An Overview of
Federal Drug Control Programs
on the Southwest Border
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program
PROGRAM SUMMARY
The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs) are areas identified as having the most critical drug trafficking problems that adversely impact the United States. These areas are designated as HIDTAs by the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy pursuant to the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, as amended.
The HIDTA Program is a joint venture of local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies which develop and implement joint, regional threat assessments and strategies to reduce drug trafficking. The Program:
- Institutionalizes teamwork through continuous joint planning and implementation.
- Promotes equal partnership of local, State, and Federal front-line decision makers;
- Invests in developing joint process and systems to integrate and synchronize efforts; and
- Has begun measuring collective outputs and outcomes.
The following areas have been designated as HIDTAs: (1990) Houston, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, South Florida, and Southwest Border; (1994) Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington/Baltimore; (1995) Atlanta, Chicago, and Philadelphia/Camden; and (1996) Rocky Mountain (Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming); Gulf Coast (Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi); Lake County, Indiana; Midwest (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota); and Northwest (Washington State).
In Fiscal Year 1997, the HIDTA Program received $140 million in Federal resources. The program will support over 150 collocated officer/agent task forces; strengthen mutually supporting local, State, and Federal drug trafficking and money laundering task forces; bolster information analysis and sharing networks; and improve integration of law enforcement efforts to reduce drug trafficking.
Three HIDTAs impact the Southwest border:
- The Southwest Border HIDTA encompasses the entire 2,000 mile border one to two counties deep. Divided into five regional partnerships of Federal, State and local enforcement agencies. Each partnership has an Executive Committee which oversees joint drug and money laundering task forces, regional intelligence centers and joint interdiction operations. Some have and others are developing regional coordination centers.
- The Los Angeles HIDTA oversees five major drug task forces in four counties in southern California. Efforts of this HIDTA include drug task forces that dismantle and disrupt regional, national and international trafficking and money laundering organizations.
- The Houston HIDTA efforts include major drug squads to dismantle and disrupt drug traffickers and task forces that focus on money laundering and violent gangs.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The Metropolitan Area Narcotics Trafficking Interdiction Squads (MANTIS) dismantled one of the most significant drug trafficking organizations in Pima County. This effort yielded 248 arrests; and seizures of 43 vehicles, 97 weapons, and illegal drugs and other assets valued at close to 500 million dollars. MANTIS also executed the largest cocaine seizure in Arizona -- 1,431 pounds of cocaine.
The El Centro HIDTA Narcotics Task Force successfully indicted one member and four associates of the Arrellano Felix organization using estimates of seizures from the U.S. Border Patrol. Seizures in the first half of 1997 are estimated at 19,671 kilograms. Notable arrests include: eight members of a cocaine trafficking organization operating in Colombia, Mexico, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego and Miami; 30 arrests stemming from seizures of marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine; 10 members of a regional drug trafficking organization, and at least 111 other drug-related arrests.
The Imperial Valley Drug Coalition (IVDC) has planned and managed seven multi-jurisdictional combined air-ground operations utilizing Federal, State, and local law enforcement assets supported by the California National Guard and JTF-6. This highly coordinated regional campaign approach to counter-narcotics efforts has resulted in a verifiable and dramatic disruption of trafficking methods and routes through the Imperial Valley. Smuggling of high value contraband such as cocaine has been reduced throughout the Valley by as much as 97 percent from the FY 1995-96 baseline. Through aggressive interdiction efforts, agencies participating in the IVDC have seized over 80,0000 pounds of marijuana and 500 pounds of cocaine.
The McAllen, Texas Multi-Agency HIDTA Investigative Task Force successfully dismantled a multi-pound methamphetamine distribution organization by arresting its leader and seizing over 25 pounds of meth. Other accomplishments include: dismantling of a multi-ton marijuana distribution organization; dismantling a cell of the Gulf cartel with the arrest of a manager and seizures of 337 kg of cocaine; investigation of a cell of a cocaine transportation organization; and investigation of a multi-ton international cocaine organization in conjunction with regional DEA offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In FY1997, seven major drug organizations in the South Texas HIDTA region were dismantled, with 129 arrests, 50 convictions, and forfeitures worth almost $600,000.
The Los Angeles HIDTA reported that of the 280 major drug distribution organizations that were targeted, 79 were dismantled and 65 were severely disrupted. Led by the Southern California Drug Task Force, the Los Angeles HIDTA drug task forces, in coordination with DEA headquarters and field offices throughout the country, completed Operation Zorro II. This effort dismantled two major sophisticated cocaine trafficking organizations -- the Alapizco and the Guiterez organizations -- that distributed multi-ton shipments of cocaine throughout the United States.
