OREGON HIDTA PROGRAM
THREAT ASSESSMENT AND
COUNTER-DRUG STRATEGY
PROGRAM YEAR 2016
JUNE 2015
Oregon HIDTA Program
Leave page blank
Oregon HIDTA Program
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THREAT ASSESSMENT
I. Executive Summary
II. Overview
Page 1
Page 3
III. Methamphetamine
Page 12
IV. Heroin
Page 20
V. Marijuana
Page 26
VI. Controlled Prescription Drugs
Page 34
VII. Cocaine
Page 39
VII. Other Drugs
Page 40
VII. Illicit Finance
Page 44
VII. Outlook
Page 47
VIII. Methodology
Page 48
COUNTER-DRUG STRATEGY
IX. Introduction
X. Mission and Vision Statements
XI. Concept of Strategy
XII. HIDTA Goal 1
Page 49
Page 50
Page 51
Page 57
Dismantle and Disrupt Drug Trafficking Organizations
XIII. HIDTA Goal 2
Page 61
Increase the Efficiency of Law Enforcement Agencies Participating in HIDTAs
XIV. Appendices
XV.
Page 66
(A) Acronyms
Page 66
(B) Oregon Medical Marijuana Program Statistics, April 1, 2015
Page 67
(C) Marijuana Plants Seized in Oregon HIDTA Region, 2008-2014
Page 68
(D) Lab Seizures, Methamphetamine and Other Labs, Oregon, Idaho, HIDTA
Region, 2005, 2009-2014
Page 69
Endnotes
Page 70
Oregon HIDTA Program
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Methamphetamine use and trafficking has increased in the Oregon HIDTA (High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area) a and reflects the area’s greatest drug threat, followed by heroin, marijuana, controlled
prescription drugs, cocaine and designer drugs.
Methamphetamine continues to be widely used and trafficked throughout the region. Reported seizures
of methamphetamine labs in Oregon remain low primarily due to state legislation eliminating the ability
to obtain pseudoephedrine without a physician’s prescription. However, crystal methamphetamine, or
“ice,” continues to be highly available as Mexican drug traffickers import methamphetamine powder,
liquid, and finished product from laboratories outside the state and from Mexico.
Production of heroin in Mexico has expanded in recent years leading to greater availability in the
Oregon HIDTA region. Most Oregon and Idaho law enforcement officers surveyed in 2015 indicated
that heroin is a significant threat in their area due to the substantial rise in the volume of heroin seized
and the number of new users and associated overdoses.
Marijuana use, cultivation, and trafficking are pervasive in the HIDTA region. Outdoor marijuana
cultivation sites have been discovered on public and private lands in Oregon and Idaho since 2006 -primarily operated by Mexican National Drug Trafficking Organizations (MNDTOs). Additionally,
federal authorities report that Asian crime groups are involved in marijuana trafficking and have
established large coordinated indoor grow operations in Oregon, Washington and Northern California.
Oregon’s Medical Marijuana Act,b which allows for quantities of marijuana to be grown and used for
qualifying medical conditions, continues to be exploited by local producers who use it to facilitate illegal
cultivation for commercial purposes.
The threat posed by non-prescribed use of prescription drugs has grown in recent years and mirrors
national trends. The rise in misuse can be attributed to greater availability through increased and liberal
prescribing of opioids by doctors, ease of access to the drugs through family or friends, and the
perception that the medications are safe alternatives to illicit drugs. Law enforcement reporting
indicates users of prescription opiates are increasingly switching to heroin because it is more available,
less expensive, and provides a more intense high than diverted prescription opiates.
Cocaine powder and base (“crack”) are available to a moderate degree in the HIDTA region. Use of the
powder form is more prevalent in Portland and the Southern Oregon region, whereas crack cocaine is
mostly available and used in Portland. Consistent with national trends, cocaine availability and use
continue to decline in the state.
Designer drugs such as MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine), and to a lesser extent,
synthetic cannabinoids, bath salts, DMT (Dimethyltryptamine), buprenorphine, LSD (lysergic acid
diethylamide), and 25I-NBOMe, are available and distributed in the HIDTA region. These drugs are
most commonly abused by young adults at social venues in urban areas and on college campuses.
Psilocybin is also grown in Oregon region and distributed in the state and across state borders.
a
The Oregon HIDTA region includes the Oregon counties of Clackamas, Deschutes, Douglas, Lane, Jackson, Malheur,
Marion, Multnomah, Umatilla, and Washington; the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Oregon; and the Idaho counties of
Ada and Canyon.
b
Oregon Revised Statutes 475.300 - 475.346.
1
Oregon HIDTA Program
Reflecting national trends, MNDTOs continue to dominate the illicit drug market in Oregon and Idaho.
MNDTOs control the transportation and distribution of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, Mexicanproduced marijuana, and marijuana cultivated from outdoor grows in the HIDTA region. Caucasian
DTOs and independent groups control transportation and distribution of locally-produced indoor
marijuana. Other criminal groups, such as criminal street gangs, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, and local
independent dealers also transport and distribute drugs, but to a lesser extent.
During 2014, the Oregon HIDTA participating agencies identified 105 Drug Trafficking Organizations
(DTOs) and four (4) Money Laundering Organizations with foreign and domestic connections that were
actively operating in the HIDTA region. Ten new DTOs were identified between January and May
2015. All drug trafficking organizations in the Oregon HIDTA region engage in money laundering -- the
legitimization of illegally obtained proceeds. Bulk cash smuggling and money service businesses
remain primary methods of transferring drug revenues into, through, and out of the HIDTA region.
The Oregon HIDTA counter-drug enforcement strategy is intended to be responsive to the threat
indicators and to complement legislative, treatment, and prevention strategies within the Oregon HIDTA
region. Community anti-drug coalitions active in Oregon have been an important catalyst for
community action and prevention education.
2
Oregon HIDTA Program
II. OVERVIEW
Demographics
The Oregon HIDTA was established by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in June of
1999. In 2014, the Oregon HIDTA region expanded to include three newly designated counties:
Malheur County, Oregon and two counties in Idaho – Ada and Canyon. In total, the Oregon HIDTA
region consists of twelve counties: Oregon’s Clackamas, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Lane, Malheur,
Marion, Multnomah, Umatilla and Washington counties and the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, and
Idaho’s Ada and Canyon counties.
According to U.S. Census Bureau 2014 estimates, Oregon ranks twenty-seventh in the country in
population with more than 3.9 million residents.1 A large majority of Oregon’s population is Caucasian
(88%), followed by Hispanic/Latino (12%)c, Asian (4%), African American (2%), Native American or
Alaska Native (1.8%), Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (.4%), with less than four percent reporting
two or more races.2 Seventy percent of the state’s population lives in the Willamette Valley, primarily
in the major urban centers of Portland, Salem, and Eugene. Idaho ranks thirty-ninth in the nation in
population with 1.6 million residents. Most of Idaho’s population is Caucasian (97.3%) followed by
Hispanic/Latino (12%), Asian (1%), African American (1%), Native American or Alaska Native (1.7%),
Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (0.2%), with about 2 percent reporting two or more races.3 The
combined estimated total population of the Oregon HIDTA region in 2014 was 3,626,069.
Oregon encompasses a land area of 95,988 square miles
and is the ninth largest state in the nation. Oregon’s
geography can be divided into six areas: the Oregon
Coast, Willamette Valley, Cascade Mountain Range,
Columbia River Basin, Eastern Oregon Basin and
Range, and the Southern Oregon Basin and Range. The
state of Idaho covers a land area of 82,643 square miles
and is the 14th largest state in the nation. Idaho lies on
part of the Columbia Plateau which extends out of
c
Oregon-Idaho
HIDTA Region
Hispanics may be of any race and are included in all applicable race categories.
3
Oregon HIDTA Program
Washington and Oregon and includes the
Snake River Plain. Nearly half of the
state is comprised of national forest land.
In total, designated land area in the
Oregon HIDTA covers 37,379 square
miles, a land mass nearly the size of
Indiana.
State Snapshot
Population (2014):
U.S. Population ranking:
Land area:
Oregon HIDTA land area:
Population per square mile:
Coastline:
International Border:
Capital:
County with highest population:
Number of counties:
Unemployment rate (Dec 2014):
Violent crime rate (2012):
Property crime rate (2012):
Oregon
Idaho
3,970,239
27th
95,988 sq mi
35,739 sq mi
39.9
Yes
No
Salem
Multnomah
36
6.7%
247.6
3,224.2
1,634,464
39th
82,643 sq mi
1,640 sq mi
19.0
No
Yes
Boise
Ada
44
4.4%
207.9
1,983.5
Geographically, the Oregon HIDTA
region is diverse. Jackson County is
located in southern Oregon and borders
California to the south and is surrounded
by the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountain
Ranges. Douglas County is the second
largest HIDTA county in Oregon,
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; FBI, Uniform Crime Reports;
extending from the Pacific Ocean to the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Oregon Blue Book.
Cascade Range and borders Jackson
County in its southeastern section. Lane
County, Oregon extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascade Range and borders Douglas County to
the south and Lincoln, Benton, and Linn counties to the north. Deschutes County is located in Central
Oregon between the Cascade Mountain Range to the west and the High Desert to the east. Marion
County, Oregon is located south of the Portland Metropolitan area and stretches from the Willamette
River to the Cascade Mountains encompassing nearly 1,200 square miles. The tri-counties of
Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington (the Portland Metropolitan area) extend to the western slopes
of Mt. Hood, through the Tualatin Valley with the rugged Columbia River Gorge to the east and the
state of Washington to the north. Umatilla County is situated in the northeast corner of Oregon,
separated from Washington by the Columbia River, and extending to the Blue Mountain Range.
Malheur County, the largest of the HIDTA counties, is located on the southeast corner of the state,
sharing borders with Idaho and Nevada. The Warm Springs Indian Reservation is located in the
north/central area of Oregon approximately 100 miles southeast of Portland. Warm Springs tribal lands
encompass over 1,000 square miles which are situated in the counties of Clackamas, Linn, Jefferson,
Marion, and Wasco. The Idaho HIDTA designated counties of Canyon and Ada are located east of
Malheur County on the Oregon-Idaho border and are part of the Boise, Idaho metropolitan area and the
Treasure Valley.
Scope of Drug Threats
The estimated economic cost of illicit drugs in the United States is immense, valued at close to $200
billion in 2007 in the areas of productivity, healthcare and criminal justice, the last available
assessment.4 The amount of money spent by users on illicit drugs is also extremely high. According to
a recent RAND Corporation estimate, drug users in the United States spend about $100 billion annually
on heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine – most of which is due to a minority of heavy users
who consume 21 or more days each month.5 The problem is compounded as drug users and distributors
are often involved in illegal activities such as money laundering, identity theft, burglaries, property theft,
fraud and other crimes to support drug addictions and to finance trafficking and distribution operations.
4
Oregon HIDTA Program
Illicit drug use in Oregon continues to exceed the national per capita average. The latest federal
reporting shows that Oregon ranked fourth in the United States for reported rates of past month illicit
drug use by people ages 12 or older in 2012 and 2013 (Figure 1).6 In addition, use of illicit drugs
overall was fairly similar across age categories (ages 12-17, 18-25, and 26 and older); however,
marijuana use was significantly higher among people between the ages of 18 and 25 years. In
comparison, illicit drug use in Idaho fell below the national average in 2012-2013, ranking 45th for past
month use among people ages 12 and older. Use was highest among people between the ages 18 through
25 (Figure 2).
Percentage of Responses
Figure 1. Oregon Past Month Use: Illicit Drugs,
Marijuana Use and Use of Illicit Drugs Other than
Marijuana, with National Ranking, 2012-2013 NSDUH
25.0
10th
20.0
15.0
9th
4th
6th
5th
3rd
4th
7th
10.0
8th
4th
5.0
7th
6th
0.0
Total
All illicit drugs
12-17
Marijuana use
18-25
26+
Illicit drugs other than marijuana
Note: Total category equals all respondents 12 and older. All illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack,
heroin, hallucinogens, inhalents, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used non-medically. Illicit drugs other than
marijuana includes all drugs listed in All illicit drugs category excluding marijuana. Source: National Survey on Drug
Use and Health (NSDUH), 2012-2013.
Percentage of Responses
Figure 2. Idaho Past Month Use: Illicit Drugs, Marijuana
Use and Use of Illicit Drugs Other than Marijuana, with
National Ranking, 2012-2013 NSDUH
25.0
20.0
46th
45th
15.0
10.0
43rd
45th 38th
5.0
35th
40th
46th
44th
45th
38th
46th
0.0
Total
All illicit drugs
12-17
Marijuana use
18-25
26 & older
Illicit drugs other than marijuana
Note: Total category equals all respondents 12 and older. All illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack,
heroin, hallucinogens, inhalents, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used non-medically. Illicit drugs other than
marijuana includes all drugs listed in All illicit drugs category excluding marijuana. Source: National Survey on Drug
Use and Health (NSDUH), 2012-2013.
5
Oregon HIDTA Program
Of the nearly 47,000 individuals in the Oregon corrections population as of December 2014 (includes
offenders in prison or in county jails, and those on probation or parole), the largest proportion is
comprised of drug offenders (23%);d nearly twice the number for assault (12%), and more than twice
the number for theft (9%) and burglary (9%) offense categories.7 Of the nearly 15,000 offenders
incarcerated in Oregon state prisons as of April 2015, five percent (5%) were interned solely based on a
drug conviction and approximately 18 percent were admitted due to a combination of drug and other
offenses.8 Oregon Department of Corrections admissions for felony drug offenses in 2014 were
primarily due to delivery convictions (87%), with a much smaller proportion of convictions related to
possession (11%) and manufacturing (2%).9
Illicit drug-related deaths recorded in 2014 (234) increased five percent in Oregon from 2013 (222).e
Fatalities related to methamphetamine use reflected the highest number recorded since 2000, rising 14
percent from 2013 (123) to 2014 (140). The second highest number of deaths was related to heroin,
which remained the same from 2013 (111) to 2014 (111). While still low, cocaine-related deaths
increased 34 percent from 2013 (12) to 2014 (16), the second fewest recorded since 2000. Multnomah
County, the most populous county in Oregon, reported the highest number of drug-related deaths
statewide (85) (Figure 3).10 Deaths related to misuse of prescription pain relievers have been tracked
since 2010, but are excluded from the calculation of total drug-related deaths based on cocaine, heroin,
methamphetamine, and drug combination categories. The total number of deaths due to prescription
opioid overdose fell seven (7) percent from 2013 (150) to 2014 (139).
In Idaho, drug-related deaths are only tracked within the general category of deaths caused by drug
poisoning. Drug poisoning fatalities are grouped by manner of death to include accidental, intentional
self-harm, natural, assault, legal intervention and undetermined for drugs ranging from illicit (e.g.,
heroin, methamphetamine) to licit (prescription, over-the-counter).f The number of deaths from drug
poisoning overall, as well as the number of accidental deaths related to drug use, more than doubled in
Idaho between 2004 and 2013.11
Figure 3. Deaths Related to Methamphetamine, Heroin, Cocaine,
and Prescription Pain Relievers*, Oregon, 2003-2014
Number of Deaths
250
200
150
100
50
0
2003
2004
2005
Meth
2006
2007
Heroin
2008
2009
Cocaine
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Rx Pain Relievers
*The prescription pain reliever total is comprised of opiate-related fatalities (methadone, oxycodone, hydrocodone)
reported by the Oregon State Medical Examiner Division since 2010. Source: Oregon State Medical Examiner.
d
Based on offenders’ most serious active offense and includes categories of possession, manufacturing and delivery.
Total number of drug-related deaths reflects the number of actual people who died in a given year. Individual drug
categories (i.e., methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, combination) are based on their frequency of use in the total number of
deaths reported. Fatalities may be a result of misuse of one or more drugs and can also be due to overdose.
f
Category excludes deaths due to alcohol and tobacco use.
e
6
Oregon HIDTA Program
Felony drug fugitives pose a significant threat to the citizens of Oregon and Idaho. The United States
Marshal's Service (USMS) Portland office (a HIDTA fugitive task force) recently surveyed federal
warrants in the District of Oregon and identified 36 people tied to active Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) cases, of which 13 individuals are tied to Regional Priority
Organization Targets (RPOT) and three (3) individuals are tied to Consolidated Priority Organization
Targets (CPOT). In addition, there are 114 active Federal Felony Drug Warrants in Oregon at the time
of this writing. In 2014, the Oregon USMS apprehended over 1,100 fugitives, with close to one third
classified as drug-related.12 Furthermore, 80 percent of individuals arrested by the USMS Fugitive Task
Force were classified as violent offenders in 2014.13
TRANSPORTATION
Mexico continues to be the chief foreign source of heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana imported
into the United States, as well as a transit country for cocaine. The same drug trafficking organizations
(DTOs) that transport illicit drugs into the United States from Mexico also control the southbound flow
of drug-related bulk currency.14 Mexican poly-drug trafficking organizations coordinate with Hispanic
street gangs and associates to transport and distribute illegal drugs along major highway corridors in
California, Oregon, and Washington and through and to Idaho.15
Mirroring national trends, Mexican National drug trafficking organizations (MNDTOs) dominate the
illicit drug market in the Oregon HIDTA region, including the transportation and distribution of heroin,
methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana cultivated from outdoor grows in the region. Caucasian
DTOs and independent groups control transportation and distribution of locally-produced indoor
marijuana, while Asian criminal groups are involved in indoor marijuana production and the distribution
of MDMA and high-potency marijuana from Canada. Other criminal groups, such as criminal street
gangs, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, and local independent dealers also transport and distribute drugs, but
to a lesser degree.
Oregon HIDTA law enforcement initiatives investigated 105 drug trafficking organizations and four (4)
money laundering organizations operating in Oregon during 2014 (Table 1), with ten DTOs newly
identified as of May 14, 2015.16 These organizations are, or were, in some cases, manufacturing and/or
distributing drugs within the Oregon HIDTA region as well as outside region boundaries to other states.
Table 1. Known Drug Trafficking Organizations,
Oregon HIDTA CY 2014
Organization Type
Drug Trafficking 105
Money Laundering 4
DTO Characteristics*
Mexican/Hispanic
58
Caucasian
38
Asian
4
African-American
4
Multi-Ethnic
3
Eurasian
2
Native American
2
Unknown
3
Operational Scope
Local =42
Dismantled = 12
Disrupted = 10
Multi-State = 55
Dismantled = 12
Disrupted = 7
International = 12
Dismantled = 1
Disrupted = 4
*Note: DTO categories may have more than one ethnicity assigned.
Source: Oregon HIDTA Performance Management Program database.
7
Oregon HIDTA Program
Law enforcement analysis at the national level suggests more cities in the United States are reporting
some level of cartel presence.17 Since 2006, MNDTOs have increased control over illicit drug
trafficking in the Oregon HIDTA region18 with recent evidence indicating cartel presence in Oregon.19
Nearly 30 percent of the DTOs identified and targeted by Oregon HIDTA task forces during 2014 were
connected to sources based in Mexico.20 A growing concern is apparent cartel involvement in
homicides and violent crimes in Oregon, from suspected bombings to shootings, including a roadside
execution near Salem, Oregon in December 2011.
The Oregon HIDTA region serves as a transshipment point for controlled substances smuggled from
Mexico and Canada along Corridors B, C and D (Figure 4) and is emerging as a transshipment point to
various eastern states (Table 2, page 9).21 Most of Oregon’s major cities are located along the Interstate
5 (I-5) corridor (D) and provide a market incentive and abundant opportunities for smuggling illegal
drugs through the state. Drug traffickers use the Oregon HIDTA region’s well-developed highway
infrastructure to transport illegal drugs by private and commercial vehicle, into and through Oregon and
Idaho, from and to other
drug markets. Opportunities
also exist in the Oregon
HIDTA region for
smuggling illicit drugs
using commercial airports,
private airfields, seaports,
waterways and railways,
and remain a significant
vulnerability. The level of
threat from these methods
remains largely unknown
due to the high volume of
cargo transported through
the state’s ports and
railways, and limited law
enforcement resources for
detection.
1. Land
Most smuggling of illicit drugs in the Oregon HIDTA region occurs overland by way of the highway
system. The region contains a network of interstates, highways, secondary roads, and railroads which are
exploited by traffickers to transport illicit drugs. These routes provide easy access to major population
centers, medium-size cities, and smaller communities in the state.
North-South

Interstate 5 traverses seven of the twelve HIDTA counties (Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Lane,
Marion, Multnomah and Washington). This is the major transportation route for traffickers in
Oregon as the I-5 highway corridor extends from Vancouver, British Columbia, through
Washington, Oregon and California and continues south to Tijuana, Mexico. Interstate 5 is one
of eight major drug trafficking corridors in the United States (Corridor D, Figure 4).22 Most of
8
Oregon HIDTA Program
Oregon’s major cities are located along the I-5 corridor and provide a market incentive and a
wealth of opportunities for smuggling illegal drugs into and out of the state.

Highway 97 runs north and south through Deschutes County, and is considered by law
enforcement to be a widely used route for trafficking organizations. This route provides direct
access to California, Central Washington and the Yakima Valley area, and Canada through
Washington State. Highway 395 is used to a lesser extent by traffickers and provides an
alternative north-south route from Washington to California through Umatilla County.

U.S. Coastal Highway 101 runs north and south through Lane and Douglas counties and is
considered an alternative route for smuggling drugs through the state.

U.S. Route 95 is another trafficking route that runs north and south from Canada through Idaho’s
Canyon and Ada counties and ends in Oregon’s Malheur County.
Table 2. Incidents and Selected Drug Quantities in States with Connections to Oregon 1
Domestic Highway Enforcement Program, CY 2008 – CY 2013
Powder
Crystal
Marijuana
Cocaine
Meth
Total
#
lbs
#
lbs
#
lbs
State
Incidents
California
197
33
4,947
33
560
35 227
Nebraska
107
72
2,063
4
95
3
6
Washington
126
43
696
7
0.2
4
14
Kansas
84
50
1,499
2
62
4
18
Kentucky
31
29
275
3
Idaho
80
45
833
0.4
South Dakota
72
39
1,595
Texas
52
32
9,575
6
307
4
51
Utah
54
32
581
1
0.1
3
3
1
Iowa
57
36
1,352
3
Wyoming
40
27
408
1
0.2
Illinois
49
30
1,317
Missouri
46
24
630
2
21
21
7,051
2
3
Arizona
32
12
1,092
1
0.1
Arkansas
24
Minnesota
26
13
237
North Dakota
18
14
466
2
2
Montana
15
9
41
0.01
1
Nevada
17
7
167
1
3
Wisconsin
13
10
52
Oklahoma
10
4
178
Maryland
9
8
12
Ohio
9
4
49
1
326
New Mexico
7
2
71
1
25
2
6
Other3
44
19
1,600
3
224
3
27
Total
1,219
615 36,785 63 1,619 67 363
Heroin
#
lbs
16 196
7
10
#
11
9
16
1
1
3
9
1
1
3
1
2
2
CPDs
DU
204,870
155
1,467
11
11,340
35
51
500
10
111
#
3
MDMA
DU
6,278
5
1
1
3
1
2
0.01
3
80
1
1
2
2
20,687
1,518
1
3
31
13
302
2
61
3,227
243,981
1
20
U.S. Currency
#
Dollars
66 5,112,977
19 1,057,048
234,571 44
303,480
12
26 1,223,567
1
45,661
29
350,848
36
23 1,102,322
10
764,117
1,709
14
562,003
7
18
568,543
260
7
97,727
18
897,467
18 1,727,340
7
123,255
29
10
294,574
21
12 2,254,117
4
11,284
2
199,960
6
136,335
1,547
2
9,800
6
1,282,898
1
19,373
4
563,890
2
150,875
2,329
13 1,098,978
246,799 362 19,958,439
1
Meeting the following conditions: "Oregon" or "OR" entered in drivers license and/or vehicle plate fields; "Oregon", "OR" in the address field, or
"97" in the zip code field; "Oregon" entered as an origin or destination field.
2
Controlled Prescription Drugs.
3
The "Other" category includes states with five or fewer incidents during the selected time period which met the conditions of tag, driver's
license, address, origin, or destination. States in the "Other" category include: Alabama (2), Colorado (5), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Hawaii (2),
Indiana (3), Louisiana (2), Michigan (4), Mississippi (4), New Jersey (2), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Pennsylvania (3), Rhode Island (1),
Tennessee (4), and Virginia (4).
Source: EPIC, special data request received March 2014.
9
Oregon HIDTA Program
East-West

Interstate 84 runs east and west beginning in Portland, Oregon and passes through Oregon’s
Multnomah, Umatilla, and Malheur counties as well as extends east through Idaho’s Canyon and
Ada counties through to Utah. The route provides drug traffickers access to the Portland, Oregon
and Boise, Idaho metropolitan areas as well as to Seattle, Washington through Interstate 82.

Highways 20 and 26 extend from the Oregon Coast through Central Oregon and into Idaho.
From I-5, Highway 20 cuts east through Oregon’s Deschutes and Malheur counties and intersects
Idaho’s Canyon and Ada counties. Highway 26 runs through Oregon’s Washington, Multnomah,
Clackamas, and Malheur counties, traverses the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, and passes
through Idaho’s Ada and Canyon counties. These routes are alternatives to the more commonly
patrolled Interstate 84 for traffickers bound for Idaho and eastern Washington.
Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) programg data analyzed between 2008 and 2014 revealed a
number of trafficking patterns in the Oregon HIDTA region. In general, marijuana, methamphetamine,
cocaine, heroin and controlled prescription drugs move north to and through the HIDTA region. A
smaller proportion of marijuana flows east and south. Illicit bulk currency moves primarily north and
south (Table 3). Interstate 5 remained the most commonly used route by traffickers in Oregon reflecting
roughly half (47%) of interdictions reported between 2008 and 2014. A smaller proportion of seizures
occurred on U.S. Routes 97 (17%), I-84 (9%) and 395 (8%).
Table 3. Number of Drug and Cash Seizures Reported Through the Domestic
Highway Enforcement Program (DHE), by Highway, Oregon and Idaho*, 2008 - 2014
Total
Seizures
I-5
US 97
I-84
US 395
US 20
OR 140
US 101
US 95
US 26
No.
738
304
300
120
85
62
22
9
7
Marijuana
No.
335
161
113
82
50
45
12
9
3
Quantity
(in lbs)
5,277
1,660
919
780
356
665
37
48
3
Meth
No.
107
41
31
2
4
2
1
1
Heroin
Cocaine
Controlled
Prescription
Drugs
MDMA
U.S. Cash
Quantity
Quantity
Quantity
Quantity
Quantity
Quantity (in
(in lbs) No. (in lbs) No. (in lbs) No. (in DU) No. (in DU) No.
dollars)
474
34
143
46
553
38 33,371 18 466,952 160 $ 3,855,627
158
4
4
19
88
14
5,498
7
1899
58 $ 1,047,836
35
5
5
9
1
19
1010
5
953
51 $ 668,491
0.005
1
0.002
2
0.1
4
10,041
29 $ 249,659
0.05
7
93
1
194
23 $ 176,304
0.002
1
0.4
2
35
1
6
11 $
93,406
1
0.2
9 $ 102,713
0.01
2 $
11,186
1
3 $
58,051
Notes: 1) No. = Number of Seizures; 2) lbs = pounds; 3) DU = Dosage Units. *Idaho began participation in the DHE program in August 2011; this table only includes
Idaho based seizures for the period of 2012 through 2014. Source: Domestic Highway Enforcement Program. Reporting is required when an investigating officer
believes a seizure is related to a DTO or when seizures are above the following limits: marijuana (at or above 2 lbs); methamphetamine (at or above 2 oz); heroin (at
or above 1 oz); cocaine (at or above 2 oz); MDMA (10 DU); CPDs (no required threshold); bulk cash (at or above $1,000).
Drugs and cash are also transported into and through Oregon and Idaho by rail. Oregon has 18 freight
railroads which operate on nearly 2,400 miles of rail. In 2012, the latest data available, an estimated 54
million tons of freight was moved on Oregon rail.23 Idaho currently has 12 freight railroads that operate
on more than 1,700 miles of active track. An estimated 102 million tons of freight was transported on
g
The Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) Strategy promotes collaborative, intelligence-led policing in coordinated
multi-jurisdictional law enforcement efforts on U.S. highways. The DHE strategy is intended to improve the investigative
efforts of the HIDTA in attacking drug trafficking organizations and impact traffic safety, homeland security and other
crimes.
10
Oregon HIDTA Program
Idaho rail in 2012, the most recent data available.24 In addition to rail freight, passenger trains also
travel through Oregon and Idaho on a daily basis with individuals traveling as far north as Canada, as far
south as Los Angeles, and as far east as Chicago and New York.
2. Airways
Air smuggling of illicit drugs is a threat to the Oregon HIDTA region and, given limited enforcement
resources, may be an even greater threat than law enforcement is aware. With more than 400 known
airfields, including airports, heliports, and other landing areas in Oregon and Idaho, with more than half
that are privately used, the air threat to the HIDTA region is considerable.25 The Portland International
Airport (PDX), located in Multnomah County, is the largest commercial airport in Oregon and, in 2014,
served nearly 16 million passengers and more than 220,000 tons of goods.26 PDX is a hub for passenger
transportation but is also a transshipment point for drug smuggling, both domestically and
internationally. Other major airports in Oregon include the Eugene Airport, situated on the I-5 corridor
in Eugene, the Rogue Valley International-Medford airport located in Medford in Southern Oregon, and
Roberts Field – Redmond Municipal Airport located in Redmond in Central Oregon. The major airport
in Idaho is Boise Airport which serves as the primary provider of air cargo service in the state. In 2011,
the most recent data available, approximately 41,500 tons of cargo freight were shipped through the
terminal.27
3. Parcel Services
Criminal groups are increasingly transporting illicit drugs into and out of the Oregon HIDTA region
using parcel delivery services as a way to avoid law enforcement detection through other modes and
rapidly move illicit drugs to destinations throughout the United States. For example, the number of drugrelated parcels seized by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service nearly doubled from 2009 (5,908) to 2013
(13,389); roughly 80 percent of the parcels seized in 2013 contained marijuana.28 In Oregon, law
enforcement agencies in the cities of Portland, Roseburg, Eugene and Medford have partnered with
parcel delivery companies, such as FedEx, UPS, and the United States Postal Service (USPS) to
intercept packages that contain suspected narcotics. These cooperative efforts have resulted in numerous
seizures of illicit drugs -- primarily marijuana and drug-related cash, but also heroin, methamphetamine,
controlled prescription drugs, cocaine, MDMA, and psilocybin. In 2014, law enforcement agencies in
four HIDTA counties - Multnomah (102), Jackson (43), Douglas (13), and Lane (3) -- reported more
than 160 marijuana parcel seizures totaling over 300 pounds.29 Reporting also indicates medical
marijuana has been shipped via parcel post from Oregon to states along the east coast as well as Indiana,
Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Tennessee, and Washington.30 Illicit drugs, mostly marijuana,
methamphetamine and heroin, are also shipped through and to Idaho. For instance, in January 2015, a
man was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to forfeit $1 million in drug profits for his role
in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and oxycodone into Idaho. The drugs were hidden inside stuffed
animals and candles and shipped to Boise and Meridian, Idaho through the U.S. Postal Service and
FedEx by a California supplier.31
4. Sea/Ports of Entry
The smuggling and transport of illicit drugs via commercial and private maritime conveyances remains a
significant vulnerability to the Oregon HIDTA region due not only to the high volume of cargo
transiting the state's seaports, but the countless opportunities for illicit transport that exist along Oregon's
abundant waterways. Intelligence regarding the use of maritime vessels to transport drugs into the
Oregon HIDTA region is limited and the threat posed by maritime smuggling is undoubtedly larger than
11
Oregon HIDTA Program
law enforcement is aware. The Oregon Coast covers 296 miles of the United States border running
between the states of California and Washington. In addition to the Oregon Coast, the state is also
composed of 2,383 square miles of rivers, lakes, and estuaries. The Columbia River, a major shipping
lane, has 23 ports and flows for approximately 260 miles along the border between Oregon and
Washington. The Port of Portland ranks twenty-seventh in the United States in total tonnage, with 12.9
million short tons of cargo processed through the port’s marine terminals in 2014.32 In Idaho, the Port of
Lewistown is located at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers. Located 465 miles upriver
from the Pacific Ocean, the port is the most inland sea port on the west coast and is Idaho’s only water
port. From the port, freight shipment by truck is provided via US-12 to the east and US-95 for northsouth transport.
DISTRIBUTION
Drug distribution occurs in the Oregon HIDTA region through verbal exchange,h at restaurants and
nightclubs, and via online connections and social networking sites. Distribution also takes place at
open-air drug markets in the Oregon HIDTA region, particularly in Portland. For example, open-air
drug markets in Portland are located primarily in the vicinity of Old Town, Water Front Park, Pioneer
Square and Lloyd Center, with the greatest concentration of drug sales occurring near the MAX lightrail line. Distribution of crack and powdered cocaine, marijuana, and heroin is generally area-specific;
however, availability of methamphetamine has substantially increased and is distributed in all open-air
market areas in Portland.33 In Idaho, retail distribution occurs mostly through verbal exchange, at
restaurants and nightclubs and through texting via online connections and social networking sites.34
Criminal street gangs are largely active in retail-level distribution of illicit drugs throughout Oregon and
have an especially large presence in Portland.35 Two-thirds of law enforcement officers surveyed in
early 2015 indicated a moderate to high level of involvement of criminal street gangs in drug
distribution, particularly heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana, in their jurisdictions. Furthermore,
officers surveyed reported some involvement by criminal street gangs in different levels of drug
trafficking (regional supply, wholesale drug transport, manufacture/cultivation), although local dealing
was most prevalent.36
1. Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine in the form of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice,” continues to be readily available
and widely used throughout the Oregon HIDTA and represents the region’s most serious drug threat.
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that is abused for its euphoric
and stimulant effects. Chronic methamphetamine abusers exhibit violent behavior, confusion, insomnia
and psychotic characteristics such as hallucinations and paranoia.37 Methamphetamine-related crime,
such as identity theft, abused and neglected children, and other serious person and property crimes,
continues to occur at a palpable rate and is prevalent throughout the HIDTA region.
Oregon and Idaho law enforcement officers surveyed in 2015 indicated methamphetamine remains a
significant threat due to its level of use and availability; nexus to other crimes such as violent activity
and property crime; societal impact; and connection to drug trafficking organizations, primarily
MNDTOs. Of law enforcement agencies surveyed, 62 percent reported methamphetamine as the greatest
h
Verbal exchange is defined as drug dealing through face-to-face contact or phone communication.
12
Oregon HIDTA Program
drug threat to their area,i with the majority indicating methamphetamine as the drug that contributes
most to violent crime (88%) and property crime (69%) (Figure 5). Furthermore, over 60 percent of
officers ranked methamphetamine as the drug that serves as the primary funding source for major
criminal activity.38
Availability and Use
Availability
Analysis suggests renewed level of availability and use of methamphetamine in the Oregon HIDTA
region from declines that were reported several years ago. Most methamphetamine available in the
region is imported from Mexico, or to a lesser extent, produced in California and the southwest states
and then transported to Oregon and Idaho. However, some methamphetamine is still locally
manufactured or produced in Canada by Caucasian DTOs, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs), or Asian
DTOs, and transported to the Oregon HIDTA.
Methamphetamine is highly available in Oregon, even with precursor chemical controls put in place in
the statej and internationally.k Despite additional controls, methamphetamine continues to flow into the
United States to and through Oregon and Idaho in the form of crystal methamphetamine. Nearly 90
percent of law enforcement officers surveyed in 2015 indicated that crystal methamphetamine was
i
Officers who responded that crystal methamphetamine was the greatest drug threat represented agencies in Oregon’s Coos,
Deschutes, Douglas, Harney, Jackson, Jefferson, Klamath, Lane, Malheur, Marion, Multnomah, Tillamook, and Umatilla
counties and the Warm Springs Indian Reservation as well as agencies representing Idaho’s Ada and Canyon counties.
j
In 2005, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2485 and SB 907, making Oregon the first U.S. state to require a physician's
prescription to purchase cold and allergy medications containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine.
k
The Government of Mexico implemented progressively tighter restrictions on ephedrine and pseudoephedrine imports since
2005, banning use of the chemicals in 2009.
13
Oregon HIDTA Program
Quantity (in lbs)
Number of Seizures
highly available in their
Figure 6. Number and Quantity of Methamphetamine
area during 2014, with
Seizures, Oregon HIDTA Task Forces, 2007-2014
almost 40 percent reporting
700
1000
increased availability.39
600
The number of seizures and
800
500
volume confiscated by
600
Oregon HIDTA task forces
400
has grown dramatically
300
400
since 2007, supportive of a
200
rise in availability. Oregon
200
100
HIDTA task forces
confiscated 578 pounds of
0
0
crystal methamphetamine
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
in 2014 -- more than three
Quantity in pounds
Number of seizures
times the quantity seized in
Source:
HIDTA
Performance
Management
Database.
2010 (157 lbs) (Figure 6).40
Furthermore, methamphetamine confiscated on Oregon’s highways rose nearly sixfold from 2008 (41
lbs) to 2014 (266 lbs).41 The volume of methamphetamine seized on Idaho’s highways also rose, more
than doubling from 2012 (26 lbs) to 2013 (70 lbs).42
In addition, forensic analysis of drug samples submitted to the Oregon State Police (OSP) provide
additional support for the significant rise in access to crystal methamphetamine in Oregon. Of samples
submitted, methamphetamine was by far the most frequent, increasing nearly 70 percent between 2009
and 2014 (Figure 7).43 Data regarding drug samples submitted for analysis in Idaho was not available at
the time of publication.
Figure 7. Drug Samples Submitted to the Oregon
State Police, Oregon, 2009-2014
Number of Samples Analyzed
10,000
9,000
Marijuana
8,000
7,000
Cocaine
6,000
Heroin
5,000
Meth
4,000
Rx Drugs
3,000
Other Drugs
2,000
1,000
-
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Source: Oregon State Police, Forensic Services Division, March 2015.
14
Oregon HIDTA Program
Use
Indicators of use also remain high. Over one-third (36%) of people admitted for treatment in Oregon
counties within the HIDTAl during 2014 reported using methamphetamine, slightly lower than those
who reported using heroin (38%).44 Treatment admissions for methamphetamine use declined steadily
from 2005 to 2009, but rose 12 percent between 2009 and 2014 (Figure 8).45 The most recent data
available for Idaho indicates that approximately one-third of people admitted for treatment in 2012
According to the latest drug-related death statistics, the number of fatalities related to methamphetamine
Figure 8. Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions by Primary
Substance of Abuse, Oregon Counties within the HIDTA, 2008-2014
Number of admissions
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
2008
2009
2010
Meth/Amphetamines
2011
Marijuana
2012
Heroin
2013
Cocaine
2014
CPDs*
*Controlled Prescription Drugs. HIDTA Region in this figure excludes Oregon HIDTA counties in Idaho (Ada, Canyon). Note: The
Addictions and Mental Health Division was transitioning data systems at the time of this report; data for 2013 and 2014 may
contain anomalies and should be interpreted with caution. Source: Addictions and Mental Health Services, April 2015.
Figure 9. Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions by
Primary Substance of Abuse, Idaho, 2008-2012
Number of Admissions
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
2008
Cocaine/Crack
2009
Marijuana/Hashish
2010
Heroin
2011
Methamphetamines
2012
CPDs*
*Controlled Prescription Drugs. Source: Treatment Episode Data Set, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
2008-2012.
l
Data is not available for Idaho’s Ada or Canyon counties.
15
Oregon HIDTA Program
use in 2014 rose to an historic high of 140 deaths, nearly three times the number of fatalities reported in
2001 (50) (Figure 3, page 6).46 Deaths due to methamphetamine use are rarely a result of overdose;
most occur from traumatic accidents where people have the drug in their systems or from physiological
reactions such as seizures, strokes or heart attacks.47 The number of deaths related to methamphetamine
use is not tracked in Idaho.
In addition, arrests for methamphetamine-related offenses in Oregon are the highest of any drug
category.m After a steady decline between 2007 and 2009, the average number of methamphetaminerelated arrests in Oregon doubled from 2009 to 2015 (Figure 10).48 In Idaho, there are far fewer arrests
related to methamphetamine than for marijuana; however, the number of methamphetamine-related
arrests rose nearly 70 percent from 2009 to 2013 (Figure 11).49
Average Number of Drug Arrests
Figure 10. Average Drug Arrests in Oregon, 2008-2015
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
2008
2009
2010
Meth
2011
2012
Marijuana
2013
Heroin
2014
2015
Cocaine
Note: Data is based on a six month moving average. Source: Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, Oregon Drug Arrest Graphs.
Number of Drug Arrests
Figure 11. Number of Drug Arrests in Idaho, 2005-2013
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
2005
2006
Meth
2007
2008
2009
Marijuana
2010
Heroin
2011
2012
2013
Cocaine
Source: Idaho Statistical Analysis Center, Idaho State Police, May 2015.
m
Includes arrests for possession, delivery, and manufacturing offenses.
16
Oregon HIDTA Program
Production
Number of labs seized
Precursor chemical controls at the state and federal level along with sustained law enforcement pressure
have contributed to a dramatic decline in reported methamphetamine lab seizures in the Oregon HIDTA
region. Oregon legislation restricting the availability of pseudoephedrine, in particular, appears to have
dramatically reduced the number of methamphetamine labs reported to be operating in the state.n Law
enforcement authorities
seized nine (9)
Figure 12. Methamphetamine Labs Seized
methamphetamine
Oregon, Idaho, HIDTA region,
laboratories in the state in
CY 2005, CY 2009 - CY 2014
200
2014 – a 95 percent drop
180
from 2005 levels (192)
160
(Figure 12).50 In Idaho,
140
methamphetamine lab
Oregon
120
seizures remain at low
Idaho
levels; four labs were
100
HIDTA Region
seized in 2014, a drop of
80
more than 60 percent
60
from 2005 (11).51
40
20
Although local
production in the HIDTA
0
2005
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
region has fallen
Source:
Oregon
Department
of
Justice,
May
2015;
DEA
Idaho,
May
2015.
dramatically in recent
years, small quantities of methamphetamine are still produced in Oregon and Idaho. Most methamphetamine produced in the HIDTA region is consumed locally and manufactured in small-scale
laboratories. Over 40 percent (78%) of the methamphetamine laboratories seized in Oregon and Idaho in
2014 were found in the HIDTA region with the largest number of labs seized in Canyon County, ID (2),
followed by Clackamas, OR (1), Jackson, OR (1), Lane, OR (1), Marion (1), and Umatilla, OR (1)
counties. The Oregon counties of Deschutes, Douglas, Malheur, Multnomah, and Washington counties,
the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, and Ada County in Idaho reported no methamphetamine lab
seizures in 2014 (Appendix D).52
Transportation
Nearly all methamphetamine not manufactured locally is shipped from Mexico via California or
produced in California and the Southwest states and shipped north. Mexican drug traffickers have
expanded distribution networks to meet continued demand for the drug by importing finished product,
mostly “crystal meth” or “ice”, from outside the state and from Mexico. Analysis of Southwest Border
seizures indicates that while the quantity of cocaine and marijuana has fallen in recent years, methamphetamine seizures increased more than 600 percent between 2008 and 2014 (Figure 13, page 18).53
Some production operations have also been transferred into the United States, notably to California’s
Central Valley.54
n
HB 2485 and SB 907 were effective July 1, 2006.
17
Oregon HIDTA Program
Federal reporting reveals that Mexican cartels continue to circumvent ephedrine and pseudoephedrine
import restrictions implemented by the government of Mexicoo by establishing new smuggling routes
for restricted chemicals, importing non-restricted chemical derivatives in place of precursor chemicals,
and increasing nonephedrine-based production -- such as the phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) method.55
Reporting also indicates that Mexican cartels are refining low quality d,l-methamphetamine made from
the P2P process by using ingredients such as tartaric acid as a way to remove most of the less potent lmeth, leaving a larger percentage of potent d-meth in the finished product.56
Law enforcement reporting also suggests an emerging link between Asian and Mexican organized crime
groups. Recent raids in the Philippines and in China suggest a growing connection between Asian
groups and the supply of ephedrine
and ethyl phenylacetate – used in
the production of crystal
methamphetamine – to Mexican
cartels. In early 2014, a raid in the
Philippines led to the seizure of 84
kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and the arrest of
three affiliates of the Sinaloa cartel.
In September 2012, a raid of an
industrial-scale facility in China
resulted in over 600 kilograms of
crystal methamphetamine and
nearly 20 metric tons of
unidentified materials used in the
production of crystal
methamphetamine. Of the 14
people arrested in the raid – one
was a Mexican National.57
Recent data indicates
methamphetamine in powder or
suspended in liquid is increasingly
smuggled into the United States to
be converted into crystal
methamphetamine at labs in states
such as California, Georgia, and
Texas.58 Moving the refining
process across U.S. borders is
likely a new approach by Mexican
criminal groups to facilitate
trafficking of methamphetamine;
the raw product is easier to conceal
and the conversion process creates few toxic by-products.59 The methamphetamine is shipped in
containers such as liquor bottles and coolers and then crystalized for distribution.60 For example, in
October 2014, Oregon State Police stopped a rented car on Highway 97 outside of Madras, Oregon and
o
The Government of Mexico implemented progressively tighter restrictions on ephedrine and pseudoephedrine imports since
2005, banning use of the chemicals in 2009.
18
Oregon HIDTA Program
discovered 20 pounds of methamphetamine suspended in liquid concealed in the vehicle.61 In April
2012, the DEA-Eugene Task Force seized 80 pounds of methamphetamine dissolved in liquid and
hidden in tequila bottles after a random traffic stop in Cottage Grove, Oregon.62 Two conversion labs
have been reported in Oregon, one in Washington County in 2013 and one in Marion County in 2014.63
To date, no conversion labs have been seized in Idaho.64
Highway interdiction data indicates that Oregon is a destination as well as a pass-through state for
methamphetamine transported through California from Mexico (Figure 14). DHE program data analyzed
between 2008 and 2014 revealed that Oregon counties Multnomah, Marion, Klamath, and Lane were
identified most often as points of destination for methamphetamine transported from California.65
Highway interdiction data for Idaho was not available at the time of publication.
Traffickers use a variety of methods to transport methamphetamine into and through the HIDTA region,
such as private and commercial vehicles, trains and package delivery services. The preferred method
appears to be transport of the drug along the I-5 corridor using private vehicles; however, alternate
routes are used as well (see Table 3, page 10). Law enforcement reporting suggests DTOs based in
central Washington and southwest Idaho supply methamphetamine to their jurisdictions utilizing U.S.
Route 97 and U.S. Route 20.66 In January 2014, investigation into a semi-truck rollover crash on
Highway 97 in Sherman County resulted in the largest reported seizure in Oregon history.
Approximately 190 pounds of methamphetamine, 17 pounds of cocaine, and 11 pounds of heroin were
recovered from the truck hidden in cargo, worth about $3 million in street value. At the time, the
interdiction represented one of the single largest seizures of methamphetamine in Oregon’s history with
an estimated value of $1 million.
19
Oregon HIDTA Program
Distribution
Mexican National DTOs are the primary wholesale distributors of Mexican methamphetamine in the
HIDTA region. Hispanic and Caucasian independent dealers, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, and criminal
street gangs are the primary retail level distributors of methamphetamine imported into the HIDTA
region. Methamphetamine prices vary depending on type and quantity sold. Prices also depend largely
on the ethnicity of the seller and buyer. Non-Hispanic buyers are often charged a higher price for crystal
methamphetamine than Hispanic buyers. Retail distribution of crystal methamphetamine takes place in
the Oregon HIDTA region through verbal exchange,p at restaurants and nightclubs, and also through
connections online and through social networking sites.67 For example, in December 2013, a six-month,
multi-agency investigation led by the Multnomah County Dangerous Drugs Team (DDT) into white
supremacist gang activity in Multnomah County resulted in more than 40 indictments for violent crimes
and drug manufacturing. Results included arrests of more than 20 gang affiliates, $50,000 in cash, 70
firearms, and eight pounds of methamphetamine.68 In 2012, the Lane County Interagency Narcotics
Team (INET) and the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team (DINT) made four arrests and seized 52
pounds of crystal methamphetamine, a stolen gun, and cash at five properties in Lane and Douglas
counties.
2. Heroin
Heroin availability has increased in the Oregon HIDTA region since 2007, fueling a rise in the volume
of heroin seized, number of new users and associated overdoses. Evaluation of recent indicators suggests
that heroin availability and use has reached a critical level and represents a close second to methamphetamine as the region’s most serious drug threat.q The most powerful of opiate drugs, heroin is
synthesized from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of opium poppy
plants. Cultivation of opium has expanded in Mexico and has led to increased trafficking and availability
of brown powder and black tar heroin in the HIDTA region.
Availability and Use
Availability
Nearly a quarter (24%) of law enforcement officers surveyed in Oregon and Idaho in 2015 indicated that
heroin was the principal threat to their area due to the substantial rise in availability and the increase in
the number of new and younger users and associated overdoses. Over 75 percent of officers surveyed
reported that a high level of heroin was available in their area in 2014. Survey results from 2015 also
support an increase in heroin availability in both Oregon and Idaho. Over half of the officers surveyed
indicated heroin availability rose in their area in the last year, primarily in counties bordering or near the
I-5 corridor (Jackson, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Washington), coastal counties located along
Highway 101 (Coos, Lincoln, Tillamook), rural counties located in the eastern half of the state (Harney,
Klamath, Malheur, Umatilla), and in Idaho’s Canyon and Ada counties.69
p
Verbal exchange is defined as drug dealing through face-to-face contact or phone communication.
Officers who responded that heroin was the greatest drug threat represented agencies in Benton, Clackamas, Lane, Lincoln,
Marion, Multnomah, and Washington counties.
q
20
Oregon HIDTA Program
Quantity (in lbs)
Number of Seizures
Access to the drug has grown as evidenced by the rise in the number of heroin seizures and the quantity
confiscated by Oregon HIDTA task forces; total seizures in 2014 (133 lbs) were over nine times higher
than the total seized in 2007
(14 lbs) (Figure 15). r,70
Figure 15. Number and Quantity of Heroin Seizures,
Forensic analysis of drug
Oregon HIDTA Task Forces, 2007-2013
samples suggests a rise in
250
500
heroin availability in Oregon.
200
400
Of samples submitted, heroin
more than doubled between
150
300
2009 and 2014 (Figure 6, page
13).71
100
200
50
100
Although Afghanistan produces
the vast majority of the world’s
0
0
heroin supply, most heroin
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
imported into the United States
Quantity in pounds
Number of seizures
is from Mexico. Opium poppy
Source: HIDTA Performance Management Database.
cultivation in Mexico has
increased dramatically since 2000, an unintended outcome of Mexico’s war on organized crime which
redirected soldiers from poppy eradication to urban peacekeeping.72
Additionally, policy changes related to medical and legalized marijuana in the United States have
inadvertently encouraged Mexico’s narco-farmers to expand opium cultivation. As more states have
legalized medical marijuana -- and more recently, recreational marijuana -- most cannabis in the United
States increasingly originates from domestic rather than imported sources, significantly weakening the
Mexican marijuana market.73 Land dedicated to poppy cultivation has also increased overall since 2000
with a corresponding rise in heroin seizures along the Southwest Border (Figure 16).74 Increased
production and supply from Mexico has contributed to lower prices and greater availability in a number
of major market areas in the United States, including the Oregon HIDTA region.75
25,000
2,500
20,000
2,000
15,000
1,500
10,000
1,000
5,000
500
-
SWB Seizures (in kilograms)
Poppy Cultivation (in hectares)
Figure 16. Opium Poppy Cultivation (CY 2000-2012) and Total Southwest Border
(SWB) Heroin seizures, Mexico (CY 2001-2014)
-
Poppy Cultivation (in hectares)
Total SWB Seizures (in kilograms)
Source: Opium/Heroin, Net Cultivation of Opium Poppy in Selected Countries, 1998-2013 (Hectares), United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime, 2014 (note: cultivation data for 2012-2014 not available for Mexico); The International Heroin Market, ONDCP
(2012 cultivation data); Heroin seizures, Southwest Border, National Seizure System.
r
Heroin volume reached a high of 220 pounds in 2012 due to two unusually large seizures by HIDTA Interdiction Team
(HIT) (55 lbs) and the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE) (47 lbs).
21
Oregon HIDTA Program
Use
The decrease in price and wider availability of heroin in both tar and powder form have encouraged
more people to experiment with the drug, raising the potential for addiction. Historically a problem
largely confined to Portland, Oregon, heroin use has spread to smaller cities and rural areas in the
HIDTA region. Heroin in powder form can be effectively smoked or snorted rather than injected which
heightens its appeal to new users who are concerned about the stigma associated with injection drug use.
Of particular concern is the increase in the number of young people using heroin, potentially giving rise
to a new population of addicts.
The actual number of heroin users is unknown in the Oregon HIDTA region; however, the extent of use
can be estimated by looking at other measures, such as related arrests, treatment admissions, and
fatalities. For example, heroin-related arrests grew nearly fourfold in Oregon since 2009 (January 20092015), exceeding arrests for marijuana in 2013 (Figure 10, page 16).76 In Idaho, arrests for heroin have
also increased, rising over threefold from 2009 to 2013 (Figure 11, page 16).77 A closer look at Oregon
statistics shows that arrests for heroin possession reflect about three-quarters of all heroin arrestss and
rose over 300 percent between 2008 and 2014 (Figure 17). Furthermore, the number of people who
admit to regular heroin use at intake in the Oregon Corrections System rose over threefold from 2008
(248) to 2014 (751). Prison admissions based on heroin-related felonies as the most serious offense
category also increased from 2008 (72) to 2014 (226) (Figure 17).
Figure 17. Number of Statewide Arrests, Number of Admissions at
Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC), and Number of
Individuals Who Admit to Using Heroin at Intake, Heroin, 2008-2014
800
700
250
600
200
500
150
400
300
100
200
50
100
0
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Number Reporting Heroin Use at Intake
Number of Arrests and Admissions
300
2014
Heroin Arrests - Delivery (Oregon)
Heroin Arrests - Possession (Oregon)
Total Heroin Admissions (ODOC)
Self-Reported Use at Intake (ODOC)
Sources: Arrests, Drug Arrest Graphs, Criminal Justice Commission; Admissions and Self-Reported Use, Oregon
Department of Corrections.
Treatment for heroin addiction has also increased significantly in Oregon and Idaho in the last decade.
The number of adults entering publicly-funded treatment for heroin use in Oregon grew 55 percent from
2008 (3,376) to 2014 (5,245), surpassing marijuana admissions in 2013. When confined to the HIDTA
region, heroin use accounted for the highest number of admissions in 2014 (Figure 8, page 15).78 In
comparison, while heroin admissions in Idaho fell below admissions for treatment of marijuana,
s
Includes arrests for possession, manufacture, and delivery.
22
Oregon HIDTA Program
methamphetamine and controlled prescriptions drugs, heroin-related treatment in the state nearly
doubled between 2008 (159) and 2012 (302) (Figure 9, page ?).79
Percent of heroin treatment admissions
A broader analysis of heroin-related treatment admissions in Oregon suggests that use is highest overall
among those who are male, between the ages of 21 and 29 years old, and who live in an urban area.
However, a closer look at the data reveals a more complex picture of heroin use in the state. The number
of younger people in treatment for heroin has grown in the last decade. In 2002, the largest group of
users was between the ages of 35 and 49; however, by 2012, most addicts were between the ages of 21
and 29 years (Figure 18).80 Additionally, heroin use appears to no longer be only an urban problem. For
example, between 2009 and 2013, heroin admissions increased nearly 200 percent in rural counties,
while urban areas increased about 35 percent.81 Oregon counties with the highest increase in heroin
admissions per
Figure 18. Heroin Treatment Admissions by Age Group,
capita between 2009
Oregon, 2002, 2009-2012
and 2013 were
50%
Union (1,135%),
45%
Yamhill (788%),
40%
Coos (477%), and
12-17 years
82
Douglas (427%).
35%
30%
18-20 years
21-29 years
Another indicator of
25%
30-34 years
heroin use in the
20%
35-49 years
Oregon HIDTA
15%
50+ years
region is the number
10%
Series7
of associated deaths.
5%
Historically, most
0%
drug-related deaths
2002
2009
2010
2011
2012
in Oregon have been
Source: Treatment Episode Data Set -- Admissions (TEDS-A) - Oregon, 2002, 2009-2012, Substance Abuse and
connected to heroin
Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
use. In 2012, heroinrelated deaths reached 147, the highest total reported since 2000.83 However, the number of related
fatalities dropped to 111 in 2013 and 2014. Nearly half (49%) of heroin-related deaths in 2014 occurred
in Multnomah County (54), followed by Washington (14), Clackamas (12), Linn (7), Marion (6),
Josephine (4), Deschutes (3), Douglas (2), and Jackson (2), with seven counties recording only one
related death in 2014 (Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Klamath, Lincoln, Yamhill) (Figure 3,
page 6). The number of deaths related to heroin use is not tracked in Idaho.
Fatalities connected to heroin use are usually caused by overdose. Heroin can differ tremendously in
purity and dosage because sellers often mix or “cut” the drug to varying degrees with other substances,
such as sugar or other drugs (e.g., cocaine, prescription drugs), to increase their profit margin. This
unpredictability can easily lead to accidental overdose in users, especially those who are inexperienced
or who have relapsed and have lower tolerance levels.
One possible reason why heroin-related deaths dropped from 2012 to 2014 in Oregon is a change in
state law that allowed wider access to the anti-overdose drug, naloxone.t In July 2013, the law was
changed to allow the drug to be possessed and administered by anyone who completes training -t
Naloxone is an opiate receptor antagonist that quickly attaches to opioid receptors in the body, preventing heroin from
activating them.
23
Oregon HIDTA Program
including a user’s friends, family, or caseworker -- rather than solely by medical professionals.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 20,000 deaths could be prevented annually in
the United States if naloxone was more widely available.84 As of April 2015, 32 states and the District
of Columbia have expanded the application of naloxone beyond medical personnel saving over 10,000
lives.u,85 In Oregon, the Multnomah County Health Department reported 1,160 needle exchange clients
were trained and received naloxone kits with a total of 481 overdose reversals reported as of October 14,
2014.v,86 Most of the naloxone dispensed was to friends (73%), followed by strangers (15%), self (8%),
and family members (3%).87 Officials reported that heroin-related deaths have fallen by 41 percent in
Multnomah County since the law broadening access to naloxone went into effect. w,88 Additionally, law
enforcement agencies in several counties have implemented naloxone programsx; in January 2015,
Portland Police Bureau officers deployed naloxone twice, reversing two heroin overdoses.89
Furthermore, the concern that heroin use might increase because of the perceived “safety net” of
naloxone on hand does not appear to be supported by research. Data collected on naloxone distribution
in community settings showed no increase in use, with some studies reporting a reduction in selfreported use.90
Percentage of Responses
Reporting also indicates that the heroin user demographic has changed -- more youth are becoming
addicted and more people are developing a heroin addiction because of an opiate dependency that
resulted after being prescribed pain medication. Overprescribing of pain medications and ease of access
to the drugs through friends and family has contributed to a high number of people who are opiate
dependent in the United States, including residents in Oregon and Idaho. Opiate dependence is
especially high in Oregon. In a recent national study, Oregon ranked second in the United States during
2012 and 2013 for reported rates of past year use of non-medical pain relievers by people ages 12 or
older (Figure 19).91 According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, roughly half of young people
who inject heroin reported
Figure 19. Past Year Nonmedical Pain Reliever Use,
abusing prescription
by Age Group and National Ranking, Oregon and
opioids before initiating
92
Idaho, 2012-2013 NSDUH
heroin use. A 2013
12
5th
study revealed that the
18th
heroin incidence rate
10
nationally was 19 times
8
higher among individuals
6th
2nd
15th
who reported prior
6
2nd
27th
nonmedical use of
4
29th
prescription drugs
compared with those who
2
did not.93 In Oregon,
0
nearly half (45%) of
Total
12-17
18-25
26+
heroin users participating
Oregon
Idaho
in a syringe exchange
Total equals all respondents 12 and older. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2012-2013.
program in Multnomah
u
Includes the following states: NM, NY, IL, WA, CA, RI, CT, MA, NC, OR, CO, VA, KY, MD, VT, NJ, OK, UT, TN, ME,
GA, WI, MN, OH, DE, PA, MI, ID, WV, MS, ND and AR, the District of Columbia.
v
STD/HIV/Hepatitis C Program (includes participants at Outside In and Multnomah County Health Department syringe
exchanges).
w
SB 384 was effective June 6, 2013.
x
Includes Multnomah (Lake Oswego Police Department, Portland Police Bureau), Marion (Salem Police Department), and
Jackson (Medford Police Department) counties.
24
Oregon HIDTA Program
County stated they were addicted to prescription drugs first before initiating heroin use.y,94 Additionally,
recent safeguards and more stringent prescription drug monitoring systems have made popular
prescription opiates, such as oxycodone, more difficult to abuse and harder to obtain on the black
market, unfortunately leading some addicts to switch to using heroin because it is cheap and readily
available.
Transportation
With production of heroin increasing in Mexico, transportation of the drug is facilitated by DTOs that
use established drug trafficking and distribution networks to expand their market in the United States -some offering free samples to users of other illicit drugs. Illicit smuggling has thrived due to the inherent
challenges of monitoring vast amounts of air, ocean, and vehicular traffic along porous borders with
limited law enforcement resources. Heroin is transported into or through Oregon from California and,
more rarely, from southwest states such as Arizona and Nevada. Law enforcement reporting indicates
that the Portland metro area serves as the main distribution hub in the Oregon HIDTA region for heroin
transported north from Mexico.
Mexican National DTOs dominate the trafficking of Mexican black tar heroin and Mexican brownpowdered heroin into and through the Oregon HIDTA region and to states such as Washington and
Idaho. Mexican local independent dealers also transport Mexican black tar heroin and Mexican brownpowdered heroin into the HIDTA region, but to a lesser extent. These groups and independent dealers
transport the drug to the region from Mexico, California, and southwestern states primarily via private
and commercial vehicles, typically using Interstate 5, U.S. Highways 101 or 97.
The volume of heroin confiscated on Oregon highways has increased considerably in the last several
years. The amount of heroin seized in 2013 (41 lbs) was nearly seven times the quantity reported in
2009 (6 lbs) with historic quantities removed in 2012 and 2013. For example, large seizures were
reported outside of Ashland, Oregon in 2012 (55 lbs) and 2013 (31 lbs) both headed northbound on
Interstate-5 to destinations in Oregon and Washington.95 Heroin volume fell in 2014 (19 lbs), but still
represented more than three times the amount seized on Oregon highways in 2009 (6 lbs). In contrast,
the total quantity of heroin confiscated from Idaho highways from 2012 to 2013 remains low (2.7 lbs)
and reflects the comparatively low incidence of use in the state.96
Distribution
Heroin distribution occurs in the Oregon HIDTA region through verbal exchange,z at restaurants and
nightclubs, and via online connections and social networking sites. Distribution also takes place at openair drug markets in the region, particularly in Portland, Oregon. For example, open-air drug markets in
Portland are located primarily in the vicinity of Old Town, Water Front Park, Pioneer Square and Lloyd
Center, with the greatest concentration of drug sales occurring near the MAX light-rail line.
Wholesale distribution of black tar and brown powder heroin in the HIDTA region is largely controlled
by Mexican National DTOs.97 Hispanic and Caucasian independent dealers are the primary retail level
distributors. Criminal street gangs also distribute Mexican black tar heroin at the retail level, but to a
y
STD/HIV/Hepatitis C Program (includes participants at Outside In and Multnomah County Health Department syringe
exchanges).
z
Verbal exchange is defined as drug dealing through face-to-face contact or phone communication.
25
Oregon HIDTA Program
lesser extent. Reporting from law enforcement suggests that the number of criminal groups distributing
heroin has increased. Distributors who previously sold only methamphetamine or cocaine have entered
the heroin market, luring new customers with low prices and free samples.
3. Marijuana
Marijuana is highly available and widely used in the Oregon HIDTA region. Marijuana refers to the
leaves and flowering buds of hemp plants, the most widespread variety being cannabis sativa. Cannabis
sativa contains chemicals known as “cannabinoids”; THC (delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol) is the
cannabinoid largely responsible for the psychoactive effects of the plant. A high volume of marijuana is
produced in the HIDTA region from indoor methods which typically produce better quality plants and
multiple crops year-around. In addition, the HIDTA region contains many remote areas, including
dense forests and mountainous regions, which allow DTOs to cultivate marijuana on public and private
lands with little risk of detection.
Availability and Use
Availability
Quantity (in lbs)
Number of Seizures
Locally-produced marijuana, and to a lesser extent, Mexico and Canada-produced marijuana and BC
Bud, are available in the HIDTA region. Concentrates such as hash or honey oil and wax, as well as
THC-infused products (e.g., cookies, candies, beverages) are becoming more prevalent. Nearly all of the
Oregon and Idaho law
Figure 20. Number and Quantity of Marijuana Seizures,
enforcement officers
Oregon HIDTA Task Forces, 2007-2014
surveyed in 2015
25,000
1200
reported a high level of
marijuana available in
1000
20,000
the last year (97%);
800
over three-quarters
15,000
indicated that
600
concentrates were
10,000
400
highly available (77%)
5,000
with nearly half (44%)
200
noting a recent rise in
0
prevalence.98
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Quantity in pounds
Number of seizures
The amount of
Source: HIDTA Performance Management Database.
marijuana available in
the region has grown over the last decade due, in part, to the proliferation of DTO-operated indoor and
outdoor cultivation operations but also to criminal exploitation of the Oregon Medical Marijuana
Program (OMMP).aa Despite more product availability in the region, the volume of marijuana seized by
Oregon HIDTA task forces dropped over 80 percent between 2011 and 2014 (Figure 20). The decline in
aa
The Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (ORS 475.300 – 475.346) was passed into law in 1998 and established a statecontrolled permit system. The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) was created to administer the registration
program in May 1999. The law conflicts with national safety regulations and requirements for medicines established by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
26
Oregon HIDTA Program
seizures is largely connected to the dramatic drop in plants seized from outdoor MNDTO cultivation
sites in Oregon as well as the abundance of marijuana produced at out-of-compliance medical grows in
the state. For example, since 2009, the number of MNDTO grow sites and outdoor plants seized has
fallen -- likely the result of a number of factors, including removal of key MNDTO organizations
through successful federal prosecutions, a possible shift in location of MNDTO operations to areas with
minimal law enforcement presence, agency budget shortfalls, and greater involvement by agencies in
larger, more time-consuming investigations.
However, lower seizure volume may also be linked to the rising amount of marijuana available from
out-of-compliance medical grows that is diverted through the black market. Analysis reveals that the
total number of out-of-compliance plants confiscated reflected 70 percent of indoor plants eradicated in
2014; greater than the proportion reported for 2007 (12%), 2008 (7%), 2010 (26%), 2012 (30%) and
2013 (50%). Counties with the highest number of indoor marijuana cases involving suspects with
OMMP cards were Clackamas, Multnomah, and Jackson.99 After dropping slightly in April 2013, the
total number of OMMP cardholders rose to over 107,000 by April 2015, close to six times the number of
cardholders reported in April 2006 (15,894) (Figure 21; Appendix B).
Figure 21. Oregon Medical Marijuana Cardholders, April 2006 - April 2015
120,000
107,024
Number of Cardholders
100,000
84,021
80,000
89,246
79,930
71,317
60,709
59,183
60,000
49,851
55,807
53,117
28,214
26,813
2012
2013
39,774
40,000
31,600
35,707
32,929
24,799
20,000 15,894
20,783
10,775
14,050
5,119
0
2006
20,974
16,922
16,635
6,733
8,164
2007
2008
30,063
20,935
10,626
2009
2010
Total Cardholders
2011
Patients
2014
2015
Caregivers
Source: Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, Oregon Health Authority, April 1, 2015.
Under the OMMP program, each patient is allowed to possess 1.5 pounds of dried marijuana and up to
six mature plants and 18 seedlings, the equivalent of 7.5 pounds or more than 3,000 joints per patient at
any one time.bb, 100 Individuals registered as caregivers can cultivate marijuana for an unlimited number
of OMMP patient cardholders. With six mature plants and eighteen immature plants per patient,
caregivers can legally possess plants numbering in the thousands. This provides a legal loophole for
large quantity caregivers to exploit the program by claiming they are growing for legitimate OMMP
patients. In addition, the number of establishments set up to dispense medical marijuana -- commonly
bb
Based on the standard Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) estimate that one marijuana plant typically produces one
pound of processed marijuana. A typical marijuana cigarette contains from .5 to one gram of marijuana.
27
Oregon HIDTA Program
referred to as cannabis clubs, centers, and cafes -- has grown in Oregon since 2010, particularly in
Multnomah and Washington counties.101 The establishments are for the most part storefront businesses
that charge membership fees to customers and claim to dispense marijuana only to individuals with
active OMMP cards. In 2013, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3460 which authorized the legal
registration of medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon beginning March 1, 2014. As of June 3, 2015,
302 dispensary applications have been approved.102
In November 2014, Oregon voters passed Measure 91 which allows the personal use and possession of
recreational marijuana by adults 21 and older under state law. Beginning July 1, 2015, marijuana users
can grow up to four (4) plants and possess up to eight (8) ounces per residence in Oregon. Marijuana
will also be available for purchase in retail stores; however, the license application process will not
begin until January 2016. The law’s impact in Oregon is not yet known, but trends reported in Colorado
and Washington – two states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use – may be indicative of
what to expect: increased use -- particularly by youth; increased exposure cases; increased public use;
greater incidence of intoxicated driving; greater prevalence of THC extraction labs and related
explosions; exploitation of the law as a cover for illicit grow operations; and a higher degree of drug
trafficking in and out of the state.103
Use
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, reported marijuana use by people 12 years and older
has expanded in the United States since 2007.104 Moreover, 70 percent of people reporting use of drugs
in the last year indicated their first illicit drug was marijuana.105 Use of marijuana among Oregon
residents remains high compared to most other states. The latest national survey results reveal that in
2012 and 2013, Oregon ranked fifth in the nation for marijuana usecc by people ages 12 and older.106
Marijuana use across all age groups in the state was consistently well above the national average in
2012-2013, but was significantly higher for people between the ages of 18 and 25 years (Figure 1, page
5). Although marijuana use in Idaho ranked lower than most other states in 2012-2013 (38th), use of the
drug is prevalent in the state, mostly by people between the ages of 18 and 25 years (Figure 2, page
5).107
Admissions for marijuana use in Oregon counties within the HIDTA reflect the third largest proportion
(24%) of any major illicit drugdd in 2014; however, treatment admissions for marijuana dropped more
than 40 percent between 2001 and 2014 (Figure 8, page 15).108 The drop in admissions may be related
to fewer referrals for court-ordered treatment due to a decline in marijuana arrests. Arrests for marijuana
have steadily decreased in Oregon, dropping nearly 60 percent between 2011 and 2015 (Figure 10, page
16).109 Treatment for marijuana use has generally increased in Idaho since 2010, accounting for the
highest number of admissions of any major illicit drug in 2012, the most recent data available.110
(Figure 9, page 15). In addition, marijuana arrests in the state reflect nearly three-quarters (74%) of all
drug-related arrests and increased 45 percent between 2008 and 2013 (Figure 10, page 16).111
Statistics related to drug-impaired driving in Oregon were recently evaluated. Data provided by the
Oregon State Police Drug Evaluation Classification Program (DEC) revealed that in the last seven years
(2008-2014), the single drug category most often detected through toxicology results was marijuana
(Figure 22, page 29). The frequency of all drugs detected fell 20 percent from 2013 to 2014, largely due
cc
dd
Based on participants’ self-report of marijuana use in past month.
Categorized as Meth/Amphetamines, Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine.
28
Oregon HIDTA Program
to staffing issues – reduction in officers available to evaluate cases of drugged driving has resulted in
fewer opportunities to identify incidents of drugged driving.112
Figure 22. Drug-Impaired Driving, Oregon, 2008-2014
700
Frequency of detection
600
500
Cannabis
Stimulants
400
Depressants
300
Narcotic Analgesics
Other
200
100
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Source: DRE Year-End Summary Reports 2008-2014, Oregon Drug Evaluation Classification Program, Oregon State Police.
Stimulants include drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and Adderall; Depressants include drugs such as Valium,
Prozac, and Xanax; Narcotic Analgesics include drugs such as heroin, oxycodone, and Vicodin; Other includes hallucinogens,
PCP, and inhalants. Drug categories are not mutually-exclusive. Graph excludes alcohol-related cases and drivers impaired
solely from health-related problems ("medical rule-outs").
Cannabis potency, largely due to the development and implementation of more sophisticated growing
techniques, has increased in the last decade. Analysis reveals that the average percentage of THC in
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized samples (includes cannabis, hashish, and hash oil
specimens) has grown dramatically in the United States, increasing 75 percent from 2003 (7.15%) to
2013 (12.55%).113 Higher potency has been linked to serious health risks to users, such as acute toxicity
and mental impairment.114 For example, past studies have linked marijuana use, especially if started at
an early age, to disorders such as schizophrenia and to motivation, attention, learning, and memory
impairments.115 For example, a 2013 study found that chronic use of marijuana was associated with
abnormal changes in brain structure related to working memoryee with effects that may last years after
cessation of use.116 Casual use may also be detrimental to brain development. According to a
preliminary 2014 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, young adults between the ages of 18
and 25 years who used marijuana just once or twice a week showed significant abnormalities in brain
regions responsible for processing emotions, making decisions, and motivation.117
Production
The majority of marijuana available in the Oregon HIDTA region is produced locally -- grown and
transported from indoor or outdoor cultivation operations in the region (Figure 23, page 30). Product
transported from other states, Mexico, and Canada, is available, but to a smaller degree. The region’s
temperate climate, excellent soil, and extensive remote rural and forested areas are valuable natural
resources which are exploited for growing marijuana outdoors. Outdoor marijuana cultivation operations
ee
Working memory is the ability to remember and process information in the moment and transfer the information to longterm memory.
29
Oregon HIDTA Program
on public, private timber, and tribal lands with a documented connection to MNDTOs have been
discovered in counties in Oregon and Idaho since 2004.118
In addition, the Oregon HIDTA region harbors a significant number of indoor grows. These operations,
some of which utilize hydroponic methods and strict environmental controls, are capable of producing
high-quality marijuana that is in demand and distributed locally, nationally, and internationally. Most
illicit indoor marijuana cultivation in the HIDTA region is independently operated by local Caucasian
producers (including producers who criminally exploit the OMMP) and Asian organized crime to a
lesser degree.
An emerging trend is the production and distribution of liquid THC, a highly potent distillation of
marijuana that produces concentrates such as hash oil, honey oil, and marijuana wax which can contain
up to 90 percent THC. Liquid THC is odorless and is commonly sold in marijuana food items such as
candy or baked goods. Liquid THC production is expected to rise due in part to higher profits that result
from a process that involves little waste (stems, leaves and bud are used), concealment advantages of
moving a smaller bulk commodity, and a growing market for marijuana edibles and product that has
strong psychoactive effects.119
Indoor marijuana cultivation operations pose a significant health risk to law enforcement investigators
and civilians who come into contact with electrical power diversion, chemicals and fertilizers, and black
mold at residences used as grow sites. Public safety hazards also exist when marijuana is converted into
liquid THC. Highly volatile solvents such as isopropyl alcohol and butane are often used in distillation, a
30
Oregon HIDTA Program
dangerous process that releases harmful vapors and an explosive fuel-air mixture that can be initiated by
an open flame, spark or static discharge.120 At least ten major explosions related to the production of
butane hash oil have occurred in Oregon since 2011.121 For example, during 2013, the Westside
Interagency Narcotics (WIN) team responded to three
separate explosions caused by people manufacturing
butane hash/honey oil in residences in Washington
County. In each case, the primary suspects were either
critically injured or killed and the homes and apartment
involved were completely destroyed from the force of
the explosions and ensuing fire. In July 2014, an
explosion caused by a man extracting butane hash oil in
his vehicle, parked at a Tigard, Oregon parking lot,
destroyed two cars and damaged three others.122
Over the past several years, Asian crime groups have
established large coordinated indoor grow operations in
Oregon, Washington and Northern California. Reporting from law enforcement indicates that Asian
criminal groups, particularly those of Vietnamese descent, have increasingly moved cannabis operations
from British Columbia to the United States to minimize smuggling risks and costs.123 Reports from drug
task forces in Multnomah and Clackamas counties indicate Asian organized crime involvement in
several large marijuana cultivation operations in the Portland Metropolitan area. In September 2013, the
Westside Interagency Narcotics (WIN) team concluded a long-term investigation into an Asian DTO
that converted over a dozen residential homes in Washington County to grow marijuana, shipping high
potency product to the east coast and Midwest. In cooperation with multiple law enforcement agencies,
WIN conducted search warrants at 16 locations in the county which resulted in seizures of six vehicles,
$200,000 in cash, 2,800 marijuana plants, and nearly 60 pounds of dried marijuana that was ready for
shipment. Eleven of the primary DTO leaders were indicted on 87 criminal counts including
racketeering, money laundering, and manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. The Office of
National Drug Control Policy awarded the WIN team with the National HIDTA Award for Outstanding
Marijuana Investigative Effort for this case.
Hash oil explosion, Tigard, Oregon, July 2014.
The number of marijuana plants confiscated from indoor and outdoor cultivation sites has gradually
declined in the Oregon HIDTA region since 2009. The decline continued in 2014 (12,621), with a 40
percent drop from the number of plants reported seized in 2013 (21,108) (Figure 24, page 32; Appendix
C).124 For example, outdoor plant eradication totals fell to approximately 10,000 plants in 2014, the
lowest reported total since 2003.125 There are several possible reasons for the reduction in seizures.
Successful federal prosecutions may have removed key organizations responsible for grow sites in longestablished areas of operation or served to motivate DTOs to shift operations to areas with minimal law
enforcement presence. Another possibility may be that greater involvement by agencies in larger, more
time-consuming investigations along with budget shortfalls -- including turnover or reassignment of
experienced staff -- has curtailed opportunities to identify many grows.
In addition, the volume of plants confiscated from indoor operations in the Oregon HIDTA region has
dropped since 2009. Seizures from illegal indoor cultivations fell more than 80 percent between 2009
(14,759) and 2014 (2,419). Increasingly limited resources, shifting priorities, and difficulties inherent in
investigating and prosecuting illicit medical marijuana grow sites may partially explain the drop in
indoor plant counts in recent years. For example, fewer indoor plants seized since 2009 may be
connected to law enforcement resource limitations. Location of indoor grows is often difficult and timeconsuming. Another possible explanation for reduced counts is the rising popularity of medical
31
Oregon HIDTA Program
marijuana which has contributed to a larger number of related grow sites in the HIDTA region. For
example, the number of indoor marijuana plants reported seized from out-of-compliance OMMP grows
in Oregon in 2014 (2,316) was 70 percent of total indoor plants seized in 2014.126
The attraction of growing marijuana for profit is evident when production costs and potential earnings
are compared. According to a 2010 study by the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, production costs
ranged from $150 a pound for marijuana grown outdoors to $300 a pound for indoor plants – a
substantial return when compared to street prices which are about a factor of ten higher than estimated
production costs per pound.127
Transportation
Caucasian DTOs, and Asian organized crime to a lesser degree, generally control transportation of
locally-produced indoor marijuana in the Oregon HIDTA region. Caucasian DTOs and independent
groups control out-of-compliance medical marijuana grown indoors and outdoors in the HIDTA region.
Mexican criminal groups largely control transportation of outdoor marijuana produced on remote public
or private lands in Oregon and Idaho. Traffickers use a variety of routes and methods to transport
marijuana into, through and out of the HIDTA region. BC Bud normally originates in British Columbia
and is smuggled across the U.S.-Canada border via Canada Route 99–U.S. Interstate 5 in private
vehicles, commercial trucks, buses, boats, aircraft, or on foot - often hidden in backpacks or duffel bags.
Mexican marijuana is transported from southwestern states and southern California to the HIDTA region
primarily by means of Interstate 5 or U.S. Coastal Highway 101 largely in private and commercial
vehicles. However, the majority of marijuana is grown locally and shipped for distribution largely via
the highway system, or by methods such as parcel post, within the HIDTA region or transported across
state borders to adjacent states (California, Idaho, Washington) and eastward to regions primarily in the
Midwest, East Coast, and Southwest (Figure 25, page 33).ff The Oregon counties of Jackson, Josephine,
ff
Highway seizures for the state of Idaho were not available at the time of this report.
32
Oregon HIDTA Program
Lane, and Multnomah were identified most often as points of origin for marijuana trafficked to other
states.128 Highway interdiction data for Idaho was not available at the time of publication.
Distribution
Caucasian local independent dealers are the primary distributors of wholesale amounts of indoor
marijuana produced in the Oregon HIDTA region while MNDTOs are the primary distributors of
marijuana cultivated from outdoor grows in the region and Mexico-produced marijuana. Asian and
Caucasian DTOs are the primary wholesale distributors of marijuana produced in Canada. Nearly all
criminal groups in the HIDTA region sell marijuana at the retail level.
Marijuana prices vary throughout the HIDTA region depending on type and quantity sold. Locallygrown marijuana with higher THC content is considerably more expensive than Mexico-produced
marijuana. Users report locally-grown marijuana -- including bud produced within the HIDTA region by
MNDTOs -- and BC Bud are comparable in quality and potency and are preferred over marijuana grown
in Mexico.
Drug trafficking organizations, particularly Mexican National criminal groups, frequently use profits
from marijuana sales as a means to finance smuggling of other drugs such as methamphetamine, heroin,
and cocaine. Nearly one-third of officers surveyed in 2015 ranked marijuana as the drug that serves as
the primary funding source for major criminal activity.129
33
Oregon HIDTA Program
4. Controlled Prescription Drug Use
The threat posed by misuse of controlled prescription drugs (CPDs)gg has risen significantly in the last
decade. Drug poisoning, mostly in the form of overdoses, is currently the leading cause of injury death
in the nation.130 According to a 2014 national study, one in five people ages 12 and older who first
started using drugs in the past year began with nonmedical use of prescription drugs, mainly pain
relievers.131 Recent data suggests a decline in misuse that may be a positive result of changes in
prescribing guidelines, implementation of prescription monitoring programs, and introduction of tamperproof pain reliever formulas. However, decreased misuse of pain relievers is also connected to the rise in
heroin use; many users of prescription opiates have reportedly switched to using heroin because it’s
cheaper, easier to obtain, and more potent than diverted prescription opiates. CPD diversion occurs in
the Oregon HIDTA region mostly through illicit acquisition from friends or relatives, but also through
residential or pharmacy burglaries, theft, forged prescriptions, doctor shopping, street purchases, and
smuggling across state borders.132
Availability and Use
Availability
The rise in misuse of CPDs is due in large part to greater availability through increased and liberal
prescribing of opioids by doctors and ease of access to the drugs through friends or family. According to
a 2014 federal study, Oregon ranked fourth highest in the nation for the rate of extended release opioid
prescriptions dispensed in 2012.133 In addition, nearly half of the roughly seven million prescriptions for
Table 4. Top 12 Prescriptions, January 2014 - December 2014 CPDs dispensed at Oregon retail
hh
Drug Number of Rx
% of all Rx pharmacies in 2014 were for opioids ; the
Hydrocodone
1,806,497
26.5% second most prescribed class of
Oxycodone
1,148,971
16.8% medications was for benzodiazepines.ii,134
Zolpidem
442,314
6.5% (Table 4). Data related to prescription
Lorazepam
417,760
6.1% drugs dispensed in Idaho was not
Alprazolam
358,215
5.2% available at the time of publication.
Clonazepam
Amphet (ASP/AMPHET/D-AMPHET)
321,067
302,092
241,560
237,608
216,482
172,451
106,751
4.7%
4.4%
3.5%
3.5%
3.2%
2.5%
1.6%
Non-medical use of prescription drugs is
often perceived by people as a safe
alternative to illicit drugs with diversion
occurring most often through family or
friends.135 Over 60 percent of Oregon and
Idaho law enforcement officers surveyed
Source: Prescription Drug Monitoring Year-To-Date Report, Oregon
in early 2015 indicated a high level of
Health Authority, January 2014 - December 2014, Issue 19, Year 4.
illicit prescription drugs available in their
area, with one agency representative in Clackamas County, Oregon stating CPDs as the county’s
greatest drug threat (Figure 5, page 13). Over 60 percent of officers surveyed (63%) indicated a high
level of narcotics, such as oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin) and hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin), were diverted
Methylphenidate
Morphine
Pseudoephedrine
Diazepam
Methadone
gg
Controlled prescription drugs are regulated under the Federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) which classifies drugs
under five schedules according to their potential for abuse, their use in accepted medical treatment in the United States, and
their potential for physical or psychological dependence.
hh
Derived from opium poppies and used for pain relief; includes hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, methadone, fentanyl.
ii
Central nervous system depressants used as sedatives; includes zolpidem, lorazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam.
34
Oregon HIDTA Program
in their region, with a smaller percentage reporting high levels of depressants (30%), stimulants (19%),
and steroids (10%).136 Of the CPDs seized by Oregon HIDTA task forces in 2014, nearly three-quarters
(74%) were prescription opioids (including methadone), followed by benzodiazepines (24%) (Figure
26).
Figure 26. CPDs Seized in the Oregon HIDTA, 2014
0.4%
2%
0.3%
Prescription opioids
(excluding methadone)
Methadone
23%
Benzodiazepines
65%
9%
Anti-depressants,
Sedative-Hypnotics
Psychostimulants
Muscle Relaxants
Use
In the Oregon HIDTA region, the use of controlled prescription medication , largely pain relievers, has
grown dramatically in the last decade. The most recent national survey data revealed that Oregon ranked
second in the United States during 2012 and 2013 for reported rates of past year use of non-medical pain
relievers by people ages 12 or older.137 While use was high among all age categories, the largest
proportion of users was between the ages of 18 and 25. The percentage of residents reporting past year
use has declined in Oregon since 2008; however, use remains at a high level compared to other states.138
Non-medical use of pain relievers is also high in Idaho, particularly for people between the ages of 18
and 25 years (Figure 17, page 23).139
The number of admissions to hospitals and treatment facilities related to CPD misuse has substantially
increased since 2000, declining only recently. For example, the number of admissions to Oregon
hospitals related to opioid overdose showed the most dramatic increase with prescription opioids rising
over fivefold between 2000 and 2011 before dropping by 18 percent in 2012 (Figure 27, page 36).140
Similarly, the rise in admissions for treatment related to misuse of CPDs -- the majority associated with
use of narcotics-based medications -- has grown in Oregon since 2008, but declined 25 percent between
2012 and 2014 (CY 08-CY14, Figure 8, page 15).141 Hospital admission data was not available for
Idaho; however, admissions related to CPD misuse nearly doubled at treatment facilities in the state
from 2008 to 2012 (Figure 9, page 15).142
35
Oregon HIDTA Program
Figure 27. Unintentional Overdose Hospital Discharge Rates,
Oregon by Drug Type, 2000-2012
18.0
Rate per 100,000 Residents
16.0
Opioid
14.0
Methadone
12.0
Heroin
10.0
8.0
Benzodiazepine
6.0
Antiepileptic, sedative,
hypnotic, psychotropic
4.0
Psychostimulant
2.0
0.0
'00
'01
'02
'03
'04
'05
'06
'07
'08
'09
'10
'11
'12
Source: 2014 Drug Overdose Deaths, Hospitalizations, Abuse & Dependency among Oregonians, Oregon Health Authority,
Center for Prevention & Health, 5/30/2014.
The incidence of deaths related to misuse of prescription drugs has declined steadily since 2011, but
remained at high levels in Oregon in 2014. Despite a decline of 28 percent from 2011 (193), the number
of prescription overdose deathsjj in Oregon in 2014 (139) was higher than the number of deaths related
to use of heroin (111) and nearly matched total deaths associated with methamphetamine use (140). Of
the 139 confirmed fatalities related to the use of prescription drugs, oxycodone was highest (59),
followed by methadone (54), and hydrocodone (26) (Figure 3, page 6).143 According to Oregon
epidemiologists, poisoning mortality in the state is largely driven by deaths connected with prescription
opioids -- drugs intended for pain management but that are frequently misused or diverted.144 An
analysis of death rates related to unintentional prescription opioid poisoning in Oregon increased nearly
400 percent between 2000 and 2006 but declined nearly 40 percent between 2006 and 2013.145 The rate
of death associated with methadone poisoning decreased 58 percent between 2006 and 2013 (3.8 to 1.6
per 100,000) 146 The number of deaths related to misuse of controlled prescription drugs is not tracked
in Idaho.
An emerging trend is the diversion and use of fentanyl in the United States. Fentanyl is a Schedule II
drug that is 30 to 50 times stronger than heroin, 100 times stronger than morphine, and is the most
potent opioid available for medical use. Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues present a significant danger to
users as well as public safety workers who come in contact with the drug. Due to its rapid rate of
absorption, fentanyl can be fatal at doses as small as a quarter milligram.147 Despite strict controls,
fentanyl is diverted through methods such as pharmacy robberies, forged prescriptions and illicit
distribution by patients and medical providers. Illicit producers also employ chemists to manufacture the
drug in clandestine labs.
The number of DEA lab submissions related to fentanyl in the United States was over three times higher
in 2014 (3,344) when compared to 2013 (942).148 Recent related submissions have been significant,
jj
The number of fatalities related to prescription drugs is not included in calculation of total drug-related deaths based on
cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and drug combination categories.
36
Oregon HIDTA Program
mainly in the Northeastern United States
and California, with a huge seizure of 12
kilograms reported in 2014.149 According
to the Oregon State Police Forensics
Services Division, the number of fentanyl
samples submitted for analysis in Oregon
has recently increased, with most
submissions originating in the Portland
Metro region.150
In January 2015, a Portland, Oregon man was arrested for his
involvement in the large-scale distribution of fentanyl sold
through the black market website, Evolution. The Oregon
HIDTA Interdiction Team working in conjunction with North
Dakota’s Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force made the arrest
which was linked to six fentanyl overdose cases, one of which
resulted in the death of a man in North Dakota. Following the
arrest, four more overdose cases were linked to the subject in
the Portland Metro area. A search warrant of the subject’s
residence and vehicles resulted in 100 grams of fentanyl citrate,
heroin, packaging and mailing materials, and cash. Further
investigation revealed the suspect purchased 750 grams of
fentanyl citrate -- a street value of $1.5 million -- in November
2014 through a Canadian supplier and received packages of the
drug by FedEx from a shipper in Shanghai, China.
In a related incident in March 2015, the suspect’s girlfriend was
charged with smuggling fentanyl into the Multnomah County
Jail, causing at least three of her fellow inmates to overdose.
The high rate of controlled prescription
pain reliever misuse is concerning and has
likely contributed to the Oregon HIDTA
region’s growing heroin problem. Oregon
and Idaho law enforcement officials report
that heroin use in their jurisdiction has
expanded partly because users of
Sources: Oregon man accused of selling fentanyl that led to N.D.
death, Bismark Tribune, 3/20/15; 3 OD on dangerous drug in Portland
prescription opiates, such as oxycodone,
jail; feds say inmate smuggled contraband inside her body, Oregonian,
have switched to heroin because it is easier
3/14/15.
to obtain, cheaper, and provides a more
intense high than diverted prescription
opiates.151 Evidence suggests that non-medical use of prescription drugs may lead to use of illicit drugs,
particularly heroin.152 A study published in 2011 reported that four out of five injection drug users
misused an opioid drug before they began to inject heroin.153 More recently, a 2013 analysis revealed
that the heroin incidence rate was 19 times higher among individuals who reported prior nonmedical use
of prescription drugs compared with those who did not.154
Implementation of prescription monitoring programs, revised prescribing guidelines, and the
introduction of tamper-proof pain reliever formulas have achieved a measure of success in reducing
misuse of prescription pain relievers over the last few years. For example, the Prescription Drug
Monitoring Program (PDMP),kk in operation in Oregon for more than three years, provides a web-based
tool for practitioners and pharmacists to identify patients at risk for physical dependence and
overdose.155 A recent evaluation of the PDMP showed that 96 percent of system users checked the
PDMP when they suspected addiction, abuse or diversion.156 Additionally, revised guidelines and
practices such as the removal of methadone as a preferred drug dispensed to Medicaid patients during
heroin detox and amendments by practitioners regarding appropriate doses and lengths of time for
patients to use opioid painkillers have also likely had an impact.157
Furthermore, attempts have been made to discourage abuse of the more popular and highly abused forms
of prescription opioids such as OxyContin. In 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration introduced
a new, controlled-release formula for OxyContin designed to deter misuse of the medication. In
addition, in August 2014, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration moved hydrocodone combination
products from Schedule III to Schedule II which imposes the most restrictive controls and sanctions
which are reserved for drugs with accepted medical use that have the highest potential for harm and
abuse.158 Unfortunately, users have found ways to defeat the improved formulas, such as taking larger
quantities than recommended.159
kk
The Oregon Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) became operational in September 2011. PDMP requires
pharmacies to submit data weekly for all Schedule II – IV controlled substances dispensed.
37
Oregon HIDTA Program
Transportation/Diversion
National studies on use suggest that CPDs are largely diverted through family or acquaintances. Among
people ages 12 and older who reported using pain relievers non-medically in 2012-2013, over half
acquired the drug from a friend or relative for free (53%) and about 15 percent obtained pain relievers
through purchase or by taking the drug from a friend or relative without asking. Only four percent
obtained pain relievers from a drug dealer or stranger, and less than one percent bought drugs on the
Internet. Other methods included acquisition through a prescription from one doctor (21%), multiple
doctors (3%), or other methods including fake prescriptions and theft from pharmacies (4%).160
Similarly in the Oregon HIDTA region, CPD diversion occurs mostly through illicit acquisition from
friends or relatives, but also through methods such as residential or pharmacy burglaries, doctor
shopping, theft, forged prescriptions, traditional drug dealing, internet purchases and smuggling across
state borders.161 About one-quarter (26%) of law enforcement officers surveyed in Oregon and Idaho in
2015 indicated that organized trafficking of CPDs occurs in their area, noting smuggling via package
delivery services, forged prescriptions, trafficking of CPDs across state borders, and involvement by
criminal gangs and DTOs.162 In June 2010, the HIDTA Interdiction Team (HIT) received information
that a DTO was involved in a large-scale OxyContin/oxycodone smuggling and distribution organization
based in Portland, Oregon with ties to Florida, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. By March 2011, members of
a joint federal taskforce in Oregon executed 13 search warrants in five states, seizing numerous bank
accounts and high-end vehicles. The investigation resulted in 15 federal indictments and multiple
seizures including over 10,000 OxyContin pills with a street value estimated at more than $300,000.
Law enforcement reporting suggests an increase in CPD diversion in some areas in 2014. The number
of reported seizures by Oregon HIDTA task forces in 2014 (214) was over three times the number
seized in 2008 (60) and included mainly narcotic analgesics, followed by sedatives, and stimulants.163
Prescription drugs are
also diverted through
internet purchases.
Dishonest internet, or
12,000
10,924
“rogue” pharmacies,
9,293
10,000
profit from the sale of
8,000
controlled prescription
6,195
5,224
6,000
medications to buyers
who have not seen a
4,000
2,476
doctor or do not have
1,268
2,000
256
a prescription from a
0
legitimate doctor.
Total Sites Potentially
Do Not Issue Rx per Based
Sell Foreign
Sell
According to a recent
Verified
Legitimate
Require
Online
Outside
Drugs
Controlled
Sites
Valid Rx Consult or
U.S.
Substances
study conducted by
Survey
the Government
Source: Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program, Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators,
Accountability Office
January 2015, National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
(GAO), an estimated
36,000 rogue sites were in operation in February 2014, most of which operate from foreign countries
and illegally ship substandard or counterfeit drugs into the United States.164 In a review of nearly
11,000 web sites selling prescription medications, 98 percent were out-of-compliance with United States
pharmacy laws and practice standards (Figure 28).165
Number of Sites
Figure 28. Characteristics of Internet Drug Sites Selling
Prescription Medications, December 1, 2014
38
Oregon HIDTA Program
5. Cocaine
Cocaine is an addictive stimulant derived from coca leaves that is typically distributed as a crystalline
powder or a cocaine base (“crack”). Both varieties are abused in the Oregon HIDTA region; however,
cocaine powder is more widely available than crack. Crack cocaine is most prevalent in the Portland
Metropolitan area.
Availability and Use
Availability
Federal analysis indicates availability of cocaine in most U.S. markets has dropped since 2006. The
decline is largely attributed to reduced production in Colombia, disruptions in supply related to conflicts
between DTOs in Mexico over favorable smuggling routes, and increased law enforcement efforts
targeting DTOs.166 Approximately one-quarter of Oregon law enforcement officers surveyed in 2015
reported powder cocaine was available to a moderate degree in their area in 2014, primarily in the state’s
Portland Metro and Southern regions. In contrast, over 80 percent reported that a low level of crack
cocaine was available – only agencies in Multnomah and Clackamas counties reported moderate to high
availability.167 Agencies surveyed in Idaho reported that both powder and crack cocaine are available in
only rare instances in the state.168
Number of Seizures
Quantity (in lbs)
In the Oregon HIDTA region, while the volume of cocaine seized by Oregon HIDTA task forces has
fluctuated since 2007, the number of seizures has declined more than 40 percent since 2011 (Figure
29).169 In addition, cocaine
samples submitted to the
Figure 29. Number and Quantity of Cocaine Seizures,
Oregon State Police support
Oregon HIDTA Task Forces, 2007-2014
a decline in availability in
350
200
Oregon; samples analyzed
300
fell nearly 60 percent
150
250
between 2009 and 2014
170
(Figure 6, page 13).
200
100
Data regarding cocaine
150
samples submitted for
100
50
analysis in Idaho was not
50
available at the time of
publication. Highway
0
0
seizures also show a
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
decline in Oregon; the
Quantity in pounds
Number of seizures
number of cocaine-related
Source: HIDTA Performance Management Database.
highway interdictions in the
state fell over 70 percent from 2008 to 2014 with the quantity dropping nearly 70 percent between 2011
(154 lbs) and 2014 (53 lbs).171 The volume of cocaine seized on Idaho highways is generally low;
however, in March 2013, 26 pounds were confiscated from a U-Haul truck headed eastbound on
Highway 20 and destined for Minnesota.172
39
Oregon HIDTA Program
Use
Despite decreased availability, reporting suggests cocaine use is still relatively high in areas such as the
Portland, Oregon Metro region, as well as in Lane and Jackson counties.173 However, addiction levels
remain low in other areas of the HIDTA region. Related arrests for cocaine in Oregon declined nearly 70
percent between January 2007 and January 2015 (Figure 9, page 15).174 Furthermore, treatment
admissions for the drug have decreased in the HIDTA region; the number of individuals admitted to
treatment facilities for cocaine fell nearly 80 percent from 2008 (975) to 2014 (222) (Figure 7, page
14).175 Admissions for treatment of cocaine use have also declined in Idaho, dropping more than 50
percent from 2008 to 2011, before rising slightly in 2012 (Figure 9, page 15).176 Despite a slight rise in
related deaths from 2013 (12) to 2014 (16), fatalities related to cocaine use are the second lowest total
since before 2001 (Figure 3, page 6).177 The number of deaths related to cocaine use is not tracked in
Idaho.ll
Transportation
Mexican National DTOs dominate the transportation of powdered cocaine into and through the Oregon
HIDTA region. Caucasian DTOs and criminal street gangs also transport cocaine in the region, but to a
lesser extent. These groups transport the drug from Mexico, California, and southwestern states to and
through HIDTA region. Most cocaine available in the area is transported overland from Mexico,
California, and southwestern states by private and commercial vehicles via Interstates 5 and 84 and U.S.
Highways 20, 97, and 101. DTOs also transport cocaine using couriers on commercial airlines and
trains, maritime shipments, and commercial package delivery services. Crack cocaine which is not
converted from powdered cocaine at or near distribution points in the HIDTA region is often transported
from California.
According to federal sources, a nexus exists between cocaine transiting across the United States into
Canada and marijuana and MDMA smuggled to the United States from Canada. Asian criminal groups
based in British Columbia use trafficking networks to transport MDMA and high-potency marijuana
across the Northern border to cocaine distributors in the United States. Cocaine is exchanged for
MDMA and/or marijuana; at which point cocaine is transported to Canada and MDMA and marijuana
are further distributed to regions in the United States.178
Distribution
Primary distributors at the retail level include Mexican National DTOs, Caucasian DTOs, Hispanic and
Caucasian local independent dealers, and criminal street gangs. Although crack cocaine is rarely sold at
the wholesale level in the Oregon HIDTA region, the drug is commonly distributed at the retail level by
criminal street gangs and Hispanic, Caucasian, and African-American dealers.
6. Other Drugs
A number of other drugs, including designer drugs and plant-based hallucinogens, are available in the
Oregon HIDTA region. "Designer drugs” belong to a group of clandestinely produced drugs which are
ll
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare does not track cause of drug-related deaths by specific drug type.
40
Oregon HIDTA Program
deliberately created, or “designed,” to mimic other drugs of abuse, but with a slightly modified chemical
structure. Designer drugs available and used in the HIDTA region include MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), and to a lesser extent, synthetic cannabinoids, bath salts, DMT (Dimethyltryptamine), buprenorphine, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), and 25I-NBOMe. Psilocybin
(hallucinogenic mushrooms) is also available and is generally used by teenagers and young adults at
social venues in urban areas and on college campuses. Designer drugs are obtained from a variety of
sources, including local production, retail outlets, the internet, and through cross border trafficking of
finished product.
Availability and Use
MDMA is a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substance Act and is commonly distributed in powder
form or pressed into pills and sold as “Ecstasy.” The drug is popular among teenagers and young adults
who frequent social settings such as raves, bars, nightclubs, and private parties. “Molly,” a street name
commonly used to refer to the powder or crystal form of MDMA, appears to be gaining popularity in the
HIDTA region.179 The growing appeal of Molly may be due to the perception by users that MDMA in
powder form is purer than Ecstasy, which has the reputation for being adulterated with other substances
such as methamphetamine and caffeine. Additionally, greater use of the drug may be due to higher
availability of MDMA powder because it is easier to smuggle than Ecstasy pills.
The rise in availability and use of synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic stimulants is a growing problem
in the United States and appears to be gaining popularity in the HIDTA region.180 The number of calls
about exposures to synthetic cannabinoids increased nearly 40 percent in the United States from 2013
(2,688) to 2014 (3,677).181 Reporting from Oregon counties, Multnomah, Clackamas, and Umatilla,
indicates that synthetic drug availability has risen in the last year, with increased use by young adults.182
Chemical compositions of synthetics are frequently modified by manufacturers as a way to circumvent
government bansmm on key ingredients. The continually changing mix of chemicals used in
manufacturing processes, along with a lack of quality controls and consistent dosage, leads to physical
and psychological effects that are highly unpredictable and dangerous.
Synthetic cannabinoids, commonly referred to as “Spice,” are a large family of compounds that mimic
THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Synthetic chemicals are applied to inert plant material
(dried herbs), labeled “not for human consumption,” and marketed to adolescents and youth under
various labels (e.g., K2, Aroma) on the internet and in convenience stores, gas stations and “head
shops.”nn Users have reported experiencing paranoid delusions, psychosis, and loss of consciousness.183
In 2012, synthetic marijuana was linked to six cases of sudden kidney failure in Oregon and Southwest
Washington.184 Even a single dose can be extremely hazardous due to the unrefined way in which
producers spray chemicals on the plant material – material that is sprayed unevenly will create hot spots
where the chemical concentration is dangerously high.185 Between 2010 and 2014, Oregon HIDTA task
forces seized 786 pounds of synthetic cannabinoids, mostly in the Portland Metro area and to a lesser
extent in Douglas, Jackson and Lane counties.186
mm
On January 4, 2013, the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 went into effect permanently placing 26 types of
synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. In January 2015, the DEA added
three new forms of synthetic cannabinoids to its list of banned substances.
nn
A store specializing in paraphernalia used for consumption of recreational drugs.
41
Oregon HIDTA Program
Synthetic cathinones,oo such as bath salts, are stimulants that have recently emerged as designer drugs in
the United States. The drugs are packaged as legitimate beauty and household products (labeled “not for
human consumption”) such as bath salts, plant food/fertilizer, and vacuum fresheners and are available
at head shops, independently owned gas stations and convenience stores, and on the internet. Users
typically ingest, inject, snort, or smoke synthetic cathinones to produce effects which mimic
amphetamine use but that are not detectable on routine drug tests. Use of bath salts is reportedly highly
dangerous with associated effects of extreme agitation and paranoia, delusions, and suicidal thoughts.187
Over 500,000 dosage units of synthetic stimulants in the form of bath salts were reported by Oregon
HIDTA task forces from 2011 through 2014, mainly in the Portland Metro area.188
In February 2014, two Oregon teenagers were rescued by an offduty police officer after he witnessed one of the teens having a
seizure on the side of the road in Sherwood, Oregon. After a call for
assistance, the second teen fell into a seizure. The teenagers had
ingested the drug 25I-NBOMe, a Schedule I synthetic hallucinogen
similar to LSD but with more dangerous side effects. NBOMe
compounds first arrived on the streets in 2011 and are connected to
at least 19 overdose deaths in the United States. Data suggest that
extremely small amounts of the drug can cause seizures, cardiac
arrest, and death.
Sherwood teens OD on synthetic drug ‘25i’, KGW.com, 2/2/14; Three
more synthetic drugs become illegal for at least two years, DEA, 11/15/13.
The hallucinogen, N,NDimethyltryptamine (DMT), is also
available and is mainly used by young
adults in the HIDTA region. DMT is
found in certain plants and can be
extracted or synthetically produced in
clandestine labs from substances easily
purchased on the internet. Effects of the
drug are similar to other hallucinogens
but are short-lived, lasting about 35-45
minutes. Between 2010 and 2014,
Oregon HIDTA task forces seized more
than 80,000 dosage units of DMT,
largely from the Portland Metro area.189
Buprenorphine is a Schedule III substance and is a highly potent synthetic drug used in opioid
dependence and pain management. The drug is about 20 to 30 times more potent than morphine and
produces severe respiratory depression when combined with other central nervous system depressants
such as benzodiazepines.190 Suboxone is the most commonly abused form of buprenorphine and
includes naloxone, which is added to discourage misuse through crushing pills as a way to snort or inject
the drug. Law enforcement reporting indicates a rise in the amount of buprenorphine seized in the
United States.191 Over 50 seizures totaling 4,165 dosage units related to buprenorphine and Suboxone
were reported by Oregon HIDTA task forces between 2010 and 2014.192
The designer drug 25I-NBOMe is a Schedule I synthetic hallucinogen that mimics the effects of LSD
but with more severe side effects, including cardiac and respiratory arrest, seizures, and death. The drug
is typically available in powder or liquid and laced in edible items or soaked into blotter paper.193 To
date, no seizures of 25I-NBOMe have been reported by Oregon HIDTA task forces.194
Psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient found in certain mushrooms, is another drug that is available and
used in the HIDTA region. Psilocybin mushrooms grow wild in Oregon and are produced indoors for
illicit use. The mushrooms are often covered with chocolate to mask their bitter flavor and to disguise
the illicit product as candy. Psilocybin produced in the HIDTA region is shipped to destinations
throughout the state and across state borders. High school and college students are the most common
users of the drug, with use normally occurring at raves. Over 100 pounds of psilocybin have been seized
by Oregon HIDTA task forces between 2009 and 2014, largely in Southern Oregon (Lane, Douglas, and
Jackson counties), Deschutes County and the Portland Metro area.195
oo
MDPV (3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone), mephedrone, methcathinone.
42
Oregon HIDTA Program
Production
Law enforcement reporting indicates that MDMA is rarely manufactured in the Oregon HIDTA region
but is commonly imported from Canada and Europe.196 Clandestine MDMA laboratories have been
found in other states such as California and may indicate a trend toward producing the drug locally.
Several MDMA labs were recently discovered in Oregon, one in Deschutes County in 2013, one in
Lincoln County in February 2014, and one in Linn County in February 2015 (Appendix D). To date, no
MDMA labs have been seized in Idaho.197
HIDTA task force reporting suggests that the level of DMT production has recently increased in the
HIDTA region.198 DMT is found in a variety of plants, in some amphibians, and can be produced
synthetically in clandestine labs. The root bark, Mimosa tenuiflora (hostilis), is a major source of DMT
and is widely available on the internet. A total of nine (9) DMT labs were discovered and reported
between 2012 and 2014 in Oregon in the following counties, Columbia (1), Douglas (1), Jackson (1),
Josephine (1), Klamath (1), Lane (2), Lincoln (1), and Washington (1). No DMT labs were reported
seized in Idaho during this period (Appendix D).199
Psilocybin is also available and used in the Oregon HIDTA region. Psilocybin grows wild in cow
pastures in Oregon and is also cultivated indoors. These indoor psilocybin grow sites are typically
located in Oregon HIDTA’s southern region, primarily in Lane and Jackson Counties. The psilocybin
cultivated in the Oregon is consumed locally and is also shipped to other parts of the state and
worldwide.
Transportation
DMT and MDMA not produced in Oregon is manufactured in other states or countries and transported
into the HIDTA region. Although MDMA labs were discovered in Oregon recently, the vast majority of
the drug originates in Canada. According to law enforcement reporting, most production and crossborder trafficking of MDMA occurs in British Columbia and is largely controlled by Asian DTOs.200
These groups acquire the precursor chemicals from China, including MDP2P (3,4 methylenedioxyphenyl-2-Propanone), the main ingredient needed to produce MDMA. Seizures at the Canadian
border have declined from peaks reported in 2008 and 2009; however, smuggling remains a threat.201
MDMA transported across the international border from British
Columbia primarily travels south through Washington and Oregon
to California to distribution hubs in Los Angeles and Sacramento.
Further distribution occurs locally and to other hubs throughout the
United States.202 The drugs are primarily transported into the
United States through private vehicles and package delivery
services, although commercial vehicles, private planes, and courier
via commercial airlines are also used as smuggling methods.203
Synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones are generally manufactured
in other countries, such as China and Peru, and are commonly
available on the internet, at head shops, or independently-owned
convenience stores. For example, in December 2014, a man
responsible for running an international drug trafficking and money
laundering operation that sold $5 million worth of designer drugs
out of the Portland/Vancouver area was sentenced to eight years in
Suspected DMT lab, Medford Police, Ashland
Oregon, September 2013.
43
Oregon HIDTA Program
prison. The operation involved use of the Internet to market and sell drugs purchased through a shipper
in Peru. Over 500 pounds of synthetic drug products were seized as well as hundreds of pounds of dried
plant materials making the operation one of the largest identified on the West Coast.204
LSD is generally manufactured in other states and transported into the HIDTA region. 25I-NBOMe is
generally sold on the internet while buprenorphine is available through diversion methods such as doctor
shopping, theft, forged prescriptions, as well as internet purchases. Psilocybin mushrooms cultivated in
Oregon is consumed locally, but is also shipped to other parts of the state and worldwide.
Distribution
Distributors of designer drugs in the Oregon HIDTA region use established associations centered on
social venues, such as raves, restaurants, nightclubs, or private parties to sell drugs at the retail level as
well as through connections made online and through social networking sites.205 Tightly-knit
distribution groups and individual entrepreneurs distribute most of the psilocybin in the state. In
addition, distributors in the Oregon HIDTA region also have been known to sell psilocybin to buyers
outside of HIDTA boundaries.
VI. ILLICIT FINANCE
Legitimization of illegally obtained money, or “money laundering,” allows criminals to transform illicit
gain into seemingly lawful funds or assets. All drug trafficking organizations in the Oregon HIDTA
region engage in money laundering based upon the size and scope of the organization. As in other
regions, investigators find that local DTOs launder money and utilize the proceeds to acquire goods and
property.
According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, an estimated $65 billion dollars is spent
annually in the United States on illegal drugs while only about $1 billion is seized per year by all federal
agencies combined.206 Federal authorities estimate that only about five cents of every $100 that is
smuggled across the Southwest Border is intercepted.207 Since 2001, Mexican National DTOs, and to a
lesser extent Canadian-based DTOs, have adapted to enhanced anti-money laundering policies and
procedures at U.S. financial institutions by making bulk cash smuggling the primary method by which
drug proceeds are moved.208 DTOs also use structured money transfers through money remitter services
or banks to launder drug proceeds and transfer profits outside of the country. New financial products
and technology, such as stored value cards and e-currency, also provide opportunities for DTOs to
facilitate cross-border movement of illicit drug proceeds.
Oregon HIDTA initiatives have active investigations into money laundering activities. For example, in
2013, HIT officers conducted a controlled delivery to a Portland residence after the team’s narcotics K-9
alerted to the package at a commercial distribution center. HIT members were given consent to search
the suspect’s parcel, residence and cell phone. Results from additional search warrants and follow-up
investigations led to seizure of $187,950 in U.S. currency, 19 pounds of marijuana, four firearms, eight
gold coins, a silver bar, and a 2011 Toyota Tundra.
Results from the 2015 Drug Threat Assessment Survey indicated the most commonly identified money
laundering methods reported by Oregon and Idaho law enforcement officers were largely bulk cash
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Oregon HIDTA Program
movement and money services businesses, followed by bank structuring, cash-intensive businesses or
front companies, prepaid cards, real estate, electronic commerce, casinos, trade-based, and informal
value transfer systems. Officers surveyed indicate involvement of Mexican, Caucasian and Asian DTOs
in nearly all types of money laundering activities, particularly bulk cash movement, money service
businesses, bank structuring, prepaid cards, and cash-intensive businesses.209
Banks and other depository institutions remain the primary gateway to the U.S. financial system where
illegal proceeds can be moved instantly by wire or commingled with legitimate funds. 210 For example,
the most common filing of suspicious activity for Oregon in 2014 was the category of “Structuring/
Money Laundering” (56%). Other filings were related to user-defined “other suspicious activities,”
fraud, and identification documentation (e.g., social security number fraud) (Figure 30).211 The most
common filings of suspicious activities in Idaho were not available at the time of publication.
Figure 30. Characterizations of Suspicious Activity for Oregon
for the Period of January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014
1,277
1,500
Identification Documentation
Fraud
11,799
18,558
Other Suspicious Activities
Structuring/Money Laundering
Note: The total for each category is a combined sum of filings from depository institutions, money services businesses,
securities and futures firms, insurance companies, casinos, and other financial institutions. The category of Other
Suspicious Activities is a free text option where users may describe additional activites. Source: FinCEN, May 2015.
Smuggling bulk cash out of the United States is a well-established scheme by which traffickers bypass
financial transparency reporting requirements.pp Cash is the preferred payment method by criminal
groups with large amounts easily concealed in vehicles, commercial shipments, express packages, and
on private aircraft or boats.212 Within the Oregon HIDTA, MNDTOs and criminal groups transport cash
in bulk to southwestern states where funds are often aggregated and then smuggled to Mexico.
Additionally, Asian DTOs and criminal groups use bulk cash smuggling to move illicit drug proceeds
from the region through transport in private vehicles via ports of entry (POEs) along the U.S.-Canada
border.213 Despite a drop in 2014, the number of cash seizures made by Oregon HIDTA task forces
pp
Bank Secrecy Act filing requirements state that individuals who physically transport, ship, mail, or receive currency or
monetary instruments in excess of $10,000 across U.S. borders must file FINCEN form 105, Report of International
Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments (CMIR).
45
Oregon HIDTA Program
$8.0
700
$7.0
600
$6.0
$5.0
500
400
$4.0
$3.0
300
Number of Seizures
Dollars (in millions)
Figure 31. Number and Quantity of Cash Seizures,
Oregon HIDTA Task Forces, 2007-2014
more than doubled
between 2007 (180)
and 2014 (469), with
approximately $5.3
million in illicit
proceeds confiscated
in 2014 (Figure 31).
Currency
interdictions in
100
$1.0
Oregon collected
$0
through the DHE
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
program were
Dollars (in millions)
Number of seizures
recently analyzed.
Source: HIDTA Performance Management Database.
DHE program
statistics revealed over 384 seizures of bulk cash in Oregon between January 2008 and December 2014.
Seizures during this time period totaled more than $5.8 million, the largest of which was a vehicle seized
moving southbound on I-5 containing over $400,000 in 2009. Although the number of currency-related
interdictions reported moving north (148) were slightly higher than the number reported moving south
(125) between 2008 and 2014, the total value of currency seizures headed south ($3.6 million) was twice
the value of northbound seizures ($1.8 million). Most of the currency seized moving north was reported
to originate from California (80) and destined for Washington (36) or Oregon (26). A majority of
currency seized southbound on Oregon highways was reported to originate in Washington (49) or
Oregon (45) and destined primarily for California (79) (Figure 32).214 Highway interdiction data was
not available for Idaho at the time of publication.
$2.0
200
46
Oregon HIDTA Program
Drug trafficking is unquestionably centered on monetary gain. And, with every investigation, task force
investigators evaluate the potential for the seizure of assets obtained as a result of the drug trafficking
enterprise. Drug proceeds reported by Oregon HIDTA task forces for 2014 totaled $83.9 million, over
seven times the amount of proceeds seized in 2004 ($11.2 million). In 2014, Oregon HIDTA task forces
seized approximately $7 million in drug-related assets, with $5.7 million seized in cash/currency and
$1.4 in other assets seized (e.g., vehicles, firearms).215
VII. OUTLOOK
Methamphetamine and heroin will remain significant drug threats in the Oregon HIDTA region due to
sustained availability and the societal impact of abuse and associated criminal activity. Local
manufacturing of methamphetamine will remain at low levels while crystal methamphetamine will
continue to be imported across U.S. borders from large-scale laboratories in Mexico. Expanded
methamphetamine production in Mexico, despite strict Government of Mexico chemical control laws,
will continue to sustain the flow of crystal methamphetamine into the United States, including the
Oregon HIDTA region. Incidence of crystal methamphetamine transported in raw form, such as liquid or
powder, will likely rise due to the advantages of easy concealment and fewer toxic by-products during
production. Methamphetamine-related crimes such as identity theft, property and violent crimes will
continue to follow the trend of abuse.
The abuse and trafficking of opiate drugs, namely heroin and prescription pain relievers, will continue to
expand. Heroin trafficking and use will rise as production in Mexico continues to grow and as users of
prescription opiates increasingly switch to heroin because it is less expensive, more available and
provides a more intense high than diverted prescription opiates. The number of young users will likely
grow as abuse of prescription opioids continues to serve as a gateway to heroin use. Additionally, more
prescription opiate users who shift to using heroin will likely lead to a higher rate of intravenous drug
use and a greater potential for the spread of infectious disease. The wider use of naloxone will reduce
the number of heroin overdose deaths and will likely not increase the incidence of heroin use. Mexican
National DTOs operating in the state will continue to control the transportation and distribution of
heroin to and through the Oregon HIDTA region.
Outdoor production of marijuana will continue to be controlled by Mexican National DTOs in the
HIDTA region. Law enforcement and prosecution efforts in HIDTA counties will likely drive DTO
operations to areas with less law enforcement presence and minimal risk of detection. Furthermore,
budgetary shortfalls will continue to impact the ability of law enforcement officers to effectively locate
and eradicate outdoor grow sites due to prioritization of resources, displacement of staff, and diminished
provision of flight time.
Exploitation of current medical marijuana laws will continue to encourage larger indoor marijuana grow
operations, impede law enforcement efforts to investigate illegal marijuana operations, and contribute to
the volume of marijuana trafficking through and out of Oregon. Home invasion robberies and theft will
likely increase as the number of grow sites proliferate. Liquid THC production -- and incidence of
butane hash oil lab explosions -- is expected to rise as the market expands for marijuana edibles and
demand increases for product that has a strong psychoactive effect. Marijuana abuse will rise,
particularly by young people, as the drug becomes more available and as it is increasingly perceived as
legitimate and safe to use.
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Oregon HIDTA Program
Prescription drug abuse and trafficking will continue to rise provided that these drugs remain widely
available, easily accessible and are perceived as safe, “legal” alternatives to illicit drugs. In addition, as
a greater number of opioid users switch between CPDs and heroin, more heroin and polydrug
distributors will likely add diverted pharmaceuticals to their drug supplies to exploit an expanding
customer market. The proliferation of rogue pharmacies that dispense CPDs without a prescription and
do not comply with pharmacy laws and standards will continue to be a public health and safety concern.
Trafficking of cocaine in the Oregon HIDTA region will continue to decrease as production levels
continue to drop in source countries such as Colombia and as demand for the drug declines.
The demand for synthetic, or designer, drugs is expected to rise due to the wide availability of related
chemicals, drugs and products. Transportation of MDMA from Canada will continue to be controlled by
Asian criminal groups due to sustained access to precursor chemicals in China. As synthetic drugs such
as synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones become more regulated, producers will alter the chemical
composition to create new “licit” versions of the drugs. In addition, users will likely use the internet with
greater frequency to purchase raw chemicals and products containing unregulated ingredients.
Mexican National DTOs operating in the Oregon HIDTA region will continue to control the
transportation and distribution of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, Mexican-produced marijuana, and
marijuana cultivated from outdoor grows in the region. Caucasian DTOs and independent groups will
continue to control transportation and distribution of locally-produced indoor marijuana. Asian criminal
groups will likely continue to expand cannabis operations and trafficking capabilities in the Oregon
HIDTA region – especially with regard to high-potency marijuana.
Bulk cash smuggling and money service businesses will remain the primary methods of transferring
drug revenues into, through, and out of the Oregon HIDTA region. Interdiction efforts by law
enforcement officers will continue to impede the flow of drug proceeds through the region, impacting
crime groups that rely on these funds to operate.
VIII. METHODOLOGY
The Oregon HIDTA threat assessment was developed through consideration of information from a
variety of sources. Quantitative information was collected and reviewed from a variety of measures
such as drug seizures and arrests, census, drug testing, drug-related deaths, substance abuse admissions
to treatment facilities, and drug-impaired driving. National surveys, survey interviews with Oregon and
Idaho law enforcement officers, and Oregon and Idaho drug task force reporting were also considered
when evaluating trends in use, production and cultivation levels, and the presence and level of
involvement of organized criminal groups in trafficking, distribution, and related criminal activity.
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Oregon HIDTA Program
COUNTER-DRUG STRATEGY
IX. INTRODUCTION
The Oregon High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Counter-Drug Strategy is the Executive
Board’s plan to reduce the identified drug threat in the Oregon and Idaho HIDTA areasqq. The Counter
Drug Strategy is linked to the drug threat and initiatives through a clear delineation of the relationship
between the problems posed by the threat, the actions to be taken by the participating agencies and the
anticipated impact on the region. Oregon HIDTA funds will be expended in a manner to maximize the
leveraging of Federal, state, local and tribal agency contributions that are committed to the HIDTA
mission.
The Oregon HIDTA Counter-Drug Strategy describes how the Executive Board maintains oversight and
direction of the HIDTA, the HIDTA intelligence subsystem, and the plan for area law enforcement
agencies to coordinate and combine drug-control efforts. The strategy embodies the spirit of the HIDTA
program, clearly demonstrating how Federal, state, local and tribal agencies have combined drug control
efforts to reduce drug trafficking, eliminate unnecessary duplication of effort, maximize resources, and
improve intelligence and information sharing. The Oregon HIDTA Counter Drug Strategy identifies its
expected overall accomplishments in the region to support the design of the strategy and to provide the
ability to measure the strategy’s success at the end of the year. The Oregon HIDTA Counter Drug
Strategy also contains the anticipated developmental standards attainment and addresses the
performance targets set by the Performance Measurement Program (PMP).
The collocated and commingled drug and gang task forces and initiatives are built to implement the
Oregon HIDTA Counter-Drug Strategy and are comprised of full-time, multi-agency participants. If the
HIDTA incorporates an existing task force, intelligence or support operation, or other program into the
HIDTA’s Counter-Drug Strategy, then the value added by such a group to the HIDTA is evident.
Additionally, if the existing group is an investigative support element then the amount of HIDTA funds
allocated by the Executive Board must be determined based on specific measurable support provided to
the HIDTA.
HIDTAs nationally have adopted two specific goals to be achieved in meeting the drug challenge. The
Oregon HIDTA Counter Drug Strategy is developed to meet local drug threats according to designated
area’s individual needs, in conjunction with the national goals:
GOAL 1: Disrupt the market for illegal drugs by dismantling or disrupting drug trafficking
and/or money laundering organizations; and
GOAL 2: Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HIDTA initiatives.
The Oregon HIDTA Counter-Drug Strategy contains the performance targets that should be realized
after the strategy is implemented. The HIDTA goals represent clear targets for the Oregon HIDTA
initiatives. They also provide the foundation upon which performance planning and outcome
measurements are based. As the Oregon HIDTA initiatives develop budget submissions, each initiative
must present programmatic and fiscal requests that are based on the Oregon HIDTA Threat Assessment;
qq
In September 2014 the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) designated Malheur County, Oregon as well as
Ada County and Canyon County, Idaho as HIDTA designated areas within the Oregon HIDTA region.
49
Oregon HIDTA Program
must articulate how the initiative’s funding request directly addresses the threat; set realistic
performance measures, and each initiative must eventually provide specific information on how the
funding has allowed the Oregon HIDTA to meet its desired outcomes. The Oregon HIDTA initiatives
are developed within clear national guidelines governing all HIDTA activities and expenditures.
The Oregon HIDTA, which consists of ten designated counties and the Warm Springs Indian
Reservation in Oregon and two designated counties in Idaho, is governed by an Executive Board
comprised of 16 voting members and four ex-officio non-voting members who represent the
participating agencies. The Oregon HIDTA Executive Board, through subcommittees as needed,
oversees and coordinates the integration and synchronization of efforts to reduce drug trafficking,
eliminates unnecessary duplication of equipment or effort, and systematically improves the sharing of
drug intelligence and targeting information. The Executive Board reviews all initiative requests for
approval and submission to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The Oregon HIDTA
Management and Coordination initiative and the Oregon HIDTA Director support the Executive Board
and provide guidance to Oregon HIDTA initiatives.
During 2016 the Oregon HIDTA Management and Administration initiative will conduct on-site fiscal
and programmatic reviews of each initiative to evaluate their effectiveness and progress. These review
findings will be reported, in written form, and discussed formally with the Executive Board during
scheduled meetings throughout the year.
The Executive Board is involved in all aspects of the intelligence, enforcement, prosecution and support
activities. The Executive Board provides a forum to share important trends in drug trafficking, gathers
information on which drugs are being distributed throughout the region, and supports the identification,
investigation and disruption and dismantlement of drug trafficking organizations (DTO) by Oregon
HIDTA funded enforcement initiatives. The Executive Board also addresses important administrative
issues in its oversight capacity. The Executive Board has established a Finance Subcommittee that
supports the Oregon HIDTA initiatives and its participating agencies on a wide variety of program and
budget issues, computer technology and other matters. The success of the Oregon HIDTA Program is
measured by results, and each Oregon HIDTA initiative is fully accountable for its success or failure in
meeting its objectives.
X. MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS
The overall HIDTA Mission is embodied by the National HIDTA Mission Statement:
NATIONAL HIDTA MISSION
The mission of the HIDTA is to disrupt the market for illegal drugs in the United
States by assisting Federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement entities
participating in the HIDTA program to dismantle and disrupt drug trafficking
organizations, with particular emphasis on drug trafficking regions that have
harmful effects on other parts of the United States.
50
Oregon HIDTA Program
In conjunction with the national program mission and goals, the Oregon HIDTA Program operates in
accordance with the following mission:
OREGON HIDTA MISSION
The Oregon HIDTA mission is to facilitate, support and enhance collaborative drug
control efforts among law enforcement agencies and community-based
organizations, thus significantly reducing the impact of illegal trafficking and use of
drugs throughout Oregon and Idaho.
The Oregon HIDTA Executive Board developed the following vision statement that clearly reflects what
outcomes the Oregon HIDTA strives to achieve:
OREGON HIDTA VISION
Collaborate with law enforcement and community-based organizations to provide a
common voice and unified strategy to eliminate illicit drug trafficking and use in
Oregon and Idaho.
The Oregon HIDTA values represent the core priorities of the program and are incorporated in the
decision making process and behavior of the Executive Board and the Oregon HIDTA participants.
OREGON HIDTA VALUES
Partnership
Innovation
Leadership
Excellence
XI. CONCEPT OF STRATEGY
Oregon HIDTA funds will be allocated to those initiatives that demonstrate that they are truly full-time,
multi-agency, Federal, state, local and tribal partnerships successfully investigating and disrupting drug
trafficking organizations that impact the drug threat in their regions, the state, and other parts of the
United States. This does not preclude initiatives from doing local drug enforcement; however, HIDTA
51
Oregon HIDTA Program
funds will need to be primarily focused on this objective and the results of their efforts will be measured
through the HIDTA Performance Management Program (PMP) database.
The Executive Board recognizes that the missions of Federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement
agencies and personnel are different, and yet, need and compliment one another. Their areas of
responsibility are different, but the citizens they serve are the same. The Oregon HIDTA Executive
Board will only approve focused initiatives that bring together Federal, state, local and tribal personnel
in order to leverage their talents and expertise to effectively target and disrupt mid to upper level drug
traffickers and DTOs in the state.
Key Components of the Oregon HIDTA Counter-drug Strategy
The key components of the Oregon HIDTA Counter-drug strategy which are being implemented in
order to achieve the mission of the Oregon HIDTA as well as the goals of the National Drug Control
Strategy are:
1. Promote and facilitate the creation of, and support established, collocated and commingled
interagency - Federal, state, local and tribal - intelligence-driven drug enforcement task forces whose
missions are to eliminate domestic production, trafficking and use of methamphetamine, heroin,
cocaine, marijuana and other dangerous drugs to include the abuse of prescription drugs.
2. Identify and target the most serious and prolific drug trafficking and money laundering organizations
(DTOs & MLOs) operating in the Oregon HIDTA region.
3. Conduct field operations and investigations, which disrupt and dismantle DTOs and MLOs through
systematic and thorough investigations that lead to successful criminal prosecutions and forfeiture of
illicit assets.
4. Foster, support, promote and facilitate the proactive sharing of criminal intelligence with law
enforcement agencies along the I-5 corridor and nationwide, as appropriate, by providing an
Investigative Support Center (ISC) Analytical Unit and Watch Center that:
a. Serves as a “one-stop research shop” and “coordination umbrella” that provides accurate,
detailed and timely tactical and strategic drug intelligence to HIDTA initiatives, HIDTA
participating agencies, and other law enforcement agencies as appropriate both locally and
nationally.
b. Serves as a primary investigative resource for technical support and equipment, to include
state-of-the-art Title III and Pen Register equipment, Global Positioning System (GPS)
tracking equipment, crime analysis equipment, electronic surveillance equipment, undercover
equipment, video enhancement services, and computer forensic services.
5. Provide quality training to law enforcement personnel to enhance their investigative, management
and officer safety skills in order to successfully eliminate drug trafficking and use at all levels.
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Oregon HIDTA Program
6. Promote the creation, and support of existing, community based drug prevention and recovery
initiatives whose missions are to significantly reduce the impacts of illegal drug use in the Oregon
HIDTA region.
Methodology
The methodology used to prepare this Oregon HIDTA Counter Drug Strategy Report of Program
Year (PY) 2016 was to evaluate the Oregon HIDTA Threat Assessment Supplemental Report, the
Oregon HIDTA Initiative’s PMP statistical reports, and other classified and open source information
collected during the previous year.
Oregon HIDTA Organizational Composition
A. Oregon HIDTA Organizational Chart
►ONDCP
►Oregon HIDTA Executive Board
►Oregon HIDTA Director
►Oregon HIDTA Initiatives
B. Oregon HIDTA Executive Board Composition by Agency
The agency composition of the Oregon HIDTA Executive Board is as follows:
1
Federal -
2
Federal -
3
Federal -
4
Federal -
5
Federal -
6
Federal -
7
Federal -
8
Federal -
9
Local -
Steven Cagen, Assistant Special Agent in Charge
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
Cam Strahm, Assistant Special Agent in Charge
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Gregory Bretzing, Special Agent in Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
Thomas Guiterrez , Assistant Special Agent in Charge
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Billy J. Williams, Acting United States Attorney
United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), District of Oregon
Russ Burger, U.S Marshal
United States Marshal Service (USMS), District of Oregon
Loren Good, Special Agent in Charge
United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Colene Domenech , Resident Agent in Charge
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF)
L. Shane Nelson, Deschutes County Sheriff
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Oregon HIDTA Program
10 Local 11 Local 12 Local 13 Local 14 State 15 State 16 State -
Deschutes County Sheriff's Office (DCSO)
James Ferraris, Deputy Chief of Police
Salem Police Department (SPD)
John Foote, District Attorney
Clackamas County District Attorney's Office (CCDA)
Stuart Roberts, Chief of Police
Pendleton Police Department
Craig Roberts, Clackamas County Sheriff
Clackamas County Sheriff's Office (CCSO)
Darin Tweedt, Chief Counsel
Oregon Department of Justice (ODOJ)
Mike Bieniewicz, Colonel, Counter Drug Support Program
Oregon National Guard (ONG)
Patrick Ashmore, Deputy Superintendent
Oregon State Police (OSP)
Ex-Officio
Michael Loudermilk, Assistant Special Agent in Charge
United States Forest Service (USFS)
Dwight Holton, Chief Executive Officer
Lines for Life (LFL)
Tim Hartnett, Executive Director
Comprehensive Options for Drug Abusers (CODA)
Erik Fisher, President
Oregon Narcotics Enforcement Association (ONEA)
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Oregon HIDTA Program
C.
List of Participating Agencies
The number of full–time participants in the Oregon/Idaho HIDTA Program are as follows:
Federal Law Enforcement:
State Law Enforcement:
Local Law Enforcement:
National Guard:
Tribal Law Enforcement:
Other:
Total:
69
47
129
6
3
1
255
Agencies with full-time participants in HIDTA Initiatives are as follows:
Federal agencies:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF) - Idaho
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Oregon & Idaho
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Oregon & Idaho
United States Marshals Service (USMS)
State agencies:
Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC)
Idaho State Police (ISP)
Oregon Department of Justice (ODOJ)
Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST)
Oregon National Guard (ONG)
Oregon State Police (OSP)
Local agencies:
Ada County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) - Idaho
Ashland Police Department (APD)
Beaverton Police Department (BPD)
Bend Police Department (BPD)
Boardman Police Department (BPD)
Boise Police Department (BPD) - Idaho
Caldwell Police Department (CPD) - Idaho
Canyon County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) - Idaho
Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office (CCDA)
Clackamas County Parole & Probation
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO)
Crook County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO)
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO)
Douglas County District Attorney’s Office (DCDA)
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO)
Eugene Police Department (EPD)
Hermiston Police Department (HPD)
Hillsboro Police Department (HPD)
55
Oregon HIDTA Program
Jackson County Parole & Probation
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO)
Keizer Police Department (KPD)
Lane County District Attorney’s Office (LCDA)
Lane County Parole & Probation
Lines for Life
Malheur County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)
Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)
Medford Police Department (MPD)
Meridian Police Department (MPD) - Idaho
Milton-Freewater Police Department (MFPD)
Milwaukie Police Department (MPD)
Morrow County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)
Nampa Police Department (NPD) - Idaho
Ontario Police Department (OPD)
Oregon City Police Department (OCPD)
Payette County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) – Idaho
Payette Police Department (PPD) - Idaho
Pendleton Police Department (PPD)
Portland Police Bureau (PPB)
Prineville Police Department (PPD)
Redmond Police Department (RPD)
Roseburg Police Department (RPD)
Salem Police Department (SPD)
Springfield Police Department (SPD)
Tigard Police Department (TPD)
Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO)
Umatilla Tribal Police Department
Warm Springs Police Department (WSPD)
Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) - Idaho
Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO)
Part-time only
Amtrak Police Department
Fruitland Police Department (FPD) - Idaho
Gladstone Police Department (GPD)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Jackson County District Attorney’s Office (JCDA)
Multnomah County Community Justice
Nyssa Police Department (NPD)
Port of Portland Police Department
Social Security Administration (SSA)
United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) – Oregon
United States Customs & Border Patrol (CBP)
United States Forest Service (USFS)
United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General
United States Marshals Service (USMS) – Idaho
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Oregon HIDTA Program
XII. HIDTA GOAL 1: DISMANTLE AND DISRUPT DRUG TRAFFICKING
ORGANIZATIONS
The enforcement components of the Oregon HIDTA will aggressively pursue criminal drug smuggling,
manufacturing, distribution, and money laundering organizations in order to disrupt and reduce the
supply of illegal drugs in the state, region and country. The Oregon HIDTA enforcement initiatives are
responsible for achieving the following performance targets in 2016:
Goal 1 Performance Targets
A. Drug Trafficking Organizations and Money Laundering Organizations Disrupted/Dismantled:
The number of DTOs/MLOs expected to be disrupted/dismantled for 2016 is 60.
The actual number of DTOs/MLOs disrupted/dismantled for 2014 is 55.
B. HIDTA Cases Opened
The estimated number of HIDTA cases opened for 2016 is 3,637.
The actual number of HIDTA cases opened for 2014 is 3,500.
C. Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs Removed from the Marketplace by Law Enforcement
Initiatives:
The estimated Return on Investment for 2016 is $23.00.rr
The actual Return on Investment for 2014 is $25.66.
D. Return on Investment (ROI) for Assets Removed from the Marketplace by Law Enforcement
Initiatives:
The estimated Return on Investment for 2016 is $.
The actual Return on Investment for 2014 is 1.98.
E. Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs and Assets Removed from the Marketplace by Law
Enforcement Initiatives:
The estimated Return on Investment for 2016 is $25.15.
The actual Return on Investment for 2014 is $25.66.
rr
The estimated performance output reduction in 2015 from the 2013 actual performance output is in anticipation of a
reduction in the amount of marijuana that will be seized as a result of a recently passed a voter initiative (M-91) that allows
for recreational use, production and sales of marijuana. The resulting law will partially take effect in July, 2015.
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Oregon HIDTA Program
G. HIDTA Clandestine Laboratory Activities:
The expected clandestine methamphetamine laboratory activities for 2016 is:
CLANDESTINE LABORATORY CASES,
2016
OUTPUTS
Methamphetamine Labs Dismantled
Lab Dump Sites Seized
Chemical/Glassware/Equipment Seized
Children Affected
EXPECTED
1
5
31
2
The actual clandestine methamphetamine laboratory activities for 2014 is
CLANDESTINE METHAMPETIME LABORATORY
ACTIVITIES,
2014
OUTPUTS
Methamphetamine Labs Dismantled
Lab Dump Sites Seized
Chemical/Glassware/Equipment Seized
Children Affected
ACTUAL
4
5
59
0
H. HIDTA Fugitive Apprehensions:
The estimated number of fugitive apprehensions for 2016 is 1,191.
The actual number of fugitive apprehensions for 2013 is 1,322.
Goal 1 Initiatives
A. Enforcement Subsystem
During PY 2016 The Oregon HIDTA Executive Board and ONDCP will support nineteen (19) multiagency drug enforcement (investigation, interdiction and prosecution) initiatives – which include 5 subinitiatives - in the Oregon HIDTAss:
ss
The Oregon HIDTA DEA includes 4 sub-initiatives; DEA Portland, Salem, Eugene and Medford Task Forces. The Central
Oregon Drug Enforcement Task Force includes 2 sub-initiatives; Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Task Force (CODE) and
Warm Springs Police Department (WSPD).
58
Oregon HIDTA Program
OREGON
Clackamas County
1. Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF)
Deschutes County
2. Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Task Force
I. Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Task Force (CODE)(Central Oregon Drug Enforcement
Task Force Sub-Initiative)
Douglas County
3. Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team (DINT)
Jackson County
4. Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE)
II. DEA Medford Task Force (Oregon HIDTA DEA Sub-Initiative)
Lane County
5. Lane County Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET)
III. DEA Eugene Task Force (Oregon HIDTA DEA Sub-Initiative)
Malheur County
6. High Desert Task Force
Marion County
7. Oregon State Police Domestic Highway Enforcement
IV. DEA Salem Task Force (Oregon HIDTA DEA Sub-Initiative)
Multnomah County
8. HIDTA Interdiction Team (HIT)
9. Multnomah County Dangerous Drug Team (DDT)
10. Oregon Financial Crimes Task Force
11. Portland Area Metro Gang Task Force (PAMGTF)
12. United States Marshal’s Service HIDTA Fugitive Task Force
13. Oregon HIDTA DEA
V. DEA Portland Task Force (Oregon HIDTA DEA Sub-Initiative)
Umatilla County
14. Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team (BENT)
59
Oregon HIDTA Program
Warm Springs Indian Reservation
VI. Warm Springs Police Department (WSPD)(Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Task Force
Sub-Initiative)
Washington County
15. Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN)
IDAHO
Ada and Canyon County
16. Canyon Ada Domestic Highway Enforcement (CADHE)
17. DEA Boise Resident Office Task Force (BROTF)
18. Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Safe Streets Task Force
19. HIDTA Special United States Attorney, District of Idaho (Idaho SAUSA)
All nineteen (19) of the Oregon HIDTA enforcement initiatives implement the strategy by concentrating
the “value-added” HIDTA resources on enforcement and investigative enhancements which enable them
to target the members of high-value drug trafficking and money laundering organizations (DTOs &
MLOs) which results in better cases, targeted prosecutions, reduced drug trafficking, reduced drug use,
reduced drug availability, improved community livability, and reduced drug-related crime and violence.
These enforcement and investigative enhancements are primarily targeted at identified drug trafficking
organizations and their members by utilizing additional HIDTA funds to purchase evidence and
information, analyze the meaning of that information, work additional overtime, employ new technology
and obtain training to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of investigators. Every effort is made by
HIDTA initiatives to leverage resources and information by enhancing collaboration between Federal,
state, and local law enforcement agencies.
B. Prosecution Subsystem
The HIDTA Special United States Attorney, District of Idaho (Idaho SAUSA) initiative utilizes Oregon
HIDTA funds to pay for a full time Special United States Attorney from the Ada County Prosecutor’s
Office. This prosecutor is cross-designated to bring cases in both Federal and state court. This enhanced
prosecution component provides direct case consultation for major investigations and enables the
prosecution of targeted and complex drug cases including additional prosecutions of appropriate cases in
Federal court. This component increases the impact of enforcement and the investigative capabilities of
initiatives located in Idaho.
Every other Oregon HIDTA enforcement initiative has created close working relationships with the
Federal and state prosecutors that work within their jurisdictions. The non HIDTA funded Federal and
state prosecutors in the Oregon HIDTA areas also provide ongoing case consultation for major
investigations which enhance the prosecution of targeted and complex drug cases in Federal and state
court. As is the case in Lane County, the relationships that have been built between the enforcement
initiatives and prosecutors in the other HIDTA designated areas in Oregon increase the impact of
enforcement and the investigative capabilities of each Oregon HIDTA initiative.
60
Oregon HIDTA Program
XIII. HIDTA GOAL 2: INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES PARTICIPATING IN HIDTAS
The Oregon HIDTA Program has created and implemented four initiatives that are designed to assist,
complement and enhance the enforcement components of the Oregon HIDTA. The four support
initiatives, which are described in the Goal 2 Initiatives section that follows, are responsible for
achieving the following targets in 2016:
Goal 2 Performance Targets
A. HIDTA Training Assistance:
The expected HIDTA training assistance to be provided for 2016 is:
TRAINING ASSISTANCE TO BE PROVIDED,
2016
COURSES TO BE OFFERED
EXPECTED
Number of Students for
Analytical Courses
5
Number of Students for
Enforcement Courses
305
Number of Students for
Management/Administrative Courses
12
Number of Students for Demand
Reduction Courses
0
Hours of Training Provided for
Analytical Courses
60
Hours of Training Provided for
Enforcement Courses
7,790
Hours of Training Provided for
Management/Administrative Courses
110
Hours of Training Provided for Demand
Reduction Courses
0
The actual training assistance provided for 2014 is:
TRAINING ASSISTANCE PROVIDED, 2014
COURSES OFFERED
Number of Students for
Analytical Courses
ACTUAL
1
61
Oregon HIDTA Program
Number of Students for
Enforcement Courses
268
Number of Students for
Management/Administrative Courses
23
Number of Students for Demand
Reduction Courses
0
Hours of Training Provided for
Analytical Courses
20
Hours of Training Provided for
Enforcement Courses
6,684
Hours of Training Provided for
Management/Administrative Courses
202
Hours of Training Provided for Demand
Reduction Courses
0
B. Event and Case Deconflictions:
The expected HIDTA event and case deconflictions for 2016 is:
EVENT AND CASE DECONFLICTIONS
SUBMITTED, 2016
OUTPUTS
Event Deconflictions Submitted
Case Deconflictions Submitted
EXPECTED
2700
134,000
The actual HIDTA event and case deconflictions for 2014 is:
EVENT AND CASE DECONFLICTIONS
SUBMITTED, 2013
OUTPUTS
Event De-conflictions Submitted
Case De-conflictions Submitted
ACTUAL
2,696
133,952
C. Cases Provided Analytical Support:
The expected number of cases to be provided analytical support for 2016 is 537.
The actual number of cases provided analytical support for 2014 is 587.
D. Leads Referred to Other HIDTAs and Other Agencies:
The expected number of leads to be referred for 2016 is 1622.
62
Oregon HIDTA Program
The actual number of leads referred for 2014 is 1719.
Goal 2 Initiatives
A. Intelligence and Information Sharing Initiatives
Investigative Support Center
The Oregon HIDTA/Oregon Department of Justice (ODOJ) has one Intelligence and Investigative
Support Center (ISC) located in Salem, Oregon. The key functional components and services of the ISC
are:
1. A Watch Center staffed five days per week, 10 hours per day with 24-hour remote coverage
for event deconfliction and officer safety.
2. Post seizure analysis services are available through assigned intelligence analysts on a caseby-case basis.
3. Long term analytical case support is available through assigned intelligence analysts on a
case-by-case basis.
4. Electronic, secure, email connectivity is available for Federal, state, local and tribal law
enforcement agencies, criminal databases, national intelligence centers, WSIN, El Paso
Intelligence Center (EPIC), and other databases via RISSNET.
5. The ISC Strategic Analytical Unit develops and publishes an Annual Drug Threat
Assessment, the HIDTA Annual Report, and other drug related informational and criminal
intelligence bulletins.
6. All clan lab data is entered in the Regional Information Sharing Service Intelligence database
(RISS Intel.) and forwarded to EPIC.
7. The ISC initiative supports and implements the strategy by providing a “one stop” law
enforcement resource and service center accessible both by phone, and electronically via
RISS, for authenticated law enforcement personnel anywhere in the nation to securely, and
reliably:






Electronically share criminal intelligence with the appropriate Federal, state, or local
agencies and/or databases.
Electronically query appropriate databases for investigative leads.
Electronically share criminal case and officer safety information.
Electronically deconflict cases or events.
Electronically communicate crime trends.
Electronically communicate training information.
63
Oregon HIDTA Program


Electronically share case photographs and reports.
Electronically communicate via secure e-mail.
B. Support Initiatives
Management and Administration (Marion County)
The Administrative Initiative handles the day-to-day business for the Oregon HIDTA and is the primary
point of contact between each initiative, the Oregon HIDTA Executive Board, ONDCP, the National
HIDTA Assistance Center (NHAC), and other private and government agencies. This initiative is staffed
by one (1) full-time contract employee, the Oregon HIDTA Director, and two (2) full-time Oregon
Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST)tt employees, the financial manager and the
administrative assistant.
Duties of all administrative staff are to manage the day-to-day HIDTA functions on behalf of the Oregon
HIDTA Executive Board. The first priority is programmatic support, information coordination, fiscal and
technical service to the HIDTA participating agencies.
The duties include: the administration and/or developing of the four annually required documents of the
HIDTA program: The annual Threat Assessment, the annual Counter-Drug Strategy, the annual Initiative
Budget Proposal, and the Annual Report.
Additional duties include programmatic, administrative, and fiscal oversight in support of all HIDTA
initiatives to ensure they are in compliance with the ONDCP/HIDTA program policy, and other program
requirements; establish and maintain a central inventory tracking system for property purchased with
HIDTA funds; assist HIDTA agencies/initiatives in establishing and recording measurable outcomes and
outputs based upon the PMP; provide advice and counsel to the Executive Board concerning the status,
direction, and success of the HIDTA initiatives, programs, and ONDCP requirements; establish an
internal review process to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of each initiative in achieving its
targeted outputs and outcomes.
Oregon HIDTA Training Initiative (Marion County)
The Oregon HIDTA Training Initiative is managed by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards
and Training (DPSST) with part-time staff. The mission of the Oregon HIDTA Training Initiative is to
provide the Oregon HIDTA, participating agencies, task forces and regional law enforcement officers
with targeted, high priority training and an information sharing forum that directly enhances their effort
to measurably disrupt and/or dismantle drug trafficking organizations, money laundering operations and
related violent crime groups in accordance with ONDCP and HIDTA strategy.
Oregon HIDTA initiatives and participating agencies are surveyed every year relating to their training
needs necessary to assist them with their operations that support the Oregon HIDTA strategy. The
surveys are used to identify, prioritize and schedule training. Efforts are made to ensure equitable
training opportunities are available for all initiatives and participating agencies.
tt
On July 1, 2015 the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training became the lead agency for the
Management and Administration initiative.
64
Oregon HIDTA Program
Lines for Life (Multnomah County)
Lines for Life, a non-profit drug and suicide prevention organization, is a demand reduction initiative
supported by the Oregon HIDTA with supplemental funding. Lines for Life leads the “Oregon Coalition
for Responsible Use of Meds” (OrCRM) initiative which is a statewide coalition launched to prevent
overdose, misuse and abuse of amphetamines, benzodiazepines and opioid, both prescription and illicit,
among Oregonians. The initiative’s work is grounded in “Rx Summits”. These summits are developed to
address three strategic areas:
1. Educating the Public about the Problem: Oregon is in need of a quality, public information
campaign regarding prescription drug abuse. Providers need better education on narcotics
prescription; consumers need to know the risks associated with powerful medicines; adults need
to lock up their meds and dispose of them properly; educators need to be aware of the use of
drugs by students; and young people need to know the dangers of illicit use of prescription
medications. OrCRM is in the process of identifying key messages for each audience, the best
medium for reaching each group, and strategies for how such a public campaign could be
funded. HIDTA funding will ensure the development of an effective messaging campaign that
can coincide with and build upon the OrCRM Regional Summits, thus ensuring pro bono media
interest as well as appropriate and engaging educational materials for patient distribution.
2. Reduce the Volume of Unwanted Meds: Encourage Oregonians through media and public
outreach campaigns to clean out their drug cabinets and safely dispose unused prescription
medications at secured drop boxes. OrCRM Regional Summits: provide training to ensure
pharmacies and long-term care facilities are aware of the change in DEA regulations on “Take
Back” locations; and facilitate effective action planning with regional partners and law
enforcement on making drop boxes more widely available and on removing barriers to secure
disposal at pharmacies and elder care facilities.
3. Improve and Expand Access to Treatment: Reduce and prevent overdose deaths by promoting
prescriptions of Naloxone whenever prescribing opioid analgesics. Encourage Naloxone rescue
program to implement an intervention protocol that connects opioid overdose victims to
treatment services. Provide Law Enforcement training program at OrCRM Regional Summits on
use of Naloxone as a first responder to opioid overdose victims.
65
Oregon HIDTA Program
XIV. APPENDICES – Oregon HIDTA 2016 Drug Threat Tables
Appendix A
Acronyms
CPDs
CPOT
DCE/SP
DDT
DEA
DEC
DHE
DINT
DMT
DTO
FDA
GAO
HIDTA
HIT
INET
LSD
MADGE
MDMA
MNDTO
OCDETF
OMG
OMMP
ONDCP
OSP
PDMP
PDX
POE
RPOT
SAR
THC
USMS
USPS
WIN
Controlled Prescription Drugs
Consolidated Priority Organization Targets
DEA Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program
Multnomah County Dangerous Drugs Team
Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Evaluation Classification Program
Domestic Highway Enforcement
Douglas County Interagency Narcotics Team
Dimethyltryptamine
Drug Trafficking Organization
Food and Drug Administration
Government Accountability Office
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
HIDTA Interdiction Team
Lane County Interagency Narcotics Team
Lysergic acid diethylamide
Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement
3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine
Mexican National Drug Trafficking Organization
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
Outlaw Motorcycle Gang
Oregon Medical Marijuana Program
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Oregon State Police
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Portland International Airport
Point-of-Entry
Regional Priority Organization Targets
Suspicious Activity Report
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
United States Marshal’s Service
United States Postal Service
Westside Interagency Narcotics Team
66
Oregon HIDTA Program
Appendix B
Oregon Medical Marijuana Program Statistics, April 1, 2015
Number of persons currently holding medical marijuana cards
Number of persons holding caregiver cards
Number of Oregon-licensed physicians with current OMMP patients
(MDs and DOs only)
Number of applications denied/rejected between 1/1/14 and 12/31/14
Reported medical conditions include:
Agitation related to Alzheimer’s disease
Cachexia
Cancer
Glaucoma
HIV+/AIDS
Nausea
PTSD
Severe pain
Seizures, including but not limited to epilepsy
Persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those
caused by Multiple Sclerosis
71,317
35,707
1,682
1,106
84
1,163
3,886
1,075
777
9,704
4,231
66,364
1,907
18,875
Source: Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, April 2015.
67
Oregon HIDTA Program
Appendix C
Marijuana Plants Seized in Oregon HIDTA Region, 2008-2014
HIDTA Region
Clackamas, OR
Deschutes, OR
Douglas, OR
Jackson, OR
Lane, OR
Malheur, OR
Marion, OR
Multnomah, OR
Umatilla, oR
Warm Springs, OR
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Total Plants
Total Plants
Total Plants
Total Plants
Total Plants
Total Plants
Total Plants
(In/Outdoor)
(In/Outdoor)
(In/Outdoor)
(In/Outdoor)
(In/Outdoor)
(In/Outdoor)
(In/Outdoor)
691
8,379
1,025
3,602
425
1,331
639
(689/2)
(773/7,606)
(700/325)
(3,486/116)
(347/78)
(928/403)
(632/7)
943
809
199
357
786
58
227
(943/0)
(624/185)
(199/0)
(357/0)
(781/5)
(58/0)
(182/45)
10,581
22,492
3,907
138
476
3,998
25
(696/9,885)
(618/21,874)
(164/3,743)
(52/86)
(254/222)
(363/3,635)
(5/20)
520
26,880
28,504
3,255
9,340
4,874
9,309
(227/293)
(8/26,872)
(337/28,167)
(383/2,872)
(376/8,964)
(450/4,424)
(325/8,984)
8,948
9,129
2,726
2,888
3,640
4,836
334
(2,547/6,401)
(8,349/780)
(1,904/822)
(2,640/248)
(3,534/106)
(570/4,266)
(0/334)
-
-
-
-
-
-
0
(0/0)
368
590
653
215
10
248
78
(303/65)
(113/477)
(184/469)
(99/116)
(4/6)
(248/0)
(51/27)
2,804
4,295
8,348
5,505
3,009
3,261
1,083
(2,615/189)
(4,167/128)
(8,327/21)
(5,494/11)
(2,959/50)
(3,233/28)
(1,066/17)
22
7,365
3,873
3,318
164
388
768
(21/1)
(0/7,365)
(62/3,811)
(24/3,294)
(164/0)
(260/128)
(0/768)
12,828
1,630
0
3
0
0
0
(0/12,828)
(0/1,630)
(0/0)
(3/0)
(0/0)
(0/0)
(0/0)
608
2,857
1,338
332
823
2,114
8
(5/603)
(107/2,750)
(882/456)
(319/13)
(702/121)
(2,089/25)
(8/0)
Ada, ID
-
-
-
-
-
-
Canyon, ID
-
-
-
-
-
-
Washington, OR
HIDTA Total
0
(0/0)
150
(150/0
38,313
84,426
50,573
19,613
18,673
21,108
12,621
(8,046/30,267)
(14,759/69,667)
(12,759/37,814)
(12,857/6,756)
(9,121/9,552)
(8,199/12,909)
(2,419/10,202)
Note: Malheur (OR), Ada (ID) and Canyon (ID) were designated as HIDTA counties in 2014. Source: DEA Domestic Cannabis
Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP).
68
Oregon HIDTA Program
Appendix D
Lab Seizures, Methamphetamine and Other Labs, Oregon, Idaho, HIDTA Region, 2005, 2009-2014
2005
(Meth only)
2009
(Meth only)
2010
(Meth only)
2011
(Meth only)
Oregon
Idaho
HIDTA Area
Oregon
192
11
13
16
13
8
10
4
Clackamas
Deschutes
15
0
1
1
Douglas
Jackson
Lane
Malheur
Marion
Multnomah
Umatilla
Washington
14
6
12
1
11
33
39
12
1
2
5
1
7
1
6
1
5
1
2
2
1
1
3
1
2012
2013
2014
Total Labs
Total Labs
Total Labs
(Meth/Other labs) (Meth/Other labs) (Meth/Other labs)
12
Meth (7); Other (5)
Meth (8)
Meth (2); DMT (1);
Hash oil (1)
Meth (1)
DMT (1)
Meth (2)
Meth (1); DMT (1)
16
Meth (10); Other (6)
Meth (2)
17
Meth (9); Other (8)
Meth (4)
MDMA (1)
Meth (1)
BHO (1)
DMT (1)
Meth (1); DMT (1)
Meth (1)
Meth (1); BHO (1)
Meth (2)
Meth (1)
Meth (2)
Meth (1)
BHO (2)
Meth (1)
Honey Oil (1)
Idaho
Ada
Canyon
1
2
Meth (1)
Meth (2)
Meth (8); DMT (3); Meth (7); DMT (2);
HIDTA Region
150
14
14
10
Hash Oil (1)
MDMA (1)
Note: Collection and reporting of other clan labs seized began in 2012. Sources: Oregon Department of Justice; DEA Idaho.
Meth (2)
Meth (7); BHO (4);
Honey Oil (1)
69
Oregon HIDTA Program
XV. ENDNOTES
1
Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July
1, 2014 (NST-EST2014-01), U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, May 2015.
2
State and County QuickFacts, Oregon, U.S. Census Bureau, 2014.
3
State and County QuickFacts, Idaho, U.S. Census Bureau, 2014.
4
National Threat Assessment: The Economic Impact of Illicit Drug Use on American Society. National Drug Intelligence
Center, Department of Justice, May 2011.
5
What America’s Users Spend on Illegal Drugs, 2000-2010, RAND Corporation, February 2014.
6
Table 1. Illicit Drug Use in Past Month, by Age Group and State: Annual Averages Based on 2012 and 2013 NSDUHs,
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, downloaded April 2015.
7
Population Demographics, Oregon Department of Corrections, December 1, 2014.
8
Inmate Population Profile for 04/01/2015, Oregon Department of Corrections.
9
DOC Admissions for Drug Possession /Manufacturing/Delivery, Theft, and ID Theft, Oregon Department of Corrections,
March 2015.
10
Drug Related Deaths 2014, Oregon State Medical Examiner, Oregon State Police.
11
Annual Reports 2003-2013, Idaho Vital Statistics, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Idaho Department of
Health and Welfare; Drug-Induced Deaths Data Summary, Idaho, Drug-Induced Deaths to Idaho Residents and DrugInduced Deaths Occurring in Idaho, 2009.
12
HIDTA Performance Management Process database, April 2015.
13
United States Marshal's Service, District of Oregon, e-mail correspondence, March 2014.
14
National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy, Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2013.
15
Gangs Beyond Borders, California and the Fight Against Transnational Organized Crime, California Department of
Justice, March 2014.
16
HIDTA Performance Management Process database, May 2015.
17
Mexican drug cartels move deeper into United States to maximize profits, Associated Press, 4/1/13.
18
Oregon HIDTA Performance Management Process database, April 2014; Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey,
March 2014.
19
Drug cartels in Oregon: Violence in the Northwest, Oregonian, 6/21/13.
20
HIDTA Performance Management Process database, January 2015.
21
Oregon HIDTA Threat Assessment Survey, March 2013 and 2014.
22
2010 National Drug Threat Assessment, National Drug Intelligence Center, U.S. Department of Justice.
23
Freight Railroads in Oregon: Rail Fast Facts for 2012, Association of American Railroads, July 2014.
24
Freight Railroads in Idaho: Rail Fast Facts for 2012, Association of American Railroads, July 2014.
25
Oregon Titan Fusion Center analysis, April 2010; Idaho Statewide Freight Study, Prepared for the Idaho Transportation
Department, David Evans and Associates Inc., February 5, 2013.
26
December, 2014: Calendar Year Report, Monthly Traffic Report, Portland International Airport.
27
Idaho Statewide Freight Study, Prepared for the Idaho Transportation Department, David Evans and Associates Inc.,
February 5, 2013.
28
Oregon Pot Getting Mailed: $1M Found in 2014, KGW.com, December 9, 2014.
29
Oregon HIDTA Performance Management Process database, January 2015.
30
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2012-2015.
31
Drug Dealers Sentenced in Major Boise Oxycodone Case, Idaho Statesman, January 16, 2015.
32
Port of Portland Marine Terminal Statistics, 1984 – 2014, Port of Portland.
33
Email communication, Strategic Services Division, Drugs and Vice Division, Portland Police Bureau, 4/22/14.
34
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
35
Ibid.
36
Ibid.
37
DEA Drug Fact Sheet: Methamphetamine, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice.
38
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
39
Ibid.
40
HIDTA Performance Management Process database, February 2015.
41
Oregon Domestic Highway Enforcement program data, January 2008 through December 2014.
42
Domestic Highway Enforcement, Detail and Summary Report, 2012-2013, EPIC, extracted May 27, 2015.
43
Data obtained from the Oregon State Police, Forensic Services Division, March 2015.
44
Addictions and Mental Health Division, Oregon Department of Human Services, April 2015.
45
Ibid.
70
Oregon HIDTA Program
46
Drug Related Deaths 2014, Oregon State Medical Examiner, Oregon State Police.
Drug Related Deaths 2013, Oregon State Medical Examiner, Oregon State Police; Oregon meth-related deaths jump 22
percent in 2010, most in a decade, OregonLive.com, May 13, 2010.
48
Oregon Drug Arrest Graphs, Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, March 2015.
49
Idaho Statistical Analysis Center, Idaho State Police, May 2015.
50
Methamphetamine laboratory seizures reported to the Oregon Department of Justice, May 2015.
51
DEA Idaho, e-mail correspondence, May 12, 2015
52
Methamphetamine laboratory seizures reported to the Oregon Department of Justice, May 2015.
53
EPIC, data extracted May 2015.
54
Gangs Beyond Borders, California and the Fight Against Transnational Organized Crime, California Department of
Justice, March 2014.
55
World Drug Report 2012, United Nations; Central Valley California HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2011.
56
Update on Substance Abuse Trends in the U.S.: 2012, Gulf Coast Addiction Technology Transfer Center, Addiction
Research Institute, University of Texas at Austin; National Methamphetamine Threat Assessment 2010, National Drug
Intelligence Center, U.S. Department of Justice.
57
Philippines raid reveals Mexican drug cartel presence in Asia, CNN.com, 2/25/2014.
58
Gangs Beyond Borders, California and the Fight Against Transnational Organized Crime, California Department of
Justice, March 2014; Business Plan Remakes Meth Market, Wall Street Journal, September 13, 2012.
59
Business Plan Remakes Meth Market, Wall Street Journal, September 13, 2012.
60
Oregon Department of Justice/Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2013and March 2014; Drug Bust
Reveals Meth Now Being Disguised as Liquor, ABC news, November 20, 2012.
61
OSP Traffic Stop Leads to Seizure of 20 lbs of Liquid Methamphetamine, Arrest of California Man – Highway 97 North of
Madras, News Release, Oregon State Police, October 4, 2014.
62
Drug Bust Reveals Meth Now Being Disguised as Liquor, ABC news, November 20, 2012.
63
Methamphetamine laboratory seizures reported to the Oregon Department of Justice, May 2015.
64
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
65
Oregon Domestic Highway Enforcement program data, January 2008 through December 2014.
66
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2012 and 2013.
67
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
68
Police net 40 arrests, 8 pounds of meth in gang bust, The Columbian, 12/9/2013.
69
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
70
Oregon HIDTA Performance Management Process database, March 2014.
71
Data obtained from the Oregon State Police, Forensic Services Division, March 2015.
72
Why Heroin has made a comeback in America, The Economist, 11/23/14.
73
The Great American Relapse, The Economist, 11/22/14.
74
The International Heroin Market, Office of National Drug Control Policy, http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/globalheroin-market; World Drug Report 2013, United Nations; National Drug Threat Assessment Summary 2013, Drug
Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice.
75
National Drug Threat Assessment Summary 2013, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice.
76
Oregon Drug Arrest Graphs, Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, April 2015.
77
Idaho Statistical Analysis Center, Idaho State Police, May 2015.
78
Addictions and Mental Health Division, Oregon Department of Human Services, April 2015.
79
Treatment Episode Data Set -- Admissions (TEDS-A) - Idaho 2002-2013, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
80
Treatment Episode Data Set -- Admissions (TEDS-A) - Oregon, 2002, 2009-2012, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
81
Oregon Office of Rural Health; Addictions & Mental Health Division, Oregon Department of Human Services, March
2014.
82
Addictions and Mental Health Services Division, Oregon Department of Human Services, March 2014.
83
Drug Related Deaths 2012, Oregon State Medical Examiner, Oregon State Police.
84
WHO recommends Naloxone to Prevent 20,000 Overdose Deaths in U.S., Reuters, November 4, 2014.
85
Community-Based Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs Providing Naloxone – United States, 20101, MMWR News
Synopsis for February 16, 2012, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Legal Interventions to Reduce Overdose
Mortality: Naloxone Access and Overdose Good Samaritan Laws, The Network for Public Health Law, April 2015.
86
Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Distribution in the Portland Metro Area, Multnomah County Health Department,
Outside In, October 14, 2014.
47
71
Oregon HIDTA Program
87
Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Distribution in the Portland Metro Area, Multnomah County Health Department,
Outside In, October 14, 2014.
88
Ibid.
89
Email correspondence, Oregon HIDTA Director, Oregon HIDTA Program, February 17, 2015.
90
Preventing Opiate Overdose Deaths: Examining Objections to Take-Home Naloxone, Journal of Health Care Poor
Underserved, November 2010, Vol 21, No. 4, 1108-1113; Naloxone Distribution and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Training for Injection Drug Users to Prevent Heroin Overdose Deaths: A Pilot Intervention Study, Journal of Urban Health,
June 2005, Vol 82, No. 2, 303-311.
91
Nonmedical Use of Pain Relievers in the Past Year, by Age Group and State: Percentages, Annual Averages Based on
2012 and 2013 NSDUHs, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
92
DrugFacts: Heroin, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Revised April 2013.
93
Associations of nonmedical pain reliever use and initiation of heroin use in the United States, Center for Behavioral Health
Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, August 2013.
94
Overdose Prevention and Naloxone Distribution in the Portland Metro Area, Multnomah County Health Department,
Outside In, October 14, 2014.
95
Heroin on the Rise in Southern Oregon, KDRV.com, February 15, 2012; 55 Pounds of Heroin Found During Traffic Stop,
KPTV.com, August 26, 2012; Domestic Highway Enforcement Program statistics, January 2008 through December 2014.
96
Domestic Highway Enforcement, Detail and Summary Report, 2012-2013, EPIC, extracted May 27, 2015.
97
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
98
Ibid.
99
DEA Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP) data reported to the Oregon Department of Justice,
2014.
100
Eradication Estimates, Domestic Cannabis Cultivation Assessment 2007, National Drug Intelligence Center, U.S.
Department of Justice, February 2007.
101
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2013.
102
Dispensary Directory, Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program, Oregon Health Authority, updated 6/3/15.
103
The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Volume
2/August 2014; Legalizing Marijuana in Washington and Colorado Hasn’t Gotten Rid of the Black Market, Business Insider,
January 2, 2015; Local Law Enforcement Reacts to Legalization, The Bulletin, November 18, 2014.
104
Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Highlights, Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014.
105
Ibid.
106
Table 3. Marijuana Use in Past Month, by Age Group and State: Percentages, Annual Averages Based on 2012 and 2013
NSDUHs, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, downloaded April 2015.
107
Ibid.
108
Addictions and Mental Health Division, Oregon Department of Human Services, April 2015.
109
Oregon Drug Arrest Graphs, Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, March 2015.
110
Treatment Episode Data Set, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2008-2012.
111
Idaho Statistical Analysis Center, Idaho State Police, May 2015.
112
DRE Year-End Summary Report 2014, Oregon Drug Evaluation Classification Program, Oregon State Police.
113
2014 National Drug Threat Assessment, U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration.
114
High-Potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis, British Journal of Psychiatry, 2009; Non-Medical Marijuana III: Rite of
Passage or Russian Roulette?, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, June 18,
2008.
115
Brain changes are associated with casual marijuana use in young adults, News Releases Archives, Society for
Neuroscience, 4/15/14; Topics in brief: Marijuana, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Revised December 2011.
116
Marijuana users have abnormal brain structure and poor memory, Northwestern University, 12/16/13.
117
Casual marijuana use linked with brain abnormalities, study finds, FoxNews.com, 4/15/14.
118
Data collected through DEA Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP) and National Marijuana
Initiative (NMI).
119
Liquid THC, Information Bulletin, Investigative Support Network, Gulf Coast HIDTA.
120
Honey Oil Extractors, Officer Safety, Oregon State Police Bulletin, 4/24/14.
121
Butane hash oil: A single spark can lead to an explosion during production, The Oregonian, 5/12/14.
122
Firefighters Link Butane Hash Oil Extraction to Tigard Parking Lot Explosion, Fox 12 Oregon, July 29, 2014.
123
National Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy, Office of National Drug Control Policy, August 2014.
124
DEA Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP), April 2015.
72
Oregon HIDTA Program
125
Data collected through the DEA Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP) and National Marijuana
Initiative (NMI).
126
Ibid.
127
Estimated Cost of Production for Legalized Cannabis, Working Paper, RAND Drug Policy Research Center, July 2010.
128
Marijuana Trend Analysis Update (FOUO), Oregon HIDTA, 2/25/14.
129
Oregon HIDTA Threat Assessment Survey, March 2015.
130
10 Leading Causes of Unintentional Injury Deaths 2013, United States, Office of Statistics and Programming, National
Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Prescription drug deaths rise with
opioid sales, www.Medscape.com, 11/12/13.
131
Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality 2014.
132
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2013, March 2014, April 2015.
133
Vital Signs: Variation Among States in Prescribing of Opioid Pain Relievers and Benzodiazepines – United States, 2012,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 4, 2014.
134
Prescription Drug Monitoring Year-to-Date Report, January 2014 - December 2014, Issue 19, Year 4.
135
High School Seniors Who Misuse Prescription Narcotics Most Likely to Obtain Drugs from a Friend/Relative or a
Personal Prescription, CESAR FAX, Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of Maryland, College Park, April 23,
2012; PATS Key Findings: Released April 23, 2013, 2012 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study; Policy impact: Prescription
Painkiller Overdoses, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
136
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
137
Table 8. Nonmedical Use of Pain Relievers in the Past Year, by Age Group and State: Percentages, Annual Averages
Based on 2012 and 2013 NSDUHs, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
138
Ibid.
139
Ibid.
140
2014 Drug Overdose Deaths, Hospitalizations, Abuse & Dependency among Oregonians, Oregon Health Authority,
Center for Prevention and Health, 5/30/2014.
141
Addictions and Mental Health Division, Oregon Department of Human Services, April 2015.
142
Treatment Episode Data Set, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2008-2012.
143
Oregon State Medical Examiner Releases 2014 Drug-Related Death Statistics, Oregon State Police.
144
Oregon State Medical Examiner Releases 2012 Drug-Related Death Statistics, Oregon State Police, June 4, 2013.
145
Prescription Drug Poisoning/Overdose in Oregon, Public Health Division, Injury and Violence Prevention Program,
January 5, 2014.
146
Ibid.
147
DEA Issues Nationwide Alert on Fentanyl as Threat to Health and Public Safety, Headquarters News, Drug Enforcement
Administration, March 18, 2015.
148
Ibid.
149
Ibid.
150
Email correspondence, Oregon State Police Forensic Services Division, March 4, 2015.
151
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey HIDTA, March 2014.
152
Prescription Pill Use Among Teens Leads to Heroin Addiction, NJ Experts Testify, JoinTogether, June 16, 2011;
Painkiller Use Breeds New Face of Heroin Addiction, NBC News, June 19, 2012.
153
Initiation into Prescription Opioid Misuse Amongst Young Injection Drug Users, International Journal of Drug Policy,
June 19, 2011.
154
Associations of Nonmedical Pain Reliever Use and Initiation of Heroin Use in the United States, Center for Behavioral
Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, August 2013.
155
Oregon Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division, Injury and Violence
Prevention Program, December 30, 2014.
156
Ibid.
157
Oregon Working to Lower Heroin Overdose Deaths, The Bulletin, 3/5/15.
158
DEA to Publish Final Rule Rescheduling Hydrocodone Combination Products, Press Release, August 21, 2014.
159
FDA Approves New Formulation for OxyContin, FDA News Release, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, April 5, 2010.
160
Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
161
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2013, March 2014, April 2015.
162
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2014, April 2015.
163
Oregon HIDTA Performance Management database, January 2015.
164
Most Rogue Sites Operate from Abroad, and Many Sell Counterfeit Drugs, Government Accountability Office, 2/27/14.
73
Oregon HIDTA Program
165
Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program, Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators: January 2015, National
Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
166
National Drug Threat Assessment, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice, November 2013;
Survey Shows Significant Drop in Cocaine Production in Colombia, Office of National Drug Control Policy, The White
House, July 30, 2012; World Drug Report 2013, United Nations.
167
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
168
Ibid.
169
Oregon HIDTA Performance Management database, January 2015.
170
Data obtained from the Oregon State Police, Forensic Services Division, March 2015.
171
Oregon Domestic Highway Enforcement program data, January 2008 through December 2014.
172
Domestic Highway Enforcement, Detail and Summary Report, 2012-2013, EPIC, extracted May 27, 2015.
173
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
174
Oregon Drug Arrest Graphs, Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, March 2015.
175
Addictions and Mental Health Division, Oregon Department of Human Services, April 2015.
176
Treatment Episode Data Set, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2008-2012.
177
Drug Related Deaths 2012, Oregon State Medical Examiner, Oregon State Police.
178
National Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy, Office of National Drug Control Policy, August 2014.
179
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2013.
180
2013 National Drug Threat Assessment, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice, November 2013.
181
“Synthetic Marijuana” -- Nothing Like Real Marijuana, Expert Explains, JoinTogether, January 28, 2015.
182
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Surveys, April 2015.
183
Cannabis, Synthetic Cannabinoids, and Psychosis Risk: What The Evidence Says, Current Psychiatry, Vol 10, No. 9.
September 2011.
184
Kidney Failure Cases Linked to Synthetic Marijuana, News Release, Oregon Health Authority, October 5, 2012.
185
The Drug Threat in Plain Sight, TIME, 4/21/14.
186
Oregon HIDTA Performance Management Process database, May 2015.
187
Situation Report: Synthetic Cathinones (Bath Salts): An Emerging Domestic Threat, National Drug Intelligence Center,
U.S. Department of Justice, July 2011.
188
Oregon HIDTA Performance Management Process database, May 2015.
189
Ibid.
190
Buprenorphine, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control, Drug & Chemical Evaluation Section,
July 2013.
191
Drug Alert Watch: Misuse of Buprenorphine-Related Products, National Drug Intelligence Center, U.S. Department of
Justice, February 22, 2011; Buprenorphine Now More Likely Than Methadone to Be Found in U.S. Law Enforcement Drug
Seizures, CESAR FAX, Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of Maryland, College Park, April 2, 2012.
192
HIDTA Performance Management Process database, May 2015.
193
25I-NBOMe 25C-NBOMe, and 25B-NBOMe, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control, Drug &
Chemical Evaluation Section, November 2013.
194
HIDTA Performance Management Process database, May 2015.
195
Ibid.
196
World Drug Report 2012, United Nations.
197
Methamphetamine laboratory seizures reported to the Oregon Department of Justice, April 2015.
198
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2013 and 2014.
199
Methamphetamine laboratory seizures reported to the Oregon Department of Justice, May 2015.
200
2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs,
March 1, 2013; Synthetic Drugs, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, February 2, 2011.
201
National Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy, Office of National Drug Control Policy, August 2014.
202
Assessment (U//FOUO) MDMA (Ecstasy) Trafficking Along the Pacific Coast, U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
November 3, 2010.
203
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, March 2013 and March 2014.
204
International Designer Drug Leader Gets 8 Years in Prison, KOIN 6, December 18, 2014.
205
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment Survey, April 2015.
206
Money Laundering, DEA Programs. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice.
207
US Fed cash-flow data called underused weapon in war on drugs, Complinet Special Report, January 31, 2011.
208
National Drug Threat Assessment 2010, National Drug Intelligence Center, U.S. Department of Justice.
209
Oregon HIDTA Drug Threat Survey, April 2015.
210
National Drug Threat Assessment 2010, National Drug Intelligence Center, U.S. Department of Justice.
74
Oregon HIDTA Program
211
FinCEN, data request, May 2014.
Money Laundering, DEA Programs, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice; Factsheets, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
213
National Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy, Office of National Drug Control Policy, August 2014.
214
Oregon Domestic Highway Enforcement program data, January 2008 through December 2014.
215
HIDTA Performance Management Process database, April 2015.
212
75