Throughout the United States, there has been a marked increase in the use of heroin and methamphetamine. As a result, arrests for the distribution of illicit drugs has also increased. In general, drug trafficking has risen at such a rapid rate that police are under a great amount of stress, often confusing distribution patterns for heroin.
Drug suppliers also use “mules,” individuals who carry drugs to transport them back and forth. As a result, one arrest does not always stop the operation of drug distribution and sales.
Naturally, there are vast numbers of drug addicts used by dealers to distribute the substances. As a result, the arrests for distribution usually involve sellers at a low level instead of the larger individual distributor.
Rising National Drug Arrest Rates
The national rate of drug arrests has increased to an incredible degree over the past few years. From 2011 to 2015, the seizure of heroin in the country rose to an all-time high of 80 percent.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued statistics in the National Heroin Threat Assessment that show that the threat of heroin has increased since 2007 and that the substance is now available using even larger quantities by a greater number of people.
With the increase in use, there is naturally an increase in arrests as well. For example:
- From 2014 to 2015, roadside drug arrests in Virginia increased from 3,163 to 3,354.
- Roadside arrests in Maryland involving illicit drugs increased from 2015 to 2016 from 1,752 to 1,971.
- Police claim that drug seizures in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia have seen a marked increase.
Meth and Heroin Arrests in Texas
Methamphetamine is the dominant drug in East Texas regarding arrests for possession and distribution. Heroin also has some trafficking. Here are a few examples:
- There was a recent arrest in Longview, leading to the indictment of three people, in federal court, for trafficking meth and heroin in East and North Texas.
- A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper arrested a man from Gladewater in February after a traffic stop. He was subsequently charged with the manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance, namely heroin.
- In Bend Fort County during the fall of 2016, an undercover operation led to the arrest of seven people after into the illegal sale and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin and other illegal drugs.
- Last summer, police in Dallas arrested 19 individuals and charged them with felonies for conspiracy to distribute meth while operating in the Balch Springs, Seagoville and Pleasant Grove areas. DPS and Dallas police made drug trafficking arrested, confiscating 2.5 grams of heroin and 6,700 grams of meth, as well as other drugs.
- Last summer, police in Austin arrested nine people for conspiracy to distribute heroin following an investigation by the DEA, DPR, Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Austin Police and Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office that took 11 months. If convicted, the nine people can face 10 year-to-life sentences in federal prison.
- The DPS arrested 15 people after an eight-month-long investigation on an operation in Austin that involved the distribution of meth.
- Last fall, a federal grand jury indicted five residents of Houston for conspiracy to possess and for the intention of distributing and possessing meth to distribute the drug. They were part of a large ring in Tomball and Pinehurst.
- In the Houston area, earlier this year police arrested nine people in a raid at a Northwest Harris County home that involved amounts of meth “consistent with distribution” according to authorities.
The charge of distribution of meth and possession with intent to distribute the substance carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, as well as a $1 million fine.
Latino Males Dominate Trafficking Arrests
Recovery Village, which provides treatment for drug addiction, reports that in a recent year 24 percent of drug trafficking offenses involved meth and 9.8 percent involved heroin
What’s more, over 85 percent of individuals arrested for drug trafficking were male, with nearly half ( 47.9 percent) being Latino. As for the remaining individuals, 26.7 percent were black and 22.3 percent were white. Just less than half of these people (49.5 percent) had no prior criminal history. Over 96 percent of the individuals arrested for trafficking served prison time for an average sentence of six years.
Finally, two of the top five districts that sentenced drug traffickers were in the southern and western Districts of Texas.
