Drug trafficking is a major issue that impacts many communities around the United States. Drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) exist in all 50 states, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and employ a variety of ways to transport, distribute, and sell illicit substances such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
However, due to variables such as geographic location, population density, transportation infrastructure, and economic situations, certain places are more prone to drug trafficking than others.
Little Rock, Arkansas’s capital and largest city, is one such city. According to a recent DEA analysis, Little Rock is the state’s drug trafficking capital and one of the region’s most important drug marketplaces. The research outlines the top drug dangers, trends, and difficulties confronting Arkansas and its neighboring territories from January 2020 to June 2021.
Drug Trends and Risks in Little Rock
According to the investigation, Little Rock is a key distribution and consumption hub for different sorts of narcotics, particularly methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. These narcotics are mostly supplied by Mexican DTOs, who utilize the city’s interstate roads, such as I-30, I-40, and I-430, to move massive amounts of drugs from the Southwest border to other areas of the country.
According to the survey, Little Rock has a strong demand for drugs, which is fueled by factors like poverty, unemployment, homelessness, and mental health difficulties.
Methamphetamine is the most common and troublesome substance in Little Rock, accounting for more than 60% of all drug seizures and arrests in the city, according to the study. According to the research, this is due to the availability of high-purity, low-cost methamphetamine made by Mexican DTOs, who have boosted methamphetamine manufacturing and trafficking in recent years.
The research also cautions that methamphetamine poses a substantial risk to public health and safety since it is frequently coupled with other narcotics such as fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more strong than morphine. Fentanyl, which is also smuggled into the US by Mexican DTOs, is to blame for an increase in overdose fatalities in Little Rock and across the state.
Cocaine, heroin, and prescription painkillers are all regularly found in Little Rock. Cocaine, which is also supplied in Mexico, is mostly trafficked by African American street gangs who prey on urban and low-income neighborhoods.
Heroin, which is largely imported from South America, is becoming more of a problem in Little Rock because it is sometimes mixed with fentanyl or other adulterants, raising the danger of overdose and addiction. Prescription opioids including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and codeine are also often misused in Little Rock, particularly by young people and teens who get them from friends, family, or internet sources.
The study states that drug crime in Little Rock is hard for law enforcement and public health agencies to fight because it is complicated and has many facetted problems. Here are some of these problems:
- The city doesn’t have enough resources or staff to keep an eye on and stop the large amount and range of drugs that come into and leave the city.
- It is hard to find and bring to justice the leaders and members of the dangerous and complex DTOs that operate in the city.
- The fact is that addicts and people who are at risk for addiction in the city don’t have easy access to drug treatment and prevention programs.
Even though these problems exist, the study also talks about some of the things that are being done to stop the drug trade in Little Rock. Among these attempts are the following:
- The cooperation and coordination of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, such as the DEA, FBI, ATF, Arkansas State Police, and the Little Rock Police Department, to undertake joint investigations, operations, and intelligence sharing.
- Community and faith-based organizations, such as the Little Rock Community Action Program, the Arkansas Prevention Network, and the Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council, participate and are involved in providing education, outreach, and support services to the city’s drug-affected and vulnerable populations.
- Drug courts, diversion programs, and harm reduction strategies, such as the Little Rock Drug Court, the Little Rock Veterans Treatment Court, and the Arkansas Naloxone Access Act, are being developed and expanded to provide alternatives to incarceration, treatment options, and overdose prevention for drug offenders and users.
Conclusion
According to the DEA research, Little Rock is a significant drug center in the Midwest, with methamphetamine being the most common and hazardous narcotic. The majority of the narcotics are imported from Mexico and sold by Mexican DTOs and local gangs.
The city confronts several obstacles in preventing drug trafficking and abuse, but there are also some cooperative and preventative measures. More steps must be taken to preserve the public health and safety of Little Rock and its environs.