This assessment by the National Drug Intelligence Center provides a strategic overview and predictive outlook of drug trafficking and abuse trends within the U.S. The assessment identifies the primary drug threats to the nation, tracks drug availability throughout the country, and analyzes trafficking and distribution patterns of illicit drugs within the U.S. It evaluates the threat posed by illegal drugs by examining availability, production and cultivation, transportation, distribution, and demand. Extensive maps, charts and tables.

This report presents a comprehensive strategic assessment of the threats posed to our communities by transnational criminal organizations and the illicit drugs they distribute throughout the U.S. This annual assessment provides policymakers, law enforcement personnel, and prevention and treatment specialists with relevant strategic drug intelligence to assist in the formulation of counterdrug policies, establish law enforcement priorities, and allocate resources. The dangerous and highly sophisticated Mexican transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) continued to be the principal suppliers of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Domestically, affiliated and violent gangs, which put drugs on the street and have become crucial to the Mexican cartels, are increasingly a threat to our safety and security. Figures. This is a print on demand report.

The global illegal drug trade represents a multi-dimensional challenge that has implications for U.S. national interests as well as the international community. According to the U.S. intelligence community, international drug trafficking can undermine political and regional stability and bolster the role and capabilities of organised crime in the drug trade. Key regions of concern include Latin American and Afghanistan, which are focal points in U.S. efforts to combat the production and transit of cocaine and heroin, respectively. Drug use and addiction have the potential to negatively affect the social fabric of communities, hinder economic development, and place an additional burden on national public health infrastructures. This book examines U.S. international drug control policy with a focus on the impact of drugs on society, drug trafficking organisations, and the global scope of the problem.