Drug Trafficking on Rise, U.S. Says
Drug enforcement officials are bracing for an increase in the volume of heroin and methamphetamines coming into the United States this year from Mexico, authorities said.
Mexican cartels are cornering markets on those narcotics and pushing them through border points at big profits, according to officials and statistics reviewed by Reuters.
U.S. officials, including Vice President Al Gore, acknowledge the proliferation of drugs such as methamphetamines, especially in rural areas, and said society must become more aware of their presence and their dangers.
“We have a crisis on our hands,” Gore told a recent town meeting in Des Moines, meant to address the methamphetamine threat there.
Drug Enforcement Administration officials agree, adding that methamphetamine and heroin use is a problem throughout the country.
In interviews over the weekend, sources said there is no way to determine the size of the influx of methamphetamines and heroin for 1999, but it will be significant.
“The writing is on the wall,” said Phil Jordan, a former DEA administrator.
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