Drug Trafficking in the 21 st Century

1. Drug Trafficking in the 21st Century Michelle Popelka

2. In the past decade drugs and illegal drug trafficking have begun to be a large problem in society. Though drugs have been around for over a century, in recent years the magnitude of drug trafficking has grown to become the main economic staple of the black market.

3. Origin of Drugs • At the very beginning of the 20th century, the U.S. had its first drug epidemic causing the U.S. to begin to limit the availability of cocoa plants and opium. • By WW2 the problem had diseased to the point where the government could just call it a social problem • “During the 1960s, drugs like marijuana, amphetamines, and psychedelics came on the scene, and a new generation embraced drugs.” –Illegal Drugs in America: A modern History

4. 1973: Drug Enforcement Administration was created to enforce federal drug laws • 1970s: Cocaine reappeared. • 1980s: Crack appeared, spreading addiction and violence • “Today sophisticated and powerful criminal groups headquartered in foreign countries control the drug trade in the United States.” –Illegal Drugs in America: A modern History

5. Why the rise of drug use? • Many factors come into why there has been a major rise in drug abuse in the past decade the three key factors include: • Availability -- the amount of drugs illegally trafficked into the U.S. is thought to have tripled since 2001, there are now thousands powerful foreign industries that sell drugs on the black market. • Rise in the standard of living – with more leisure time and more spending money, more people are given more opportunities to experiment with drugs. • Acceptance – drug use has become more accepted in society, slowly being taken into normalcy for younger generations

6. Drugs and Alcohol • The cycle of drug use can be compared to that of Alcohol in the 1920’s. When both became a problem for society, laws against their use were created. • You can compare drug trafficking of today to alcohol smuggling during the 1920’s, both causing much violence while being a large economic staple on the black market. • Like how alcohol slowly became legal, today leniency on drug use is slowly increasing.

7. Drug Swallowing • One of the most common ways of smuggling drugs is physically swallowing or inserting the drug into cavities. • When drugs are smuggled in this procedure first they are stuffed into multiple layers of condoms. • These packs are then swallowed or inserted into various body parts. • Once arriving at their destination, the mule waits for the drugs to pass so they can be sold.

8. It is very risky to swallow drugs, there is always a chance that the latex may rip, leak, or burst. • The amount of drugs contained in each pellet is well more than enough to kill someone. • The drug mules are sometimes cut open if not all the drugs are passed

9. “Go Fast Boats” • Detectable by technology and visible by helicopters • First go fast boat was caught in 2006 carrying many tons of cocaine • 2006: detected 3 • 2008: detected about 10 per a month.

10. Narco-Submarines • First one was found in 2010 • A narco-submarine is a small self propelled semi-sub • it does not completely submerge in the water, that is self propelled with a small cockpit. • 60 feet and can carry 10 tons of cocaine traveling about 11 mph • Virtually undetectable by wave radar technology until 2011

11. Ways of Smuggling Drugs • Furniture and Shoes: Usually placed inside of secret compartments in furniture and the soles of the shoes • Puppies and other animals: Instead of hiring drug mules to swallow pellets they are surgically place inside of these animals to be taken on a commercial plane • Children: dozens of pellets are strapped around their bodies • Tombstones: The inside of tombstones are hollowed out and filled with drugs before being placed on a cargo ship • Clothes: drugs are sewn into the mules clothes so they are undetectable to the eye

12. Why do people become mules? • Drug traitors hire mules to lower the risk of them themselves getting caught. • Usually in need of money so it seems like a good way to make easy money • A lot of drug mules are not actually aware of the risks that can happen to them • Sometimes a mule can be unaware they are transporting drugs

13. Catching Drug Mules • 2001: 136 pounds of cocaine were found in 84 swallowers • 2002: In he first 5 months 88 pounds were found in 55 swallowers • New technology in airports such as full body scanners makes it easier to detect drug swallower • Most mules are caught simply based on appearance and profiling by customs agents.

14. Effects of Drugs in the U.S. The damage created by drug abuse has added up to about $215 billion Health and Healthcare systems—many drugs cause health problems in their users, weather a long term effect or an overdose straining hospitals for treatments Crime and criminal justice systems—drug related crimes is one of the top reasons that people are incarcerated, the government spends millions of dollars imprisoning these people Homelessness—many addictions result in bankrupt, spending all of ones money on drugs, this often results in homelessness Violence--over 50% of violence is alcohol or drug related

15. When was the first drug epidemic? • At the very beginning of the 20th century

16. What are 3 key factors in the rise of drug use in the past decade? • Availability • Acceptance • Higher standard of living

17. If drugs are to be compared to alcohol in the time of prohibition, would it be better for drugs to be legalized as alcohol was? • No, the effects of drugs on society are much greater than that of alcohol, alcohol is less dangerous and less addictive. This would only raise the availability of drugs which could lead to even more people using them

18. Because of the advancements in wave technology, and the tighter airport security when entering the U.S., will drug trafficking come to a halt? • It is hard to predict what will come in the future for drug trafficking, it may come to a halt with the tighter security, but new innovations are being made by the traffickers as well

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