Once this has been done, these distributors, take the product and begin stepping on it-cutting the purity, and increasing their profit margins.

Many of us have a very poor understanding of how narcotics come into our country, and how the distribution to street dealers work. I hope this article will help you understand how this is done and where the money goes. The DEA site has a much more complex and necessarily more comprehensive view of this subject.


Heroin comes in from Southeast Asia, Afghanistan and Mexico, in a variety of ways. In cargo holds, trucks, planes and cars, it comes across our borders every day. Clever smugglers, use toys, statuary, foodstuffs, art and lamps to conceal the product from Customs Agents. Human carriers, mules, will ingest balloons filled with the narcotic, women will carry it, disguised as a pregnancy, place the product in body cavities to hide the product.

Cocaine is dropped from planes piloted by mercs who often lead DEA agents on miles long aerial chases. Or offloaded out at sea, where experienced stateside groups use cutters to make a pick up.


Once inside the US, these drug families, divide the product among chief distribution people. These may come from differing areas of the country, only there to make the purchase and pickup. Once this has been done, these distributors, take the product and begin stepping on it-cutting the purity, and increasing their profit margins.

From there, it is usually distributed to high level street dealers, who may or may not, cut it again. It then begins to hit the streets at varying points, using an intermediary. The whole operation, from start to finish, is usually highly compartmentalized, to prevent law enforcement, or ambitious “entrepreneurs” from reaching the top level smugglers. The street price is usually less than a tenth of the entire wholesale profits made at the top of the chain. Many times, unscrupulous dealers use harmful or toxic substances to “cut” the product. This is where the rashes of OD /emergency room deaths occur. Or the purity of the heroin is better than the average user shoots up, and he dies from cardiac arrest and shock, before the needle ever leaves his arm.

The money from these deals is laundered to try and escape law enforcement notice. On the highest levels, the money is used to purchase arms, and finance terrorism. Or it may go through Amsterdam or Israels diamond markets. Often at this level, the money may go through at least 3 offshore or international banks, to hide criminal tracking.

In the US, money may simply be “swapped” for either goods or other forms of narcotics or weapons. Small amounts are sent out to be spent by family members in mainstream stores so as not to attract notice. Some simply hide the money by “burying” it in a storage facility or some other remote location, using different names. A common way is to get a “girlfriend” or other friend to go out and rent a hidden apartment, locker, or safety deposit box. For the same reason, young single girls or single moms are carefully chosen. They are wined, dined and romanced, so as to gain tenancy in their homes. Once ensconced, many of these girls find themselves involved in things they never dreamed of, and in essence, end up being captive to the man they thought they knew. Many are deliberately addicted to keep them compliant and provide extra revenue, from prostitution. Often they lose their children, their homes, end up in jail or on the streets hustling.

This is a serious look at a very complex and deeply entrenched problem. Police, DEA and Customs officials are often stretched too thin, trying to deal with all aspects of narcotics. Plagued by bad press at times, and not enough citizen involvement, the problem only gets worse and daily takes more lives. Getting to the head of the snake, the highest levels of the narcotics groups, is a difficult and extremely dangerous undertaking. But, unless we reach and destroy the top, traffic will continue it’s daily march of death. In my opinion, busting street level punks is a never ending story, and does little but to temporarily remove drugs from the street. And we have to stop creating a market for these drugs in the first place. The cost to American taxpayers is horrendous and continues to climb. Ask yourself is this really worth it?

Asx an added source of very very good information, I'm enclosing this link. Please take the time to read what is being said here:
http://www.csis.org/hill/ts001213cilluffo.html