugs that have become popular with teenagers and young adults. These drugs include MDMA (Ecstasy), ketamine, GHB, GBL, and LSD. According to a recent drug price survey in Wisconsin, most of the law enforcement agencies that responded indicated that club drugs were available in their jurisdictions, albeit at low levels. The DEA has reported encounters with Ketamine in Milwaukee and Madison, and with GHB in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Marijuana: Marijuana remains the most readily available and most widely used drug in Wisconsin. Milwaukee and Madison are both major destinations for Mexico-produced marijuana and transshipment points to other areas in the state. This is augmented by local cultivation. Sixty percent of prison inmates test positive for marijuana when entering correctional institutions. Wisconsin authorities further report that one-fourth of all marijuana users also use other drugs. DEA Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay report that marijuana is readily available in multi-kilogram quantities.

Other Drugs: The use of diverted controlled substances in Wisconsin continues to be a problem. The most commonly diverted controlled substances from the licit market are nubain, dilaudid, ritalin, vicodin (hydrocodone), oxycontin, codeine combination products, the benzodiazepines, and the anorectic drugs phentermine and phendimetrazie.

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 three MET deployments in the Wisconsin since the inception of the program: Racine, Milwaukee, and Beloit. These deployments resulted in 134 arrests and the seizure of 1.9 pounds of cocaine, 1 pound of crack cocaine, and 1.5 pounds of marijuana. Also seized were 8 weapons, 5 vehicles, and over $40,000 in U.S. currency and property.

Special Topics: The DEA North Central Division is committed to fostering cooperative efforts among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies within Wisconsin. There are 15 Task Force Officers, representing eight law enforcement agencies, assigned to the DEA in Wisconsin. In 1998, a special heroin task force was formed by the DEA to combat high-purity heroin that had recently appeared in the Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha areas. The task force is comprised of representatives from DEA, the Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), the Milwaukee Police Department, and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department, and is funded through a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) grant.

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