SSISSIPPI BUREAU OF NARCOTICS

March 2021

Steven Maxwell, Director

RUG

THREAT ASSESSMENT

March 2022

State of Mississippi

Department of Public Safety

Bureau of Narcotics

Intelligence Division

Steven Maxwell, Director

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

MISSISSIPPI BUREAU OF NARCOTICS

RUG THREAT ASSESSMENT

ARCH 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Scope .......................................................................................................................... 2

II. Executive Summary ................................................................................................. 2

III. Environmental and Related Threats ....................................................................... 4

IV. Mississippi Drug Threats ....................................................................................... 11

Methamphetamine ............................................................................................ 11

Heroin & Fentanyl ............................................................................................ 16

Diverted Pharmaceuticals ................................................................................ 20

Marijuana .......................................................................................................... 25

Powder & Crack Cocaine ................................................................................. 29

New Psychoactive Substances .......................................................................... 33

V. Drug Overdoses ........................................................................................................ 36

VI. Illicit Finance ........................................................................................................... 38

VII. Treatment and Prevention ..................................................................................... 40

VIII. Street / Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs ........................................................................ 43

IX. Outlook .................................................................................................................... 54

X. Methodology ............................................................................................................ 57

XI. Sources ..................................................................................................................... 58

XII. Drug Prices .............................................................................................................. 60

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

I. SCOPE

The 2022 Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN) Drug Threat Assessment provides an overview

of current drug threats and drug trends in the state. The goal of this assessment is to provide law

enforcement agencies, legislators, and citizens with data and information to assist them in making

informed decisions about drug threats. It also assists in the planning of enforcement strategies and

effective utilization of available resources for future operations. Contributing factors include

geographic location, types of industries, cultural and economic diversities. Educators, community

groups, parents, and the public can also use the 2022 threat assessment as a resource to better

understand the drug threats in Mississippi.

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

DRUG THREATS IN MISSISSIPPI

Methamphetamine Primary drug threat

Heroin & Fentanyl Primary drug threat

Diverted Pharmaceuticals Primary drug threat

Marijuana Gateway drug

Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Constant drug threat

New Psychoactive Substances Continues to increase

Methamphetamine remains the greatest drug threat in Mississippi. The increasing purity, the

availability, the violence that is associated with users and traffickers, and the number of related

overdoses make methamphetamine Mississippi’s number one drug threat. Mexican

methamphetamine, or “ice”, is the most accessible form of methamphetamine. However, the

recent reversal of House Bill 512, which allows one of the main ingredients in methamphetamine

to be sold over the counter again, causes concerns that Mississippi will experience an increase in

the number of local clandestine methamphetamine labs.

As prescription opioids are harder to obtain, the demand for opioid-based drugs like heroin or

counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl continue to escalate in Mississippi. Heroin is cheaper, easier

to obtain and provides a more potent high than prescription opioids. Brown heroin is the most

common form of heroin in Mississippi, and the seizure of heroin laced fentanyl and fentanyl laced

counterfeit pills is increasing. Overdose deaths related to heroin and fentanyl outweighs all other

drug related overdose deaths. This is partly a result of drug cartels cutting heroin with fentanyl

to maximize their profits at the expense of the consumer.

Diverted Pharmaceuticals are still a primary drug threat in Mississippi. The most common way

to obtain illegal prescription drugs is still through prescription forgeries and “doctor shopping”

but drugs are also being obtained illegally through the internet and being transported from Mexico

and southwest border towns. These pharmaceuticals can be counterfeit, contaminated, expired

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

and unsafe. The threat is escalated by drug trafficking organizations becoming involved,

pharmacy burglaries and the corruption of medical/health professionals/providers supporting

addicts and criminals. The shortage of prescription opioids is forcing some addicts to turn to more

deadly opioid drugs like heroin and fentanyl.

Marijuana trafficking and abuse continues to be prevalent in Mississippi. All of the 2023 Gulf

Coast HIDTA Mississippi survey respondents rated the level of marijuana use as high. Marijuana

continues to evolve as new products emerge from outside influences. Marijuana continues to be

imported to Mississippi from Mexico, but it also imported from states where production is legal

like California and Colorado. Products like edibles, oils, wax, and hashish are still being seen and

seized across the state. These products are especially desirable among teens and younger adults.

Currently, medical marijuana in Mississippi is now legalized, but the implementation of the law

and impact to the community remains unclear. These new and evolving marijuana laws make

marijuana a new kind of threat.

Cocaine remains a drug threat in Mississippi due especially to its high addiction rate, associated

violence, and its affiliation with gangs and drug cartels. Most of the cocaine in Mississippi is

transported by American and Mexican DTOs via Texas and the Southwest Border states and

distributed by criminal groups, street gangs, and independent dealers. Eighty-one percent (81%)

of the 2023 Gulf Coast HIDTA Threat Assessment Survey respondents rated the availability of

cocaine and demand for cocaine as the same as 2020, although they rated the threat as low

compared to other drugs such as methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl and other opioids.

New Psychoactive Substances continue to be a growing concern in Mississippi. These “designer

drugs” are just as addictive and devastating as pharmaceuticals and methamphetamine. They are

designed to mimic the effects of these and other illicit drugs. They are readily available in gas

stations, adult stores and smoke shops, as well as, on the internet. They are typically marketed

toward young adults. One of the most troubling aspects of these new psychoactive substances is

the limited knowledge of the content and potency of the substance being consumed.

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%

Cocaine (Powder, Crack)

Controlled Prescription Drugs

Fentanyl & Other Opioids*

Heroin

Marijuana

Methamphetamine

New Psychoactive Substances**

2023 GCHIDTA Law Enforcement Data

Greatest Drug Threats Reported by MS Law Enforcement

GDT: LE Resources GDT: Property Crime GDT: Violent Crime Greatest Drug Threat

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

III. ENVIRONMENTAL AND RELATED THREATS

GEOGRAPHY

The transporting of illegal drugs into and through Mississippi has

been a significant problem for law enforcement for a number of

years. Mississippi is ideally suited with its interstate system, deep

water and river ports, and air and rail systems as the “Crossroads

of the South” to facilitate drug movement from the South

Texas/Mexico area and Gulf ports to the entire Midwest and

Eastern United States. The state is comprised of 82 counties,

located within 47,233 square miles, the majority offering rural

agricultural areas. Mississippi has 62 miles of coastline extending

from Louisiana to Alabama. Mississippi lies within 500 miles of

more than 115 million consumers and 136 major metropolitan

areas. Mississippi has an elaborate system of interstate highways

and major thoroughfares that make traveling to these metropolitan

areas quick and easy. Just as every other state, Mississippi has

commercial bus lines that service the state. Mississippi also has

seven passenger airports and numerous small or private air strips located within the state. In

Mississippi alone, primary rail carriers on the nearly 3,000 miles of train track include the Illinois

Central Railroad, Kansas City Southern, Burlington Northern, Columbus & Greenville Railroad

Company, and Norfolk Southern System. Amtrak passenger service to and from New Orleans,

Louisiana to Chicago, Illinois transits the entire state with major stops in-state providing yet

another conduit for transporting and distributing large quantities of all types of drugs.

HIGHWAY INTERDICTION IN MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi's numerous highways provide easy

avenues to circumvent primary weigh stations situated

along the Interstate System. Most drugs transit the state

eastbound and northbound, originating in source areas

of the Southwest Border and the West Coast. Currency

and other forms of proceeds normally move across the

state in a westbound direction, destined for the drug

source areas.

With the signing of the North American Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA), southern states have to consider

additional methods and means for the detection of drug smuggling organizations. As expected,

trade and traffic with Mexico have increased significantly due to this agreement. The

opportunities to smuggle drugs from Mexico have increased and will continue to increase

drastically. According to Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)/Blue

Lightning Operation Center’s (BLOC) Watch Center, there were 143 calls involving arrests

and/or seizures reported on Mississippi highways during 2021. All major highways in Mississippi

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

were included in these incidents. Mississippi cross-designated officers made 113 drug seizures:

marijuana totaling 1,508 pounds; THC Products totaling 480,307 dosage units; cocaine totaling

190 pounds; methamphetamine totaling 191 pounds; opioids totaling 62,386 dosage units; non-

opioids totaling 13,814 dosage units; other dangerous drugs totaling 14,831 dosage units; 52

seizures in U.S. Currency totaling $4,318,527.00. There were 27 weapons seizures and 129

arrests with 5 aliens. As a result of these stops, many targets were identified, and active

investigations were conducted. Some of the investigations have already resulted in the

identification and arrests of numerous members of known DTOs.

Most highway interdiction seizures made in Mississippi were transient loads of drugs passing

through the state to other areas of the country. However, intelligence reveals that shipments of

drugs destined for Mississippi are being interdicted in other states such as Louisiana and Texas.

These out-of-state highway interdiction stops indicate that Mississippi-based trucking companies

and out-of-state trucking companies are transporting drugs into Mississippi. The increased use of

rental vehicles, freight companies, parcel services, and the United States Postal Service continue

to be an issue for law enforcement.

Drug trafficking patterns indicate the Interstate Highway System is the preferred method of

transporting illegal drugs into and through Mississippi. The Interstate System provides

unrestrained access for movement through the state. Mississippi has four major interstates and

nine major highways. Law enforcement officials actively patrol these roadways. In addition, an

increasing number of departments have personnel specifically assigned to intercept drug

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

smugglers. Budgetary concerns and resource availability impair a full-scale effort to intercept

drug shipments on Mississippi highways.

The four major interstates that connect Mississippi to major metropolitan areas in the U.S. are:

• I-55 stretches the entire length of the state offering a straight route from the Gulf Coast to Chicago

and other northeastern cities with high demands for illegal drugs.

• I-20 runs the width of the state providing an easy route from the West Coast drug-producing cities

to the East Coast.

• I-55 and I-20 intersect in Jackson providing many transportation possibilities to drug traffickers.

• I-59 joins I-20 in Meridian and intersects I-10 in Louisiana.

• I-10 follows the coastal area of Mississippi giving traffickers access to Birmingham, Mobile, New

Orleans, Houston, Montgomery, Miami, Atlanta, and other major drug distribution areas in the

southeast.

Interstate 69, or I-69, also called the “NAFTA Superhighway, is proposed to run from Texas to

Michigan to help trade with Mexico and Canada. A portion runs through Mississippi at the Tunica

and De Soto County line along MS 713 near Tunica, along a rural route to I-55 at the south end of

I-239 near Hernando. The route runs concurrently with I-55 to Memphis.

Interstate 14, or I-14, is a proposed interstate that is to run from West Texas through Louisiana,

Mississippi and Alabama and ends in Georgia. It will help link military bases across these states

and help economic growth in these areas. In Mississippi, it will run from Natchez to Laurel and

Meridian.

Along with the convenience of interstates, Mississippi also has numerous state highways that

provide drug traffickers with a variety of avenues of approach to their target areas. State highways

51, 61, 45 and 49 run north/south, and highways 6, 26, 72, 78, 80, 82, 84, 90 and 98 run east/west.

These highways intersect the interstates and permit additional opportunities for drug traffickers

to transport their drugs undetected.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Because the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that all trucking

company names are displayed on the door of the tractor, some traffickers create trucking firms

or companies for the purpose of appearing to comply with these regulations. Only one or two

shipments of drugs are made under the company name before it is discarded or replaced with

another. This practice prevents any chance of name recognition by law enforcement. DOT

estimates that only half of the tractor-trailers from which drug seizures are made are legitimate

trucking companies. Common practices among traffickers are to alter or use someone else's DOT

numbers and for drivers to use false documentation and identification. Mississippi is the home of

several drug trafficking organizations that utilize trucking companies as independent drug

transporters catering to key cities. Mississippi is also the home of a major international poultry

industry and lumber industry that transports commodities via local independent commercial truck

lines all over the United States. Intelligence reveals that numerous Mississippi trucking

companies are the major transporters of assets for several DTOs in the state. These companies

may or may not be independent from the drug trafficking organizations - essentially, hauling the

drugs into the state and charging transportation fees. This practice attempts to shield the

organization from the shipment of drugs, if discovered. Intelligence also indicates that the DTOs

are paying “up-front” for the shipment of drugs, but do not necessarily own the entire load.

DEMOGRAPHICS

According to U.S. 2020 Census Results, MS population in 2020 is 2,961,279. Mississippi

population in 2021 is estimated to be 2.94 million. As of December 21, 2021, Mississippi is in

the top 10 states in percent with a decline in population from 2020 to 2021, roughly -0.2% decline.

Records indicated the following decline as reported for these months: April 1, 2020, 2,961,279;

July 1, 2020, 2,956,870; July 1, 2021, 2,949,965. According to the Census, Mississippi has no

numeric or percentage growth. The Population Estimates Program uses current data on births,

deaths, and migration to calculate population change since the most recent decennial census date

and produces a time series of estimates of population, demographic components of change, and

housing units. The annual time series of estimates begins with the most recent decennial census

date and extends to the vintage year. This is the first release of population estimates data

developed from a base population that integrates the 2020 Census, Vintage 2020 estimates, and

2020 Demographic Analysis estimates. Furthermore, comparisons to previous years are not

recommended.

The current metropolitan-area, or metro area, population of Jackson, Mississippi in 2022 is

431,000, a 1.17% increase from 2021. The metro area population of Jackson, Mississippi in 2021

was 426,000, a 1.43% increase from 2020. The metro area population of Jackson, Mississippi in

2020 was 420,000, a 1.2% increase from 2019.

Estimates show the slowest growth on record for the Nation’s population. According to the U.S.

Census Bureau’s Vintage 2021 national and state population estimates and components of

change, the population of the United States grew in the past year by 392,665, or 0.1%, the lowest

rate since the nation’s founding. The slow rate of growth can be attributed to decreased net

international migration, decreased fertility, and increased mortality due in part to the COVID-19

pandemic. “Population growth has been slowing for years because of lower birth rates and

decreasing net international migration, all while mortality rates are rising due to the aging of the

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

nation’s population,” said Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census

Bureau. “Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this combination has resulted in a

historically slow pace of growth.”

ECONOMICS

The state of Mississippi’s economics was heavily impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

pandemic. The governor began shutting businesses down in early March 2020. Businesses could

not operate, especially restaurants, bars, salons, spas, which have high interpersonal interaction.

With this shut down, many businesses failed and could not keep up with no revenues coming in

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

and had to close their doors forever. Several businesses have reopened but only to a small

percentage. Many people lost their jobs and had to file for unemployment and seek food banks

just to feed their families.

Mississippi ranks 35th in the nation for K-12 achievement in 2021, climbing from 50th in 2013,

according to the latest Quality Counts report published in Education Week. (September 16, 2021)

Mississippi is currently ranked 27

in the United States for its economic outlook. This is a

forward-looking forecast based on the state’s standing (equal-weighted average) in 15 important

state policy variables. Data reflect state and local rates and revenues and any effect of federal

deductibility.

According to the United States Census Bureau, between 2015 and 2019, the median household

income for Mississippi was $45,081 and the average household income is $62,835. The per capita

income was $24,369 and 3.0% of households in Mississippi were high income households that

make over $200,000 a year. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the unemployment

rate for Mississippi as of January 2020 was 5.3% compared to a national rate of 4.0%, with

Jefferson County being the highest at 16.7%.

Mississippi’s fertile soil and temperate climate make it an ideal state for agriculture. Nurseries,

greenhouses, farms producing sweet potatoes, watermelons, and other vegetables, plus many

other alternative farming operations contribute greatly to the revenue produced by Mississippi’s

agriculture industry.

Due to Mississippi’s reliance on agriculture as the number one industry, it makes a significant

contribution to all 82 counties. This industry employing approximately 29% of the state's

workforce either directly or indirectly. Agriculture in Mississippi is a $7.72 billion-dollar industry

with approximately 34,700 farms in the state covering 10.4 million acres. The average size farm

is composed of 263 acres. The top five agricultural crops in Mississippi are poultry, forestry,

soybeans, cotton, and corn. Farm-raised catfish also impacts Mississippi’s economy.

Mississippi ranks first in total U.S. catfish production and processing contributing more than 58%

of all catfish consumed in the nation. A full 94% of all U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish are raised here

in Mississippi, as well as Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana. In 1985, the U.S. Farm-Raised

Catfish industry in these four states employed about 6,000 people and contributed roughly $2.1

billion to the economies of each state. Today, the industry employs more than 13,000 people, and

is responsible for more than $4 billion.

Humphreys County has approximately 117 catfish farms with over 36,000 acres of U.S. farm-

raised catfish, making it the top production and catfish processing county in the United States.

This catfish acreage is more than any other single state in the U.S. Pure fresh water comes from

underground wells. Ponds are stocked with 6,000 catfish to the acre. Mississippi farm-raised

catfish are fed a “puffed” high-protein floating food pellet, a mixture of soybeans, corn, wheat,

vitamins, minerals, and fish meal produced by feed mills located in the Mississippi Delta. Catfish

are harvested every week of the year.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

In the past 50 years, Mississippi has diversified its economy by concentrating more heavily on

industrial activities, attracting a broader spectrum of business, industrial and technical operations.

Numerous businesses throughout the state were scheduled to open in 2021: Lockers

Manufacturing (Batesville, MS); Leisure Pools Manufacturing and Distribution Operations

(Picayune, MS); Red Land Cotton (Tylertown, MS); Amazon (Marshall County, MS); Cutting

Edge Meat Company (CEMCO) (Leakesville, MS); Delta Wind Farm (MS Delta); Edelbrock,

LLC (Olive Branch, MS); Camgian Microsystems, Inc. (Starkville, MS); Delta Fuel, LLC

(Natchez, MS); Elkay Manufacturing (Olive Branch, MS); Ocean Aero (Gulfport, MS); Voyant

Beauty (Olive Branch, MS); German Auto Supplier (Baldwyn, MS); Jones Construction

(Hattiesburg, MS); Tony’s Tamales (Flora, MS); Sandman Bedding (Belden, MS). These are a

few new businesses opening in the state; however, there are numerous expansions throughout the

state.

The Mississippi Lottery was established to benefit statewide infrastructure and education. Net

proceeds, up to $80 million, will be used to support the State’s Highway Fund until June 30,

2028, for repairing, renovating, and maintaining state highways and bridges. Proceeds exceeding

$80 million in a fiscal year will be deposited into the Education Enhancement Fund for Early

Childhood Learning Collaborative, the Classroom Supply Fund and other education purposes.

According to www.mslotteryhome.com, record sales generate more than $138 Million in total

transfer to the state. Fueled by two new draw-style games, a series of high jackpots and an

expanding array of scratch-off tickets, the Mississippi Lottery Corporation completed its final

transfer to the state for FY21, bringing the total to $138,961,541.14.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

IV. MISSISSIPPI DRUG THREATS

OVERALL SCOPE OF DRUG THREATS

Methamphetamine is still considered the greatest drug threat across Mississippi because of the

steady infiltration of crystal methamphetamine or ice into this state and the country and its

propensity towards violent crimes, property crimes and the necessity of law enforcement resources.

Prescription drugs are still a major threat, particularly with the opioid epidemic and the increase in

overdose deaths due to prescription drugs. Heroin has gained more popularity and has become a

major threat to Mississippi. Addicts are turning to heroin as a substitute for the more expensive and

harder to find prescription opioids. The more potent and deadly drug, fentanyl, is frequently found

mixed with heroin or substituted for heroin, with the result being more overdoses. Marijuana

continues to be widely abused in Mississippi and is seen as larger threat. Adolescent acceptance

and illicit use are increasing along with marijuana THC potency and the demand for other THC

products. Cocaine, particularly crack cocaine, continues to be a major drug threat to our state due

to the violence and the dangerous gangs associated with the trafficking of cocaine. Abuse of

synthetic drugs such as Spice and bath salts are a constant battle for law enforcement with new

synthetic drugs being developed continually. There has also been an influx of synthetic

cannabinoids due to “CBD oil” being sold in local vape shops. Vape cartridges, especially those

purchased in the black market, have been found to sometimes be falsely labeled and contain

dangerous additives and contaminates.

METHAMPHETAMINE

ASSESSMENT OF THE THREAT

Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.

Crystal methamphetamine, routinely referred to as “ice”, is a form of the drug that looks like glass

fragments or shiny, bluish-white rocks. It is chemically comparable to amphetamine, which is a

drug used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, a sleep disorder.

People can consume methamphetamine by smoking, swallowing, snorting, or injecting the powder

that has been diluted in water or alcohol. The high from the drug comes and goes quick, so because

of that factor people often repeat doses in a “binge and crash” pattern. Methamphetamine has been

classified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule II stimulant, which makes

it legally available only through a non-refillable prescription when produced by a recognized

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

pharmaceutical manufacturer. Due to this classification, illicit methamphetamine is also a Schedule

II Controlled Substance.

Methamphetamine is typically made from a combination of household items and over-the-counter

medications. Even though methamphetamine manufacturing efficiency has declined, there has been

a surge in the amount of "ice" (Mexican

methamphetamine distinguished by its clear,

crystalline appearance)-related crimes in

Mississippi because of Mexican TCO

infiltration (Transnational Criminal

Organizations). Following the arrests of

cartel members across Mississippi in various

Methamphetamine investigations, law

enforcement has linked "ice"

Methamphetamine to "super labs" in Mexico.

“Ice” is nearly twice as strong as homemade

methamphetamine and averages about 80%

pure.

ABUSE

The possibility for long-term usage has increased due to the purity level of methamphetamine

"ice" produced in Mexico. Methamphetamine demand and production has expanded into

Caucasian American, Black American, and Hispanic populations, according to law officials.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics initiated a total of 881 cases involving methamphetamine in

2021. This is an increase from 2020, which had a total of 759 methamphetamine cases.

Methamphetamine cases initiated in 2021 by MBN involved the seizure of 33.93 combined

pounds of solid methamphetamine, over 163 milliliters of methamphetamine in solution, and

approximately 11,027 dosage units of methamphetamine. There were 594 arrests made by MBN

for methamphetamine related charges including sale, possession, conspiracy, and manufacture

during 2021.

The Mississippi Department of Health reported 1,322 individuals were admitted for

methamphetamine abuse as a primary substance in 2021. This is an increase from 2020, in which

235 individuals were admitted for abuse of methamphetamine as a primary substance.

AVAILABILITY

Methamphetamine that is transported into the state remains readily accessible and in can be found

in abundance across the state. Due to crystal methamphetamine’s supply and cheap price, it

remains in high demand among distributors due to its purity that results in consistent and desirable

“highs” for their customers, or users. Illicit methamphetamine that is imported by Mexican

criminal enterprise continues to be highly addictive and readily available across the state.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

With regard to “homemade” methamphetamine, referring to the locally produced drug in

clandestine laboratories, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, with the help of other law

enforcement agencies, presented legislation that was passed by the Mississippi House and Senate,

categorizing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine as Schedule III controlled substances in 2013. Due

to this legislation, Mississippi has seen a significant reduction in local methamphetamine

manufacturing, active methamphetamine labs, methamphetamine disposal sites, and chemical

glassware seizures since the passing of House Bill 512.

“Chemists”, or those involved in its illicit production, require access to precursors chemicals, or

“precursors”, to make methamphetamine. The primary chemicals used in the manufacture are

pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, generally referred to as the trade name "Sudafed." In

Mississippi, pseudoephedrine and ephedrine were previously classed as Schedule III substances

under Mississippi law. This meant an individual could not go into a local drugstore and purchase

the pills as an over-the-counter (OTC) medication, but had to obtain a medical provider’s

prescription. Illicit drug manufacturers, on the other hand, simply utilized or attempted to utilize

other substances in this clandestine chemical process. Due to several reasons, including the

enactment of this law, Mississippi saw a significant decrease in illicit clandestine laboratories

producing methamphetamine. In the end, the regulations prohibiting the sale of over-the-counter

pseudoephedrine had little effect on the availability of methamphetamine. Therefore, in 2021,

Mississippi legislators overturned the law and thereby allowing products containing

pseudoephedrine to be purchased over the counter beginning in January 2022.

ASSOCIATED CRIME AND VIOLENCE

Due to the defendants' potential involvement with drug

cartels and gangs, investigating drug traffickers continues

to be dangerous. Methamphetamine abusers and

producers both show signs of agitation and paranoia

when they use the drug. As a result, instances in which

violence may occur increases because of the

psychological and physiological effects.

Methamphetamine is one of the street drugs that

continues to contribute to both violent and property

crime, according to respondents to the National Drug

Threat Assessment. When investigating suspected

methamphetamine labs, law enforcement agents are

required to wear protective clothes and breathing

equipment. At methamphetamine labs, booby-traps and

guns are also a threat. A sentencing enhancement was

added to Mississippi Senate Bill 2575, which was voted

into law in July 2005, for violators who have firearms

and/or booby traps on premises or property during an

investigation or at the time of arrest. Combustible materials in methamphetamine labs frequently

result in explosions and fires, posing substantial risks to the environment, law enforcement, and

the public.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Children are frequently found in clandestine methamphetamine laboratories, due to a search

warrant, an undercover purchase, a traffic stop, or a citizen complaint. Hazardous chemicals are

present during the manufacturing process, in which children and adults are exposed. Children

identified in these settings are usually related to the owners and producers of the laboratories.

PRODUCTION

To curb production of methamphetamine, United States Congress passed the Combat

Methamphetamine Epidemic Act in 2005, which requires that pharmacies and other retail stores

keep logs of purchases of products containing pseudoephedrine and limits the amount of those

products an individual can purchase per day. Restrictions on the chemicals used to make

methamphetamine in the United States have dramatically reduced domestic production of the

drug. In 2010, there were 15,256 domestic methamphetamine laboratory incidents, which

decreased over eighty percent (80 %) in 2017.

Locally, a simplified one-pot synthesis, commonly referred to as a "shake and bake” or a “mom

and pop” lab, is typically the most common manufacturing method utilized. The manufacturing

process is only capable of making small batches of methamphetamine, and in turn the

pseudoephedrine restrictions are less effective. The process also uses smaller quantities of

chemicals, thereby easier to obtain without raising undue suspicion. Additionally, this process

requires less “steps” and is quicker, but no less dangerous to carry out where some addicts have

been found to have made the drug while driving. For awareness and safety, the process involves

placing crushed pseudoephedrine tablets into a non-pressurized container containing ammonium

nitrate, water, and a hydrophobic solvent such as Coleman fuel or automotive starting fluid, to

which lye and lithium strips are added. Hydrogen chloride gas produced by a reaction of salt with

sulfuric acid is then used to recover crystals for purification. The container needs to be "burped"

periodically to prevent failure under accumulating pressure, as exposure of the lithium to the

water can spark a flash fire; thus, an abandoned reaction becomes a severe hazard to the public,

as well as, first responders, to include law enforcement officer and firefighters. Lithium reacts

violently with water, producing fire, which can start a fire or an explosion during the “cook”. The

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pressure associated with the chemical reaction can cause the container to fail and expose

individuals to the hazardous chemicals.

Mexican Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have had a significant impact in

Mississippi from at least 2016 to the present, with “ice” linked to "super laboratories" in Mexico.

These large labs can supply the increasing demands for crystal methamphetamine far more

quickly than any small-scale local methamphetamine production. According to a report submitted

to Congress by the US Government Accountability Office, “super-labs” may create ten (10)

pounds of “ice” every 24 hours, compared to home methamphetamine labs that can produce

significantly less methamphetamine during the same time period, such as multi-grams to ounce

quantities. Crystalized methamphetamine, referred to as “ice”, undergoes additional chemical

processes, which removes the impurities and produces higher concentrations of the drug.

Therefore, this version of the stimulant is highly desirable due to it being almost twice as strong

as homemade meth, requiring a lower amount of the stimulant to achieve the same "high”.

TRANSPORTATION

Methamphetamine distributors have traditionally been outlaw motorcycle gangs and other

independent trafficking organizations. While these organizations continue to manufacture meth,

clandestine laboratories in Southwest Border states and Mexico have become the main sources

of methamphetamine in Mississippi. Methamphetamine “ice” is manufactured in Mexico and

imported into and through Mississippi via the West Coast and the Southwest Border. It is

primarily controlled by the same major organizations that manufacture and traffic other illicit

substances from Mexico to the United States. Methamphetamine is mostly transported in

disguised compartments in passenger, commercial, and rail vehicles. Additionally, the United

States Postal Service and next-day delivery services are frequently used by individuals and

criminal organizations.

DISTRIBUTION

Methamphetamine is typically distributed by local drug trafficking organizations and

independent dealers across Mississippi. Methamphetamine distribution is no longer restricted to

truck stops, clubs, low-to-moderate-income apartments, mobile home parks, hotels, restaurant

parking lots, and rural regions, which were common and expected settings. The distribution has

also expanded to accommodate people from all walks of life due to more people willing to try

drugs and become addicted due to their initial use or subsequent attempts to reach the same high.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

HEROIN & FENTANYL

ASSESSMENT OF THE THREAT

Heroin and fentanyl continue to be a threat in Mississippi because of their high addiction rate and

the increasing number of heroin and

fentanyl related overdose deaths. The

price of heroin has decreased over the

past several years as the purity of heroin

has increased. Fentanyl is so cheaply

manufactured that it is being used to cut

with heroin and other opioids to further

the profits of drug dealers and

trafficking organizations. Half of the

respondents to the 2023 HIDTA Threat

Assessment said that drug trafficking

and availability of fentanyl increased in

2021 and 48% of respondents ranked

fentanyl and other opioids, not

including heroin, as the greatest drug

threat facing Mississippi.

MBN Agents worked 71 cases involving heroin in 2021. This is a slight increase from 2020 with

61 heroin cases, but a substantial decrease when compared to 122 cases in 2019. MBN seized

over 267 grams and 20 milliliters of

heroin in 2021, as compared to 415 grams

and 270 milliliters seized in 2020 and

2,954 grams seized in 2019. During the

past several years, brown heroin was the

predominant form of heroin seen in

Mississippi, whereas the trend continued

in 2021. MBN seized 223 grams of brown

heroin, 2 grams of black heroin, and 42

grams of white heroin. Sixty-four percent

(64%) of the 2023 Gulf Coast HIDTA

Threat Assessment Survey respondents

said the availability of heroin, fentanyl

and other opioids has increased in the past

year. Additionally, almost all respondents

said that the demand has either stayed the

same or increased.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

MBN has seen a steady increase in the number of cases

initiated involving fentanyl over the past four years. In

2021, MBN initiated 39 cases involving fentanyl,

compared to 19 cases in 2020, 14 in 2019 and 10 in 2018.

MBN is also noticing an increase in the numbers of cases

where other drugs, particularly counterfeit prescription

pills, have been determined to contain fentanyl. As

expected, the drugs were believed to be some other drug,

but crime lab results indicated the presence of fentanyl.

In 2021, MBN initiated 26 cases involving counterfeit

pills, which were found to contain fentanyl. The crime

lab is still facing a pandemic-driven backlog, although

not as severe as 2020. MBN expects the fentanyl numbers to increase as drug submissions are

analyzed and these results are reported to MBN.

ABUSE

According to “Fentanyl: The State We’re In” from the advocacy group Families Against

Fentanyl, fentanyl deaths have increased 373% in the past two years and have increased 980%

since 2015. A rapid increase in the prescribing of opioids, started in the 1990s, led to an opioid

epidemic. With prescription opioids now being harder to obtain, heroin and other illicit opioids

are more in demand. Cartels and some local drug dealers are cutting heroin with fentanyl and

selling on the street to increase profits. Additionally, these drug distributors are selling fentanyl

laced counterfeit pills that appear to be Oxycodone,

Xanax, Percocet, or other similar drugs, causing

overdose deaths involving fentanyl to rise. There

were at least 240 overdose deaths involving heroin

and/or fentanyl in 2021, which is 61% of all of the

overdose deaths reported for 2021. Additionally,

there were about 289 overdose deaths that involved

prescription, illegal or synthetic opioids, which was

73% of all overdose deaths in 2021. There are still

overdose deaths that have not been reported, as well

as, crime lab results that have not been completed,

whereas this number is expected to rise. In 2020,

there were 272 overdose deaths involving heroin

and/or fentanyl, which accounted for 60% of all drug

overdose deaths and 73% involved prescription,

illegal or synthetic opioids.

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health reported that during the year 2021, 314 people

were treated for heroin as a primary substance and 100 people were treated for heroin as a

secondary substance. This is a decrease from the previous three years. In 2020, 680 people were

treated for heroin as a primary substance as compared to 574 admissions in 2019 and 530

admissions in 2018.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

PRODUCTION

Heroin is an opioid derived from morphine which comes from the poppy plant. Heroin generally

comes in three different forms in the United States: powder, black tar and pills. Powder heroin

comes in brown and white. White powder heroin is usually the most desirable and originates in

Southeast and Southwest Asia. Brown powder originates from Mexico and is darker in color and

is usually less powerful. Black tar heroin, which has a black sticky appearance, almost exclusively

comes from Mexico and South America. The third, least common form of heroin is pill form.

These are often sold in gel capsules or made with pill presses and mixed with other powders like

powdered lactose, quinine and baby laxative. Usually, these pills mimic an opiate pill. Pills are

usually the cheapest and lowest-quality form of the drug.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that can be prescribed to treat patients with chronic pain

or severe pain following surgery. It is a Schedule II controlled substance like morphine but 50

to 100 times more potent. Transdermal patches or lozenges are prescribed forms of fentanyl,

which can be diverted for misuse and abuse. Fentanyl is also illicitly manufactured primarily in

foreign clandestine labs and smuggled through Mexico to the United States. Fentanyl is being

mixed with other illicit drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin to increase the potency

of the drug and is sold as powders, nasal sprays, and counterfeit prescription opioids pills.

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Other Related Overdose Deaths

Prescription Related Overdose Deaths

Prescription Opioid Related Overdose Deaths

Fentanyl Related Overdose Deaths

Heroin Related Overdose Deaths

Heroin & Fentanyl Combined Related Overdose Deaths

2021 Overdose Deaths by Related Drug

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Counterfeit pills are made without any official supervision or quality control so often counterfeit

pills contain lethal doses of fentanyl. There is significant risk that illegal drugs have been

intentionally contaminated with fentanyl increasing the possibility of a fatal interaction.

TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION

Mexican DTOs dominate the trafficking of Mexican black tar heroin and Mexican brown powder

heroin. Most of the heroin distributed in the United States comes across the southwest border and

is controlled by Mexican Cartels. White powder heroin originates in Southeast and southwest

Asia. Heroin is typically transported by private and commercial vehicles from Mexico, and then

across the United States from California, and other southwestern states. According to the 2023

Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Law Enforcement Survey, 37% of respondents

said heroin is transported by Mexicans, 31% said Black Americans and 14% said Caucasian

Americans.

China and Mexico are the largest producers of fentanyl that makes its way into the United States

via shipping containers, mail, or smuggled across the U.S./Mexico border. Heroin and fentanyl,

once in the U.S., are transported into and through Mississippi via three major routes: Interstate

10, Interstate 20, and Interstate 55. According to the 2023 Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug

Trafficking Area Law Enforcement Survey, 34% of respondents said fentanyl is transported by

Black Americans, 26% said Caucasian Americans, and 26% said Mexicans.

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Asian Black American Caucasian American Mexican Other

2023 GCHIDTA Law Enforcement Survey

Transportation, Wholesale & Retail Distribution of

Heroin, Fentanyl and Other Opioids

Transportation: Fentanyl & Other Opioids* Transportation: Heroin

Wholesale Distribution: Fentanyl & Other Opioids* Wholesale Distribution: Heroin

Retail Distribution: Fentanyl & Other Opioids* Retail Distribution: Heroin

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

ASSOCIATED CRIME AND VIOLENCE

Heroin and fentanyl related violence is minimal in Mississippi. However, gangs that are

associated with selling small quantities of heroin and fentanyl, commit violent crimes including:

assault, burglary, homicide, and robbery, to further their drug activities and to protect their turf.

Most of the violent crime that occurs in Mississippi is not directly attributed to heroin or fentanyl

use and distribution.

DIVERTED PHARMACEUTICALS

ASSESSMENT OF THE THREAT

Pharmaceutical Drug Diversion has generally been

defined as the use of pharmaceuticals, or prescription

medications, by someone other than for whom they were

intended or used in a manner other than prescribed.

Typically, the biggest threat lies in pharmaceuticals that

are obtained by forgery and theft, whereas organized

groups focus their efforts on specific drugs of choice to

be further distributed. These medications are routinely

the most prescribed and in high demand in both, the

legitimate and illicit markets. With that stated, the use

and abuse of diverted pharmaceuticals continues to be a

serious problem that affects the health, social, and economic welfare of all communities, not only

in Mississippi, but all over the country. Again, the majority of the diversion cases that are being

investigated are related to prescription forgeries. MBN, along with its law enforcement partners,

routinely investigate and affect arrests for diversion activity and the distribution of

pharmaceuticals in Mississippi. Law enforcement encounters all segments of society involved in

pharmaceutical diversion activity: young people, elderly people, and everyone in between. Law

enforcement continues to encounter the less fortunate to the wealthy, which includes lawyers,

pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, doctors, nurses, businessmen, homemakers, and others, who

are involved in some aspect of pharmaceutical diversion and/or distribution of prescription

medications. Pharmaceuticals are still a central drug threat in Mississippi.

ABUSE

According to the Mississippi Prescription Monitoring Program (MS PMP), the “Top 10”

medications prescribed in Mississippi during Calendar Year 2021 continued to be dominated by

an assortment of narcotics, benzodiazepine, and stimulants. Hydrocodone continues to be the

most prescribed medication during the time period followed by oxycodone. Following these two

medications, the “Top 10” are rounded out by dextroamphetamine, tramadol, alprazolam,

zolpidem, clonazepam, methylphenidate, buprenorphine, and amphetamine. As to be expected

and for the most part, the illicit diversion of pharmaceutical drugs mirrors the drugs that are being

prescribed. The abuse of these medications continues to be a concern to law enforcement.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Drug users and abusers seek the commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals due to a familiarity with

them, such as hydrocodone (brand names: Vicodin, Norco, etc.), oxycodone (Percocet,

OxyContin, etc.), tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet), Ritalin (methylphenidate), Adderall

(dextroamphetamine), alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), and others. Narcotics,

benzodiazepines, stimulants, and other classes of prescription drugs continue to be a major

concern to law enforcement in Mississippi. Additionally, Promethazine with Codeine continues

to be a desired drug in the illicit market, whereas law enforcement has seen a dramatic uptick in

fraudulently manufactured prescriptions and fraudulent call-ins for this medication during

COVID.

MBN has found that some users and abusers were

lawfully prescribed their medication or

medications, of choice and had a desire to continue

to feel the effects produced by this drug after the

prescription was depleted. Other users and abusers

were introduced to a drug by a family member or

acquaintance and enjoyed the feeling that it

caused. Furthermore, users and abusers continued

to seek to find this medication from other sources

than from a licensed medical provider, albeit

prescription forgery activity, stealing from family

and friend’s medicine cabinets, purchasing

quantities of friends and acquaintances’ legitimate

supply, or seeking an illicit source on the street. Similar to “street drugs”, users and abusers seek

to obtain the elusive high that got them hooked in the beginning. As supply and demand impacts

the availability of hydrocodone, oxycodone, alprazolam, and other pharmaceuticals, illicitly

pressed pills, containing fentanyl and other substances that mimic or appear to be the desired pill,

continue to be sold to users seeking particularly marked pharmaceutical medications.

Unfortunately, these counterfeit pills can have lethal consequences. In an effort to combat this

dangerous situation, MBN’s Pharmaceutical Diversion Unit continues to investigate the

increasing numbers of diverted pharmaceuticals and the increasing number of overdose-related

cases throughout the state. MBN maintains a valued partnership with DEA’s Tactical Diversion

Unit based in Jackson, Mississippi.

As MBN continues to investigate allegations of wrongdoing as it pertains to pharmaceutical

medications, MBN also conducts training to increase awareness and expand partnerships with

local, state, and Federal law enforcement agencies. MBN initiated 219 cases involving

prescription narcotics, 80 cases involving prescription depressants, and 33 cases involving

prescription stimulants. These pharmaceutical-related cases involved the sale, possession, and

prescription forgery in 2021. According to MBN and as reported by Mississippi coroners,

approximately 20% of the reported overdoses in the state are related to or involve

pharmaceutically manufactured controlled substances. We continue to see the abuse of opioids

and other pharmaceutically manufactured controlled substances diverted from their legitimate

use and introduced into the black market across our state. This continued pattern forces law

enforcement to focus and refine their training, policies, and procedures to proactively combat this

dangerous situation of epic proportions.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

AVAILABILITY

Some methods of obtaining pharmaceuticals include:

1) legitimately obtaining prescriptions then diverting

a portion for abuse or financial gain; 2) being given

by, bought from, or taken from a friend or relative; 3)

stealing physician’s prescription pads; 4) producing

counterfeit prescriptions; 5) purchasing from internet

pharmacies; and 6) calling pharmacists

impersonating a physician. Some abusers continue to

go from medical provider to medical provider

complaining of the same ailment in an effort to obtain

duplicate prescriptions for personal use. Other

abusers steal prescription blanks or fraudulently call-

in prescriptions to secure quantities of desired

medications to support their habit. Additionally,

some physicians, and other medical providers, willingly help individuals abuse prescription drugs

by writing prescriptions when there is no medical need, usually associated with some personal

gain. MBN continues to identify individuals who travel outside the state to Louisiana, Texas, and

Florida to visit pain management clinics in order to obtain large quantities of pharmaceuticals to

illegally distribute in Mississippi. MBN continues to see intrastate and interstate organized

groups who utilize high quality fraudulently manufactured prescriptions to secure large quantities

of pharmaceuticals to illegally distribute inside and outside of Mississippi’s borders.

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

Fentanyl Hydrocodone Oxycodone Alprazolam Amphetamine

MS Forensics Laboratory

Top Pharmaceutical Evidence Samples

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

On January 20, 2022, the statewide numbers of evidence samples tested by the Mississippi

Forensics Laboratory Drug Section for 2021 were as follows for cases relevant to the top

pharmaceuticals: 468 cases that contained fentanyl or an analog of fentanyl; 280 cases that

contained hydrocodone or a combination; 224 cases that contained oxycodone or a combination;

154 cases that contained alprazolam; and 131 cases that contained amphetamine. Since the

Mississippi Forensics Laboratory Drug Section is still working 2021 cases, this number will

probably increase as analyzed drug results continue to be made available.

INTERNET PHARMACIES

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), purchasing pharmaceuticals from

online pharmacies can have dangerous or deadly consequences. Some of the risks of purchasing

from an online pharmacy are:

• Receiving counterfeit, contaminated, expired or unsafe pharmaceuticals

• Putting yourself at risk for adverse side-effects, especially with other medications being

taken

• Jeopardizing the security of your personal and financial information

• Opening yourself up to an overwhelming amount of spam phone calls and emails

An easy way to determine if the online pharmacy is high risk is if they:

• Do not require a prescription

• Do not provide contact information such as an address or phone number

• Advertise extremely low prices

• Fail to participate in any insurance plan, instead, requiring payment up front by credit card

or cash on delivery (COD)

• Offer a limited selection of medications for sale, mostly controlled substances

• Are willing to deliver drugs to a post office box or other location to avoid detection by

authorities

• Deceptively and inaccurately advise about the law and why it is permissible to obtain

controlled pharmaceutical substances from foreign countries via the internet

MBN’s Statewide Pharmaceutical Diversion Unit continues its efforts by working in conjunction

with the DEA to combat the illegal distribution of pharmaceuticals in the state from sources

outside of our state, albeit nationally or internationally.

ASSOCIATED CRIME AND VIOLENCE

Local independent dealers and abusers are primarily responsible for burglarizing pharmacies and

the homes of legitimate prescription holders to obtain drugs. However, MBN and our law

enforcement partners continue to investigate pharmacy burglaries that appear to be coordinated

efforts by out-of-state criminal groups. Pharmacy diversion also occurs when pharmacy

employees steal products directly from the shelves. Doctor shopping occurs when individuals

who may or may not have a legitimate ailment visit numerous physicians to obtain drugs in excess

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

of what should be prescribed. Prescription forgery transpires when local independent dealers or

abusers steal prescriptions from physicians or make “pen and ink” changes to prescriptions

doctors have written. Unscrupulous physicians sometimes prescribe medications for individuals

who do not have a medical need or sometimes for a fee or other favors. In addition to local

independent dealers and abusers, intrastate and interstate criminal groups that specialize in

pharmaceutical diversion are actively involved in all aspects of prescription forgery activity. In

2021, there were a total of 22 pharmacy burglaries, 9 of which were attempted, in Mississippi,

down from a total of 45 in 2020, of which 15 were attempted.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation of diverted pharmaceuticals is usually by privately owned vehicles and parcel

service businesses. MBN executed and/or responded to 729 interdiction stops in 2021, of which

114 resulted in the seizure of diverted pharmaceuticals. MBN has also intercepted numerous

packages and seized pharmaceuticals from the United States Postal Service, Federal Express,

United Parcel Service and others.

DISTRIBUTION

Most diverted pharmaceuticals

in Mississippi are for individual

use. Occasionally, violators will

sell pharmaceuticals obtained

through legitimate and diverted

means as a way of

supplementing their own habit.

Users also obtain

pharmaceuticals through pain

clinics throughout the state.

While MBN is seeing a decrease

in the number of general

practitioners’ issuing opioid

prescriptions, the prescriptions

written by doctors at pain

management clinics has

increased substantially. By following a person’s Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) history,

it has become evident which prescribers are problematic. Often the PMP of an overdose victim

will lead you straight to an over-prescriber. Some doctors are even prescribing controlled

substances through the internet to patients who have never been examined.

SUMMARY

The MBN Statewide Pharmaceutical Diversion Unit (SPDU) continues to work hand in hand

with the state regulatory boards to include the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy among others. By

maintaining these invaluable relationships, MBN has an interdisciplinary approach to their

82%

18%

GCHIDTA BLOC

RX Interdiction Seizures

OPIOIDS (D.U.) NON-OPIOIDS (D.U.)

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

enforcement efforts, whereas some investigations may not rise to the level needed for criminal

prosecution, but disciplinary action is warranted by the appropriate regulatory board(s). MBN

realizes the complexity of pharmaceutical drug diversion and it takes law enforcement, regulatory

boards, and the entire medical community working together to achieve a reduction in diverted

prescription medications.

MARIJUANA

ASSESSMENT OF THE THREAT

Marijuana continues to be the

most trafficked, widely abused,

and readily available illicit drug in

Mississippi. A relaxed public

perception of harm,

popularization by the media, and

groups advocating for legalization

encourages marijuana use. While

the recreational use of marijuana

remains illegal under Mississippi

law, state legislatures recently

approved legislation legalizing

marijuana for medical use.

Nationwide, eighteen states and

the District of Columbia have

legalized marijuana for recreational use. Three states, Arizona, New Jersey, and Montana

approved recreational marijuana on Election Day 2020. In 2021, New York, Virginia, New

Mexico, and Connecticut approved initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana. On a federal

level, marijuana remains illegal. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies

marijuana as a Schedule I drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for

abuse.

In 2021, MBN seized approximately 1,188 pounds of processed marijuana and 451 plants.

Additionally, 392 marijuana plants were reported to MBN as being seized by local sheriff and

police departments. MBN made 235 arrests in 2020 and 227 in 2021 for marijuana violations.

MBN seized approximately 715 pounds of marijuana and initiated 596 cases involving

marijuana and 19 cases involving marijuana plants in 2020. The significant decline in 2020 is

likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. When compared to previous years’ statistics, marijuana

availability has increased in Mississippi. This likely stems from the growing number of states

changing the legal status of marijuana.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

ABUSE

Marijuana continues to be the most commonly abused drug across all social, ethnic, financial,

and educational lines. Public perception of marijuana’s harmful effects is declining, a trend that

substance abuse professionals suggest stems from the drug’s changing legal status. According

to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMH), marijuana use is linked to

depression, anxiety, suicide ideation, and psychotic episodes. In 2021, The Mississippi

Department of Mental Health served over 10,000 patients for substance abuse. In 2020, MDMH

treated 4,848 patients for some form of substance abuse. When compared to 2020, the number

of substance abuse patients has increased by approximately 5,000 patients. Out of the total

number of substance abuse patients, 2,801 were treated for the abuse of marijuana.

Approximately 15% of the patients treated for marijuana used the drug as a primary substance.

Nationwide, marijuana is widely available and generally readily accessible. Marijuana use

among young adults and teens has trended downward in the past year. This decrease could be

contributed to the Covid-19 pandemic and dramatic shifts in the day-to-day lives of adolescents.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), marijuana use in all forms (smoking

and vaping) decreased significantly for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in 2021. In 2020, 11.4 % of

graders reported using marijuana, compared to 7.1% in 2021. 17.3% of 10th graders reported

using marijuana in 2021. This is in contrast to 2020 when 28.0% 10

graders reported using

marijuana. 30.5% of 12 graders reported using marijuana in the past year in 2021, compared to

35.2% in 2020.

AVAILABILITY

In the United States, marijuana is ranked as the most readily

available illicit drug. Since November 2020, Mississippi

has moved toward legalizing marijuana for medical use.

Voters approved a measure in November 2020 to allow

patients to purchase up to five ounces of medical marijuana

over the duration of a month. The initiative was overturned

by the Mississippi State Supreme Court several months

later. In September 2021, a modified version of the

program was approved by both the Mississippi House and

Senate. The new program allows physicians to prescribe

three ounces of marijuana to patients. This is a 40%

decrease from the original Initiative 65. The final version

of Senate Bill 2095 was passed in January 2022.

In February 2022, the Governor signed the legislation.

Even though the governor’s signature means the bill

becomes law immediately, it could be months before the

first marijuana dispensaries open. The Mississippi State Department of Health is responsible for

regulating the program. MSDH will begin accepting online applications for patients, medical

practitioners, and cannabis cultivation facilities by June 2022. After receiving applications,

MSDH has 120 days to begin administering licenses.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

The continued push for the legalization of medical marijuana has presented multiple challenges

for law enforcement officials. States that have legalized medical marijuana have become a

source for marijuana produced and distributed outside the legal framework. For example,

Oregon reported in the 2022 Oregon-Idaho HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment the amount of

marijuana seized by HIDTA task forces has steadily increased since 2016. Oregon-Idaho

HIDTA suggests the increase in marijuana seizures stems from legalization, insufficient

resources for monitoring compliance, and black market sales that encourage trafficking across

state borders. It is common for groups to exploit state laws limiting an individual’s possession

by diverting state-approved medical marijuana to the illicit market. These groups are able to sell

what they purchase to markets where marijuana is illegal.

Prices for marijuana vary based on the quality, potency, and geographic region where it was

produced, and whether it’s in flower, wax, or edible form. In Mississippi, Mexican marijuana

ranges between $400 and $900 per pound. Hydroponic marijuana ranges from approximately

$4,000 to $8,500 per pound. Nationally, the average price for commercial-grade marijuana is

approximately $750 per pound.

ASSOCIATED CRIME AND VIOLENCE

Violent crime is not associated with marijuana in Mississippi. However, some marijuana

producers and distributors will submit to violent crimes to protect their product. Cannabis

growers for example, will often resort to counter-surveillance, trip wires and explosives to

protect their crop from theft or seizure. In other states, marijuana retail distributors have been

known to carry weapons to protect their merchandise and to guard against potential robberies

during marijuana transactions. Mexican marijuana DTO’s are reputed to be the most violent in

the world.

PRODUCTION

There are three types of marijuana markets in the

United States: illicit markets, state-approved medical

marijuana, and state-approved recreational/personal-

use markets. Each market operates differently and can

be best described independently. Marijuana is grown

utilizing different methods such as indoor, outdoor and

hydroponic grow operations. Over the past few years,

indoor grow operations were on the decline in

Mississippi. These operations range in size from a

small closet to entire residences. Indoor cannabis

cultivation requires diligent oversight. In order to

produce a healthy plant, growers must provide their

crops with light, heat, humidity, and fertilizer. Indoor

grow operations also employ sophisticated means of

production and concealment. Organizations often

purchase homes in neighborhoods with mid to high-

level income residents. Residential indoor operations

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

are capable of producing marijuana crops four or more

times in one year. Data from 2018 shows that seizures

from these types of operations range from 50 to 100

marijuana plants, totaling up to $100,000 in value.

Outdoor operations enable a grower to conceal their crop

from law enforcement by intermixing it with other crops.

Mexican DTOs continue to use sophisticated methods of

cultivation. Workers are required to live on-site and tend

to the crop daily. DTOs utilize elaborate irrigation

systems, water pumps, hoses, portable sprayers, portable

gas generators, and advanced chemical fertilizer

applications.

TRANSPORTATION

Mexico-produced marijuana enters the country primarily

in Arizona, California, and south Texas, while high-potency Canadian marijuana is usually

smuggled through and between points of entry in Washington, Michigan, New York, and

Vermont. Both forms of marijuana are distributed nationally. Similarly, domestically produced

marijuana is transported from grow sites to markets nationwide. Mississippi continues to be a

major trans-shipment point for bulk marijuana from the Southwest Border.

According to the 2023 Gulf Coast HIDTA Threat Assessment Survey, marijuana is the most

commonly seized drug. According to Gulf Coast HIDTA/BLOC interdiction data for the

calendar year 2021, law enforcement officers in Mississippi seized 1,508 pounds of marijuana

and 480,307 dosage units of THC products from drug traffickers traveling through the state. The

primary source states for marijuana trafficked through Mississippi is California followed by

Texas. Domestic marijuana is the most common type of marijuana encountered by Mississippi

law enforcement followed by high-grade hydroponic and British Columbia seeds (BC bud).

Parcel delivery is also a popular avenue for drug traffickers to utilize for transporting drugs.

Sixty-six percent (66%) of Mississippi law enforcement respondents to the 2023 Gulf Coast

HIDTA Threat Assessment Survey reported an increase in the number of illicit narcotics

packages trafficked by mail or parcel transportation.

DISTRIBUTION

According to the 2023 Gulf Coast HIDTA threat assessment survey, sixty-five percent (65%) of

law enforcement in Mississippi reported the distribution of marijuana remained the same in

2021. Marijuana produced in the United States is trafficked into Mississippi, from states where

production is legal. Private and rented vehicles remain the preferred method of transportation

for marijuana; however, drug traffickers often use commercial semi-trucks and tractor-trailers.

Law enforcement in Mississippi has encountered commercial semi-trucks transporting loads of

100 to 1,000-kilogram quantities. Marijuana is distributed by all socio-economic classes ranging

from street-level dealers to major distributors.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Mexican-produced marijuana is transported

into the United States across the southwest

border while smaller quantities are often

trafficked from Canada and the Caribbean.

Marijuana produced in Mexico is considered

“low grade” and of lesser quality than

marijuana produced in the United States and

Canada. Warehouses along the southwest

border are often used to store foreign-

produced marijuana once it enters the U.S.

The United States Custom and Border

Protection Office of Field Operations seized

approximately 319,447 pounds of marijuana

during the Federal fiscal year (FY) 2021

(October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2021).

When compared to FY2020, the amount of

marijuana seized by CBP has increased.

TRENDS

Marijuana will continue to be one of the most widely abused and one of the most available illicit

drugs in Mississippi. The Mississippi medical cannabis program will likely lead to an increase

in abuse and availability rates. Medical marijuana legislation has led to an increase in marijuana

seizures in states that enacted medical cannabis programs. Oregon has reported a steady increase

in marijuana seizures since the state’s medical cannabis program went into effect. As more states

move to legalize medical and recreational marijuana, domestic production and trafficking will

increase. This will likely allow criminal and drug trafficking organizations to take advantage of

state legality.

POWDER AND CRACK COCAINE

ASSESSMENT OF THE THREAT

Cocaine numbers have steadily dropped in Mississippi due to drug organizations expanding their

drug trafficking to include drugs like methamphetamine and heroin. MBN initiated cocaine cases

increased in 2021 as compared to 2020, but was still a decrease compared to the previous nine

years. Although MBN cocaine case numbers are low, cocaine remains a dangerous and

problematic drug in communities and for law enforcement across the state. The use and/or sale

of cocaine can be linked directly and indirectly to crimes, especially violent crimes.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

ABUSE

In Mississippi, cocaine is illicitly trafficked and abused by people from all racial and

socioeconomic groups throughout the state’s 82 counties. Crack cocaine remains the drug of

choice among users and traffickers in the Black American population in both urban and rural

areas of Mississippi. However, the use and abuse of cocaine is not limited to any one geographic

area or ethnic group.

In 2021, Mississippi saw an increase in the number of cocaine cases and cocaine seized

compared to 2020. In 2021, approximately 11% of all MBN drug cases initiated were for

cocaine. There were 92 cases involving crack cocaine and 111 involving powder cocaine in 2021

compared to 69 cases involving crack cocaine and 97 cases involving powder cocaine in 2020,

but this is a decrease when compared to 155 cases involving crack cocaine and 121 cases

involving powder cocaine in 2019. There was an increase in the amount of cocaine seized in

2021, as compared to the past couple of years, but a considerable decrease compared to seizures

in 2018. MBN agents purchased or seized approximately 88 pounds of cocaine during 2021, 26

pounds of cocaine during 2020 and approximately 13 pounds in 2019 but seized or purchased

approximately 148 pounds in 2018.

During 2021, MBN arrested a total of 122 individuals for sale and possession of cocaine. This

was approximately 10% of all the drug related arrests by MBN in 2021. This is an increase

compared to 68 arrests for cocaine in 2020 but a decrease when compared to 182 arrests for

cocaine in 2019 and 143 arrests for cocaine in 2018.

In 2021, the Gulf Coast HIDTA/BLOC Watch Center reported a total 190 pounds of cocaine

seized during 5 traffic stops, primarily from local agency traffic stops on Mississippi interstates

and state highways. This was a very significant increase compared to 19 pounds seized in 2020

and 108 pounds seized in 2019, but a decrease compared to 206 pounds in 2018.

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

MBN Cases

Cocaine Methamphetamine

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Treatment data from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health shows that 428 people were

admitted for cocaine abuse as a primary substance in 2021 in comparison to 96 in 2020 and 547

in 2018. This is less than 1% of the total amount of individuals served in 2021. Of the 428

people, 47% were between the age of 46 and 65 and 46% were between the age of 26 and 45.

AVAILABILITY

Most of the high-level (wholesale) crack

cocaine trade in Mississippi is controlled by

Black Americans, many of whom are

members or affiliates of groups or gangs

such as the “Vice Lords,” “Gangster

Disciples,” “Wood Street Players,” the

“Four Corner Hustlers,” and the “North End

Boys.” Unique to the Mississippi Gulf

Coast counties of Hancock, Harrison, and

Jackson are the Vietnamese gangs involved

in drug trafficking. These Vietnamese

gangs, primarily operating in the Biloxi

area, are heavily involved in the distribution

of powder cocaine and the club drug ecstasy. The primary cocaine sources for these Vietnamese

dealers are located in Texas, Canada, and California. Vietnamese dealers are known to supply

some of the Black American dealers with powder cocaine, which is then converted into crack

cocaine for local sale.

Mexican traffickers are loosely organized in Mississippi but are believed to be associated with

large Mexican DTOs operating in Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas. Overall, the Mexican

population in Mississippi is steadily growing, and the presence of Mexican DTOs is increasing

in rural agricultural areas of the state.

ASSOCIATED CRIME AND VIOLENCE

Crack and powder cocaine are significant problems for Mississippi’s residents and law

enforcement. Cocaine has been responsible for some violence and criminal activity in

Mississippi. Cocaine abusers commit thefts and robberies to fund their addictions. Cocaine retail

distributors have been known to carry weapons to protect their merchandise and to guard against

potential robberies during cocaine transactions. Mexican cocaine DTOs are reputed to be among

the most violent in the world.

PRODUCTION

Cocaine is produced almost exclusively in northern and western South America with Colombia

as the main producer of illegal cocaine coming to the United States. Cocaine is not cultivated

nor is it produced in Mississippi. Some crack cocaine is transported to Mississippi from

neighboring states; however, most crack cocaine is converted locally prior to retail distribution.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

TRANSPORTATION

Mexican DTO’s dominate cocaine transportation into the United States. Most of the cocaine

entering the United States is transported across the Southwest Border via Mexico in kilogram

quantities. Most of the cocaine found in Mississippi is primarily transported by Mexican or

Black American DTOs via Texas and the Southwest Border. Cocaine is transported primarily in

powder form and is commonly transported from the main source cities of Houston and Dallas

to local wholesale distributors in Mississippi, most often via personal vehicles or commercial

trucks on I-10, I-55, I-59, and I-20. There are a variety of concealment methods, to include false

compartments inside the quarter-panels of the vehicles. Additionally, cocaine is often found

inside electronically controlled false compartments in vehicles. Cocaine is transported into

Mississippi by personal carry-on luggage via commercial and private buses, and through parcel

services. Mississippi distributors often travel to Texas to obtain cocaine or rely on the Mexican

DTOs through “mules”, or individuals whose primary, if not only, role is to transport the drugs,

to deliver cocaine to Mississippi. Los Angeles, Memphis, Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami are

secondary source cities for the cocaine found in Mississippi.

DISTRIBUTION

Most of the local distribution in the state is

controlled by miscellaneous independent

drug trafficking organizations and is

transported into the state in two to 10-

kilogram quantities. Loads of 20 kilograms

and greater have been seized in the state,

largely bound for Chicago or Atlanta.

There is also widespread use of

commercial courier services, such as

commercial truck lines, independent

truckers, and parcel service businesses to

transport drugs into the state and ship

currency out. A bulk of Mississippi’s

cocaine supply comes in through Texas.

Once cocaine is brought into Mississippi, local suppliers tend to mix or “cut” the cocaine with

a variety of substances to increase the amount of the cocaine, which in turn increases their profit.

Cocaine dealers then distribute the “cut” cocaine in weights ranging from grams to ounces. Local

dealers often convert powder cocaine into crack cocaine to be distributed by street level dealers.

Crack cocaine distributors are mostly Black Americans, while powder cocaine distributors

include Caucasian Americans and other ethnic groups.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

NEW PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES

ASSESSMENT OF THE THREAT

New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS), research

chemicals (RC), designer drugs or “herbal highs,” are terms that have all been used to describe

drugs that have been created to mimic the effects of scheduled or controlled illicit drugs.

Synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones are most commonly abused amongst all NPS.

Despite the fact that these substances are referred to as “new,” it is not that they are newly created

substances, but rather newly abused and encountered on the illicit market. Moreover, many NPS’

existences have been previously documented in scientific and regulatory communities. In

addition to the wide availability of these substances online, they are also readily available in gas

stations, adult stores, and smoke shops. NPS include, but are not limited to, synthetic

cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, LSD, DMT, PCP, psilocybin

mushrooms and anabolic steroids

ABUSE

NPS are a variety of other dangerous drugs that are equally addictive and just as devastating to

society despite the fact that opioids, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana receive a great

deal of attention through enforcement efforts and media outlets. Although they remain popular

among all age groups, NPS are typically marketed toward young adults as well as the homeless

population. While some are used regularly among a small group of users, new substances often

appear quickly and disappear again. NPS may be particularly attractive to drug users that are

subjected to drug screening, such as inmates, parolees, and probationers, as drug screens often

do not have the ability to identify all NPS. One of the most troubling aspects of NPS is the lack

of awareness of the content and potency of the substance being consumed.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS (SPICE)

Synthetic cannabinoids are a class of chemicals that

bind to cannabinoid receptors in the body, but they

are different from the natural cannabinoids in the

cannabis plants. Synthetic cannabinoids can be

used/consumed in a variety of ways, including, but

not limited to, 1) being sprayed or otherwise soaked

into a plant or other base material then typically

smoked, 2) suspended in an oil form to be used in e-

cigarettes or, 3) pressed into counterfeit prescription

pills. The blend of material, oil, or pill is sometimes

misleadingly referred to as synthetic marijuana. MBN initiated 44 cases involving synthetic

cannabinoids during 2021. These cases resulted in four arrests and the seizure of 407 containers,

1644 grams, 1418 milliliters and 320 dosage units of the substance. There were 50 cases initiated

in 2020, whereas six arrests were made and approximately 295 containers, 539 grams, 21-liter

units of the substance were seized.

MDMA (ECSTASY)

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a psychoactive drug

used recreationally. It is chemically similar to both stimulants and

hallucinogens, producing feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional

warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception. While it was initially

popular in the nightclub scene and at “raves,” the drug now affects a

broader range of people and is often referred to as Molly and Ecstasy.

MBN initiated 65 cases in 2021 resulting in 51 arrests and the seizure of

approximately 23,499 dosage units and 3,386 grams of MDMA. This is an

increase from 2020 where 32 cases were opened, 42 arrests were made and

approximately 3,465 dosage units and 166 grams were seized or purchased.

ANABOLIC STEROIDS

Anabolic steroids are synthetic variations of the male sex hormone testosterone. Some common

names for anabolic steroids are Gear, Juice, Roids, and Stackers. During 2021, MBN initiated 3

cases and made 0 arrests. Those three cases resulted in the seizure of 210 milliliters of steroids.

This in a decrease from 2020 where MBN initiated five cases and seized 440 milliliters of

steroids.

OTHER HALLUCINOGENS

MBN initiated seven cases involving other hallucinogens in 2021, broken down as follows: five

for LSD and two Psilocybin Mushrooms. This was a slight decrease from 2020, whereas MBN

initiated 13 cases involving other hallucinogens in 2020, broken down as follows: four for LSD,

eight for Psilocybin Mushrooms and one for dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known as acid, is a psychedelic

drug known for its psychological effects, which may include altered

awareness of one's surroundings, perceptions, and feelings as well as

sensations and images that seem real though they are not. Used mainly

as a recreational drug, LSD is sold on the street in small tablets

(“microdots”), capsules or gelatin squares (“windowpanes”). It is

sometimes added to absorbent paper, which is then divided into small

squares decorated with designs or cartoon characters (“loony toons”).

LSD is typically either swallowed or held under the tongue but can also

be injected. In 2020, one case involving LSD was initiated resulting in

one arrest and the seizure of 78 dosage units. Considered by some as a significant increase, five

cases were initiated with 127 dosage units of LSD seized and/or purchased, with zero arrests

being made at the time of this report.

Psilocybin Mushrooms are one of a polyphyletic group of

mushrooms that contain any of various psychedelic compounds

including psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin. When consumed or

brewed into a tea, mushrooms can produce a state of euphoria,

altered thinking processes, closed and open-eye visuals,

synesthesia, an altered sense of time, and spiritual experiences.

MBN initiated two cases, making one arrest, and seizing 63.75

grams of mushrooms in 2021, whereas MBN initiated eight cases

that resulted in two arrests and the seizure of 38.12 grams and 172

dosage units in 2020.

AVAILABILITY

While the most common way to obtain NPS is through the internet, they are also readily

available at college campuses, night clubs, and rave parties, especially MDMA and LSD. People

continue to seek NPS out in gas stations/convenience stores, adult stores, and smoke and drug

paraphernalia shops. The danger in this lies in the fact that these substances are not regulated

and because of the variations in contents, two seemingly identical products sold in stores may

have two completely different cannabinoids, cathinones, etc. inside them or may be

laced/contaminated with other substances like fentanyl.

ASSOCIATED CRIME AND VIOLENCE

The use of synthetic cathinones and synthetic cannabinoids has been linked to violence and

overdose deaths across the country. Violence has also been linked to the use of other synthetic

drugs such as bath salts, PCP, and steroids. GHB can cause memory lapse, confusion, or amnesia

in victims which can lead to difficulty in prosecutions. As law enforcement and policy makers

have begun to target stores selling synthetic cannabinoids, sales have moved more towards the

streets.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

PRODUCTION

NPS are all created substances, from chemicals requiring no plant material, and are made to

mimic the effects of other illicit drugs. Due to a lack in standardization, people often do not

really know what they’re getting. For example, synthetic cannabinoids, which are often obtained

from China, are sold in colorful packaging, designed to support the belief of synthetic

cannabinoids being “safe” for use. While MDMA was initially developed by a German

pharmaceutical company in 1912, presently its main source of production is more ambiguous.

Manufacturing LSD requires laboratory equipment and experience in the field of organic

chemistry. Already synthesized NPS are commonly available in China and other Asian and

European countries and often shipped through mail carriers to be processed and packaged

domestically.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation of these various hallucinogens and synthetics is usually via privately owned

vehicles and through the internet via parcel delivery services like the United States Postal

Service (USPS), Federal Express (FedEx), and United Parcel Service (UPS).

DISTRIBUTION

Besides the wide availability via the internet, more and more NPS are being sold in gas stations

and smoke shops. There has been an influx of synthetic cannabinoids being marketed as legal e-

liquids or vape oils. As law enforcement targets these types of shops, the sales of these e-liquids

are making their way towards street sales. MDMA and LSD distribution typically occur at

private parties and close to high school and college campuses. Some street gang members in

Mississippi also distributes these illicit substances.

V. DRUG OVERDOSES

As of March 22, 2022, Mississippi Coroners reported 429 Drug Related Overdose deaths to

MBN that occurred in 52 counties in 2021. Compliance with reporting overdose deaths

continues to be haphazard in some areas. As a result, Senate Bill 2264 was passed in 2007 to

require healthcare providers, coroners, and law enforcement officers to notify the Mississippi

Bureau of Narcotics of all drug overdose deaths within 24 hours.

2021 - 426 cases reported involving 429 individuals experienced fatal overdoses.

2020 - 531 cases reported involving 533 individuals experienced fatal overdoses.

Analyst note: Although many coroners have begun reporting these deaths since the passage of

this bill, there is no penalty for failure to report an overdose. Therefore, these figures may not

be an accurate reflection of the actual number of overdose deaths in the state of Mississippi.)

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

MBN speculates that the distribution of NARCAN® (naloxone HCl) to first responder resulted

in a reduction of deaths secondary to drug (OPIATES) overdoses in our state. NARCAN®

(naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray is used for the treatment of an opioid emergency or a possible

opioid overdose with signs of breathing problems and severe sleepiness or not being able to

respond. These statistics by no means represent the alarming numbers of non-fatal overdose

cases not reported to MBN that, by speculation, could be in the thousands.

The misuse of and addiction to opioids, including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and

synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well

as social and economic welfare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that

the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5

billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and

criminal justice involvement.

How did this happen?

In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients

would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers, and healthcare providers began

to prescribe them at greater rates. This subsequently led to widespread diversion and misuse of

these medications before it became clear that these medications could indeed be highly

addictive. Opioid overdose rates began to increase.

Fentanyl AND

Methamphetamine

18%

Fentanyl OR

Methamphetamine

47%

Neither

35%

2021 Suspected Overdose Deaths Due to

Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

Fentanyl AND Methamphetamine

Fentanyl OR Methamphetamine

Neither

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

VI. ILLICIT FINANCE

The United States AML/CFT continues to seek ways in denying criminal and malign actors

access to the U.S. and international financial system by detecting, disrupting, and preventing

illicit financial activities within the U.S. Illicit activity occurs both domestically and

internationally. Some of the key illicit finance threats are money laundering from various crimes

(including fraud), drug trafficking, terrorist financing, weapons of mass destruction (WMD)

financing, organized crime, human trafficking, and corruption. Vulnerabilities that have been

exploited are, but not limited to, lack of beneficial ownership information, real estate,

correspondent banking, uneven anti-money laundering obligations, compliance weakness, cash,

complicity professionals and digital assets. All of these have in some form contributed to the

allowance of illicit proceeds to enter the United States financial system.

100

120

140

160

180

200

Whtie Black Other Ethnicity

2021 Overdoses by Race & Age

Minor (17 and under) 18-30 31-50 51+

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

FINANCE/MONEY LAUNDERING

Why is laundering money illegal? Simply because it is a way for criminals, terrorists, and other

illegal organizations to profit from illegal activity. Money can be laundered through placement,

layering, and integration. Placement is where the funds are placed legally back into the financial

system to avoid banks, financial institutions, and law enforcement agencies of being suspicious.

Layering is after the funds have been placed backed into the financial system, it is then entered

through a series of transactions designed to confuse the paper trail for investigators. Integration

is the last and final step before the funds are withdrawn and put back into circulation. This is

when the funds are reimbursed to the criminal from what seem to be legitimate sources.

COVID 19 has had a significant impact on the way criminals launder money due to the fear of

being exposed to the virus. Some of the new and creative ways are selling fake COVID-19 test

kits online, the sale of personal protective equipment and the sale of medical supplies that are in

high demand. Money laundering of cash is declining due to the rise of emerging technology,

customers providing payment through virtual currencies, and phishing scams. Criminals are

exploiting new technology as they become more mainstream, particularly digital assets.

Laundering illegal proceeds through digital assets is frequently linked to cybercrime and buyers

of narcotics, like fentanyl, both on the Clearweb and Darknet marketplace.

Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs)

continue to employ a variety of money laundering methods. DTOs are pursuing a more creative

and sophisticated method to conceal drug proceeds to elude law enforcement by turning to

Professional Money Laundering Networks (PMLN) who receive a fee or commission for their

laundering services and often use their specialized expertise to launder proceeds generated by

others, regardless of the criminal actions. PMLNs are constantly evolving and adapting to law

enforcement.

In 2021, MBN responded to 729 traffic stops conducted by the Mississippi Highway Patrol and

various local and state agencies. Of those, 25 stops resulted in the seizure of illicit funds. MBN

seized $372,246. in U.S. currency from drug violators within the state. Agents assisted other

agencies with the seizure of approximately $486,880. According to Gulf Coast HIDTA/BLOC,

participating agencies seized approximately $4,318,527. from drug violators in Mississippi for

a combined total of $5,177,653. The seizure of these funds has greatly impacted the drug trade

within the state.

Law enforcement utilizes the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN) to assist in

identifying assets of drug dealers. The Suspicious Activity Report (SAR), Currency Transaction

Report (CTR) and Currency Transaction Report for Casinos (CTR-C) are the most common

utilized by law enforcement. Although FINCEN helps address the difficulties of tracking wired

monies and/or monies moved via financial institution, the bulk movement of currency out of the

United States and into the transit and source countries remains a problem for law enforcement.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

VII. TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

PMP Aware is a prescription monitoring solution that provides state government agencies with

accurate, real-time data, compliant with their regulations. The system has been re-modified to

better serve physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, and authorized law

enforcement.

The Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) is a very useful tool for the state of Mississippi.

PMP is active in 54 states and territories. The MS PMP is managed by the Mississippi Board of

Pharmacy. Every controlled substance prescribed state-wide is entered into the PMP Aware

database in real time, allowing for earlier identification and intervention. In 2021, the system

was overhauled and given a new more user-friendly interface.

Mississippi has had a steady rise in deaths due to prescription drug use. A simple PMP can tell

a doctor if a patient is doctor shopping, how many prescriptions that individual had filled within

a year, or specified time period, doctor’s name and what prescription drug was prescribed. In

$12,468,313.00

$2,200,023.00

$2,277,825.00

$10,119,522.00

$5,177,653.00

$0.00

$2,000,000.00

$4,000,000.00

$6,000,000.00

$8,000,000.00

$10,000,000.00

$12,000,000.00

$14,000,000.00

CURRENCY SEIZURES IN MISSISSIPPI

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

2021, there were 4,736,213 requests from the PMP data base, over 27,382 registered users and

an average of 500,000 prescriptions reported each month.

Thanks in part to grant funding by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health and the

Mississippi Partnership Project, Mississippians have access to prescription drop boxes at 36

different law enforcement agencies and schools (listed below) throughout the state, to help

dispose of their expired or unwanted prescriptions.

Bay St. Louis PD

JPD-Precinct 2

MHP-Brookhaven

Ocean Springs PD

Biloxi PD

JPD-Precinct 3

MHP-Hattiesburg

Oxford PD

Brandon PD

JPD-Precinct 4

MHP-Jackson I-55

Pascagoula PD

Byram PD

Kemper County

Schools

MHP-Meridian

Pass Christian PD

Columbus PD

Long Beach PD

MHP-Pearl

Pearl PD

D’Iberville PD

Louisville PD

MHP-Starkville

Ridgeland PD

Gulfport PD

McComb PD

MHP-Tupelo

Smith County SO

JPD-Headquarters

MHP-Batesville

Moss Point PD

Vicksburg PD

JPD-Precinct 1

MHP-Biloxi

MSU Campus PD

Waveland PD

TREATMENT

According to the Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) Substance Use Services, they operate 50

inpatient adult substance use beds (25 male and 25 female). They are a person-centered recovery

program which utilizes the integration of Dialectal Behavior Therapy and the 12 Step Recovery

Model. Their goal is to actively engage patients in creating an individualized relapse prevention

plan based on insights, coping skills, and social support gained through treatment. MSH provides

a primary substance use program for adolescents who are engaging in harmful drug or alcohol

use behaviors. The program employs evidence-based individual and group behavioral health

interventions grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Enhancement, as well as

the 12 Step Recovery Model. In addition to targeting substance use behaviors, the program helps

adolescents with presenting co-occurring diagnoses, family/relational problems, and impactful

traumatic experiences. The Child and Adolescent Service operate 26 beds for psychiatric

treatment for children and adolescents, and substance use treatment for adolescents. There is no

set number of beds reserved for substance use treatment in the unit. The beds are filled according

to need.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Currently, Mississippi has 41 drug courts. These include 22 adult felony drug courts, four adult

misdemeanor drug courts, 12 juvenile drug courts, and three family drug courts. 677 Mississippi

drug offenders graduated from various drug courts in 2021. From July 1, 2020 through June 30,

2021, drug courts had the following graduates: Adult felony – 543, Adult misdemeanor – 28,

Juvenile – 91, Family drug court – 15. There were 175 fewer successful completions reported

for during this period believed to be linked to COVID-19 and challenges relating to conducting

court proceedings in a similar manner to previous years.

428

314

1538

1322

547

MSDMH Top 5 Drugs - Primary Substance Treatment

Cocaine/Crack Heroin Marijuana/Hashish Methamphetamine Other opiates and synthetics

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

VIII. STREET AND OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE GANGS

STREET GANGS

Mississippi’s legal definition of a "street gang," "gang," "organized gang," or "criminal

street gang" is defined as any combination, confederation, alliance, network, conspiracy,

understanding, or other similar conjoining, in law or in fact, of three or more persons with

an established hierarchy that, through its membership or through the agency of any member,

engages in felonious criminal activity. This sets the street gangs apart from any other type

of group. Street gangs are turf oriented and will go to great lengths to protect their territory.

Experts say teens joining young is all too common; gangs recruit children as young as eight

years old. Social media and the use of apps continue to be primary means of communication,

promotion, and conducting business. Gangs focus on integration and acceptance in the

community.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

The formation of neighborhood hybrid gangs and cliques

contributes to the large variation of gang subsets within the

state. Hybrid gangs are new youth gangs engaged in illegal

activities. Such gangs are found throughout the United States.

Unlike traditional gangs based on race or neighborhood loyalty,

the new generations of gangsters are devoted to making money

through illegal activities such as drugs, robbery, and

prostitution.

Hybrid gangs consist of people from different racial ethnic background, and individuals

participating in multiple gangs. Such gangs have unclear codes of conduct and symbolic

association with more than one gang. Hybrid gangs modify traditional gang culture with their

personal interpretations and agendas. Presently, hybrid gangs have become a big criminal and

societal problem in local communities. These young adults are trying to find somewhere to fit

in, find something to identify with.

Cliques are semi-autonomous and not necessarily tied to a formal structure, which allows them

to a certain level of independence in controlling their criminal portfolios. Their illegal activities

include micro-trafficking, car theft, prostitution, human smuggling, human trafficking, firearms

trafficking, hitmen for hire, money laundering and extortion. Extortion and local drug trafficking

are their most significant sources of income.

The cliques’ degree of independence varies and is dependent on geography, the social fabric,

and the political makeup of the places where each operates. It can be contingent on the personal

histories of the heads of each clique and their relationship to other gang leaders. Vast differences

in the size of cliques and their respective criminal sophistication is also due, in part, to their

semi-independent status.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicates there are now over 1.4 million gang

members involved in the 33,000 active gangs inside the United States. The number of gang

members in the U.S. has increased by 40% since 2009. Some of the most dangerous gangs in

the United States are Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Latin Kings, Crips, 18th Street Gang, Bloods,

Nuestra Familia, Mexican Mafia, and Aryan Brotherhood. Six of those ten have been identified

in Mississippi: MS-13, Latin Kings, Crips, Bloods, Mexican Mafia and Aryan Brotherhood. The

southernmost counties in Mississippi are influenced by the Simon City Royals, Gangster

Disciples, Latin Kings, Vice Lords and Subsets.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter offer free

live streaming services that gangs utilize. It has been

reported that gang members use these streaming

services to identify real time locations of targeted

individuals for assault or retaliation. Various social

media platforms, such as Snapchat, Instagram, and

Facebook are utilized to advertise various illicit drugs.

Additionally, these groups utilize encrypted

messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Signal, to

communicate. Online payment systems, such as PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, and Green Dot, are

facilitating payment arrangements among individuals and groups for illicit drugs. Sellers and

buyers often communicate in code by using emojis, hashtags, and acronyms to make

transactions.

The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics initiated 37 cases associated with gang affiliations in the

year of 2021 compared to 36 cases in 2020 and 27 cases in 2019. There was a slight decrease in

the number of arrests of members belonging to the Vice Lords and Gangster Disciples street

gangs. There were six arrests for members of the Gangster Disciples and no arrest for members

of the Vice Lord street gang. The Gangster Disciples were charged with possession of drugs,

including but not limited to, powder and crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana.

Charges also stemmed from sale of methamphetamine, trafficking of marijuana and MDMA

(Ecstasy), possession of firearm by convicted felon, and possession of narcotics.

Two members of the Simon City Royals were arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine.

# of

Gangs

Total

Cases

Total

Subjects

Total

Arrests

Total

Charges

2019 Totals 8 27 37 11 55

2020 Totals 5 36 49 16 88

2021 Totals 4 37 44 14 74

Throughout Mississippi, gangs use graffiti markings to identify their turf. Ages of identified

gang members range from 13 years of age to 50 plus. In December 2019, the Mississippi

Department of Corrections experienced a spike in gang activity.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Joining the military has been found to be an increasing trend amongst gang members. They

receive combat training, in addition to other skills, then utilize this training in order to

instruct/educate other gang members. They also have

access to dangerous and deadly weapons as well as

other tools of destruction. Gangster Disciples have

been documented in the U.S. military, found in both

U.S. and overseas bases. Known Gangster Disciples

graffiti has been reportedly seen on US military bases

in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gang members have also

begun to infiltrate police departments, using tactics and

information they learn there to both outsmart and

confront law enforcement and rival gangs.

Gang members are also using technology to monitor, target, and conduct counter-surveillance of

law enforcement. Utilizing such tools as the internet, smartphones, drones, GPS devices,

confidential informants, VoIP, PlayStation and Xbox, gang members can identify, locate, and

disrupt law enforcement operations.

Gangster Disciples "represent" with the colors black and blue.

Gang members are known to wear Georgetown Hoyas, Florida

Gators, and Duke Blue Devils apparel. The predominant

symbol used to represent them is the six-pointed Star of David

(✡). The symbol pays homage to founder David Barksdale.

The Gangster Disciples are active in 110 cities and in 31 states,

predominantly in the midwestern and southeastern United

States. The gang consists of approximately 30,000 to 35,000

members. Their most notable criminal activities include drug

trafficking, robbery, extortion, murder, and prostitution.

Symbols often used to characterize the Vice Lords are hats cocked to the left side, rabbits

wearing a bow tie (The Playboy logo), martini glasses, gloves, top hats, canes, five-point stars

(points representing Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom

and Justice), crescent moons, pitchforks pointing

down, broken hearts with wings, pyramids with

eyes above them, and five-point crowns. They’re

comprised of approximately 30,000 to 45,000

members. As reported by the Harrison County,

Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, Vice Lords use local

juveniles and the music industry to recruit new

members. Their criminal activities include drug

trafficking, robbery, extortion, fraud, money

laundering, boosting and murder.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

The Simon City Royals is one of the predominant gangs in

Mississippi. They were formally

the Almighty Simon City Royal

Nation, a greaser gang affiliated

with a Chicago street gang instituted

in the late 1950’s known as Simon

City. Having 10,000 to 15,000

members, this organization is

known by city, state, and federal

officials, as well as the media, to

have once been the largest Caucasian

gang. The Simon City Royals are now an affiliate of the All Folk

Nation. As of 2003, Royal recruits in Mississippi are required

to be sponsored by a member, serve a six-month probationary

period (during which time they are referred to as "prospects"),

and ultimately declare a lifetime commitment to the gang. The Simon City Royals have recently

made a notable split creating a new set known as Sip City or Thirteen Dreams (a 501(c)(3)

organization). Simon City Royals’ symbols include a shield with an R for Royal, 6-pointed

star, cross, 3-pointed crown and the royal knight. This organization is represented by the colors

black, white and blue. Criminal activities include dealing of illegal drugs and other contraband,

particularly in prison where members are incarcerated. They are also involved in racketeering

and loan sharking.

Currently, law enforcement’s most

concerning street gang is Mara

Salvatrucha, most commonly known

as MS-13. With approximately

10,000 members in the United

States, MS-13 is notorious for its

propensity for vicious violence.

Initiation requires committing

murder and many gang members

have been convicted of homicide,

some using machetes to behead their

victims. Most of the gang is

ethnically composed of Central Americans (mostly Salvadorans) who are active in urban and

suburban areas. Traditionally, MS-13 gang members wear Chicago Bulls hats in the gang’s

official colors blue & white, but members in Massachusetts have been known to wear Chicago

Bulls hats in a variety of different colors in an attempt to avoid identification. MS-13 gang

members commonly use Chicago Bulls apparel to identify themselves. Tattoos common to the

MS-13 are "MS," "Salvatrucha," "devil horns," the name of their clique, and more. MS-13 utilize

a system of hand signs for purposes of identification and communication. One of the most

commonly displayed is the "devil's head" which forms a 'M' when displayed upside down. The

hand sign is similar to the same symbol commonly seen displayed by heavy metal musicians

and their fans. Founders of Mara Salvatrucha borrowed the hand sign after attending concerts of

heavy metal bands. Criminal activities include drug trafficking, robbery, larceny, human

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

trafficking, extortion, illegal immigration, murder, prostitution, racketeering, battery,

kidnapping and arms trafficking.

Tattoos common to the Mexican Mafia are symbols

which include images of a black hand. The gang's

primary symbol, which is often used in tattoos by

members, is the national symbol of Mexico (eagle and

a snake) atop a flaming circle over crossed knives. The

number 13 is used to show allegiance to the Mexican

Mafia. M is the 13th letter of the alphabet. The Mexican

Mafia did not originate in Mexico and is entirely a U.S.

criminal prison organization. Even though homosexuals

are barred from entry into the gang, they are engaged

heavily in homosexual prostitution in the prison system.

Criminal activities both inside and outside the prison system involve extorting drug distributors

outside prison and distributing various narcotics within and outside the penitentiary. Criminal

activities include: murder, money laundering, arms trafficking, drug trafficking, kidnapping,

pandering, racketeering, extortion, human trafficking, illegal immigration, fraud and illegal

gambling.

A Sureno is a Latino gang member who belongs to a street

gang that identifies with, and is subservient to, the Mexican

Mafia. Surenos use the number 13 which represents the

thirteenth letter of the alphabet, the letter M, in order to pay

allegiance to the Mexican Mafia. They are soldiers for the

Mexican Mafia, and further their organized criminal

enterprises. Symbols common to the Surenos are Sur, XIII,

X3, 13, SUR 13, Uno Tres, Trece and 3-dots. Surenos display

tattoos with the number 13, Sureno, Sur, South Sider, or

Kanpol. Surenos represent themselves by wearing the colors

blue and gray. Criminal activities include human smuggling,

murder, drug trafficking, extortion, assault, theft, robbery,

fraud, and arms trafficking.

Symbols common to the Black P. (Prince) Nation, or the

Black P. Stones, are a pyramid with 21 bricks, rising sun,

eye, number 7, five-point star, and the crescent moon. Their

colors are red, black, and green. They have approximately

30,000 to 42,000 members nationwide. The Black P. Stones

are also allied with the Almighty Latin Kings Nation, the

most organized Hispanic street gang in the U.S., known for

murder, drug trafficking, and robberies. The BPSN finances

itself through an array of criminal activities including drug

trafficking, robbery, extortion, murder, and domestic

terrorism.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

The Crips are one of the largest and most violent associations of

street gangs in the United States with an estimated 30,000 to 35,000

members. The Crips are a primarily Black American gang. Crips

will misspell words to avoid using certain letter combinations that

are viewed as disrespectful to the vandalizing gang. For instance,

the letters “C” and “K” together stand for “Crip Killer,” therefore,

the Crips will avoid using this letter combination and instead spell

words that would normally end in “-ck” with two “C’s” so that the

word “luck” is spelled “lucc.” Crips represent themselves by

wearing the color blue; some sets may dress in purple. Crips refer

to each other as Cuzz or Loc which itself is sometimes used as a moniker for Crip. “Crab” is the

most disrespectful epithet to call a Crip and can warrant fatal retaliation. Numbers and symbols

depend on set affiliation. Crips use the letter “c” in place of “b” as a way of disrespecting the

rival gang, Bloods. Crips call themselves “Blood Killas” (BK) and wear British Knight (BK)

tennis shoes. Criminal activities include drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, murder, burglary,

prostitution, and theft.

The color red is the color for Bloods, although some sets may use green. Bloods refer to each

other as Dawg, Damu, or Piru. Numbers and symbols depend on a set affiliation. The word

“Piru” refers to the original Blood gang. Bloods use a crossed out “c” in words as disrespect for

Crips. The word MOB means “Money Over Bitches.” Bloods are comprised of approximately

15,000 to 20,000 members. Criminal activities include drug trafficking, robbery, murder,

burglary, prostitution, theft and extortion.

The Latin Kings (also known as the Almighty Latin King and

Queen Nation) is the most sizable Hispanic and Latino street

gang across the globe. The gang was founded in Chicago, Illinois

in 1954. Colors for the Latin Kings are black and gold. This gang

makes use of a 5 or 3-point “sacred crown,” drawings of a lion

and/or the “King Master,” and the acronyms LK, ALK, ALKN,

ALKQN. Unlike most street gangs, the acceptance of female

members is commonplace in most factions. Criminal activities

include battery, extortion, robbery, murder, arms trafficking and

drug trafficking.

The Aryan Brotherhood (AB), also known as the Brand, is a

white supremacist prison gang and organized crime syndicate

in the United States with roughly 20,000 members. According

to the Federal Bureau of Investigation

(FBI), the gang makes up less than

one-tenth of a percent of the prison

population, but it is responsible for as

many as 20% of the murders in the

federal prison system. Throughout the

state of Mississippi, there are

approximately 400 known Aryan

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Brotherhood members consisting mostly of young white males. The Mississippi Brotherhood

calls itself “the Family” and is ruled by a three-man “Wheel” that divides the state into nine

zones. The Wheel appoints a captain to oversee each zone and prison, with a network of

sergeants-at-arms who enforce order and discipline, a treasurer to handle finances and numerous

soldiers. Recruits are in “prospect status” for six months before they can be assigned a “blood

in mission.” The gang was disrupted in 2016 when 42 members and associates were convicted

of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute

methamphetamine. Representations common to the Aryan Brotherhood are: “Aryan

Brotherhood,” “AB,” 666, Nazi symbolism such as SS, sig runes, and swastikas, as well as

shamrocks and Celtic iconography. Criminal activities include drug trafficking, extortion,

inmate prostitution and murder-for-hire.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast has a

population of Asian gangs in the

Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson

County area. Some of the Asian gangs

known to authorities are: The Dragon

Family/Royal Family, True Viet Boys

(TVB), and the Viet Boyz (2202 VBZ).

Junior members are called “Baby

Gangsters” (aka “Boy Gangsters”;

“Tiny Baby Gangsters”). The Dragon

Family is a known rival of the Viet Boyz. The dragon is most often

used to symbolize these gangs. The revenue from organized crime comes mainly from the

extortion of brothels, prostitution, money laundering, the distribution of narcotics, and

counterfeit merchandise. Criminal activities include extortion, counterfeiting, prostitution,

money laundering, drug trafficking, racketeering, murder, assault, robbery, arms trafficking,

auto theft, and burglary. The Viet Boys are known as one of the most violent Asian gangs. They

are typically known for their stubbornness and protecting their turf. They have approximately

1,300 to 2,000 members. This gang was created by Cambodians to protect their own people from

getting attacked by Mexican gang members. The gang is allied with the Crips. Criminal activities

include drug trafficking, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, homicide, and gambling.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

OUTLAW MOTORCYCLE GANGS

At the present time, Mississippi has

three international Outlaw

Motorcycle Gangs (OMG), which are

the Sons of Silence, the Vagos, and

the Bandidos. The Bandidos and the

Sons of Silence were the dominant

OMG clubs in Mississippi and were

two of the “Big Five OMG’s” in the

nation. The “Big Five” consists of the

five most notorious and violent

motorcycle gangs in the United

States. The Bandidos have three

chapters in the state located on the

Gulf Coast, Jackson, and North

Mississippi. According to the

American Motorcycle Association,

99% of motorcycle riders are law

abiding citizens; thus, only one

percent of all motorcycles riders are

affiliated with a gang.

The FBI asserts that OMG’s support themselves primarily through drug dealing, trafficking in

stolen goods, and extortion. They typically fight over territory and the illegal drug trade and

collect $1 billion in illegal income annually.

Many jurisdictions have reported an increase in overall

Motorcycle Club and Outlaw Motorcycle Gang activity in

recent years. This activity has centered on increasing

membership by patching smaller clubs into larger clubs. In

some instances, support clubs have been used to increase

the visual effect of a dominant club when it rides through

an area. Clubs are also displaying colors and support

stickers on motor vehicles.

The Pistoleros are a support

gang for the Bandidos with five

chapters in Mississippi located

in Desoto, Lauderdale, Forest, Hinds and Harrison Counties. OMG’s

strive to initiate young members with no criminal history for the

purpose of acquiring a gun permit or to purchase weapons. The

criminal activities are the same as the majority of other OMG’s

which include drug distribution, stolen motorcycles, money

laundering, other Racketeer Influenced Organizations, and

Continuing Criminal Enterprise type violations.

(Photo of a Bandido in Magee, MS)

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

The Sons of Silence OMG became a full charter chapter in Rankin

County in October 2008. As with most other gangs, a chapter must

have five members to receive full status as a chapter. MBN

intelligence has identified three members of the Sons of Silence

OMG in Rankin and Scott Counties. The Sons of Silence logo is an

American eagle superimposed over the letter "A" (similar to, and

taken from, the Anheuser-Busch logo) flying under an arch and

their motto is "donec mors non separat ," Latin for "until death

separates us."

The Sons of Silence Motorcycle club was founded by Bruce Richardson in 1966. He served US

Navy from 1958 to 1960 and then settled in Longmont, California after discharging. Ten years

later, Leonard Lloyd “JR” Reed, Jr, also a Navy veteran, became the club president and held the

position for the next 22 years. The Sons of Silence are allied with the Hells Angels and Iron

Horsemen and are rivals of the Outlaws. They have the backing and protection of Hells Angels

but often clash with Mongols motorcycle clubs. Membership of the club has been estimated

between 200 to 500 members. Members have been implicated in numerous criminal activities,

including murder, assault, drug trafficking, intimidation, extortion,

prostitution operations, money laundering, weapons trafficking, and

motorcycle and motorcycle parts theft.

The Galloping Goose motto is: "Often Tested, Always Faithful".

Their colors are purple and gold and their patch consists of a set of

legs running. The torso on top of the set of legs is a large hand with

the middle finger extended. In the background of the patch, you can

see an outhouse, this links back to an outhouse which used to be

towed on a trailer in the club’s early years when they went on runs.

The patch is purple writing on a gold background. The Galloping

Goose OMG is a one percent club and their rules of behavior

sometimes include violent crimes.

The Vagos’ (also known as the Green Nation) motto is: “We

Give What We Get.” The Vagos arrived in Mississippi in 2011

and began wearing nomad cuts. They are an international one

percent OMG and, as of late, have been involved in deadly

confrontations with the Hells Angels. Vagos members were also

confronted by members of the Sons of Silence (SOS) of

Mississippi at a local bar and the SOS members took a set of

Vagos’ colors and assaulted a member. The Vagos Motorcycle

Club patch consists of the Norse god of Mischief, Loki. He is

depicted riding a motorcycle. One of the Vagos Motorcycle

Club abbreviations is 22, referencing the 22nd letter of the

alphabet. The Vagos Motorcycle Club color is green, which

links back to the Mexican heritage of the Vagos Motorcycle Club founder. Vagos’ also use the

motto “VFFV,” meaning “Vagos Forever Forever Vagos.”

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

In 2013, the Iron Coffins initiated a local chapter in North Mississippi near Tupelo. The Iron

Coffins originated out of Ohio in the 1960s and have chapters in several states in the Midwest,

and now in Southern States. The Iron Coffins use the acronym “ICFFIC” which translates to

“Iron Coffins Forever Forever Iron Coffins.” The patch consists of a skeleton riding a

motorcycle with wings. A biker displaying a 13 patch symbolizes that the biker either smokes

marijuana, deals in it, or has a contact for methamphetamine. 666 displayed on a patch or tattoo,

symbolizes the mark of Satan. 69 displayed on a patch or tattoo is symbolic of the well-known

sexual position.

The Sin City Deciples motto is: Death before

Dishonor. The Club also uses the abbreviation

of “DFFD,” which stands for “Deciples Forever

Forever Deciples.” Though most club members

are black, the club is open to all men, regardless

of race or color. The club is known to have

approximately 4,900 members including some

military veterans. Members ride Harley

Davidson motorcycles. Members pride

themselves on the tight knit brotherhood they

have developed over years of riding with each

other from state to state. The term “1934

Express” is also used, relating to the 19th, 3rd

and 4th letters of the alphabet (S, C, D) for Sin City Deciples.

The Outcast Motorcycle Club is a black one percenter

motorcycle club founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1969. They

are an all-black one percenter motorcycle club. After starting

their Mother Chapter in Detroit, Michigan, they have grown

to over 30 chapters in cities throughout the US. They do not

have any chapters internationally. The Outcast Motorcycle

Club patch is made up of a laughing skull, which has teeth

and possibly cornrows. Behind the skull is an iron cross. The

Outcast motto is “We Ride For Piece,” making note of the

spelling of the word “piece,” rather than “peace.” Also used

by the Outcast Motorcycle Club is the acronym of “OFFO,”

which stands for Outcast Forever, Forever Outcast. Outcast has chapters in Mississippi as well

as Alabama.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Satan’s Sidekick is a unique Motorcycle club that

requires its members to be black. This all-black

motorcycle club was formed in 1970s in Detroit,

Michigan. There was a Satan’s Sidekicks military

squadron which served in the Korean War; however, it is

not known if this was the driver behind the name of the

motorcycle club, or if any members from the military

squadron were associated with the club. This is a

relatively small group with three chapters in USA:

Satan’s Sidekick Cleveland, Detroit, and Louisville in

Kentucky. They do not have any internationally based

chapters. A local chapter has been established in

Grenada, Mississippi. The Mother Chapter is still based

in Detroit, MI. Satan Sidekick enemies are known to be

the Phantom Outlaw Motorcycle club. The Satan’s

Sidekick patch is of a cartoon style character performing

a wheelie on a motorcycle.

IX. OUTLOOK

The world marketplace impacts every aspect of our lives and undoubtedly, almost every country

across the globe have felt the effects that are directly, or indirectly, correlated with COVID-19.

The global economy essentially rises and falls through supply and demand. Likewise, the illicit

drug market also is impacted by supply and demand, as well as, trends and availability. Due to

multiple factors, the illicit drug market in the United States is one of the most profitable in the

world. As such, it attracts the most ruthless, sophisticated, and aggressive drug traffickers. The

State of Mississippi, which lies along the Gulf of Mexico with multiple interstates running

through it, continues to struggle with drug trafficking, distribution, use, and abuse. The

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN) and other law enforcement agencies continue to face an

enormous challenge in protecting the citizens of Mississippi and its neighboring states against

the perils of dangerous drugs. State and local law enforcement agree, and statistics confirm, that

Mississippi has a significant drug problem. Methamphetamine (ICE) is a significant problem in

the state, while fentanyl and heroin are the next major threat to our citizens, as overdose deaths

are often associated with fentanyl and other substances. Due to the increasing use of fentanyl,

both intentional and unintentional, fentanyl continues to be a growing concern in Mississippi

with lethal consequences. Over the past few years, fentanyl has claimed more lives in this state

than in years prior and is expected to continue. Diverted pharmaceuticals fall in behind fentanyl

and heroin ranking third. In-state and out-of-state drug trafficking organizations, who specialize

in pharmaceuticals, are targeting Mississippi pharmacies in an effort to acquire significant

quantities of the most desired prescription medications for distribution and resale across the

country. MBN believes that this trend will continue primarily due to the low acquisition cost of

medications, such as Promethazine with Codeine, and the lucrative resale value in major cities,

to include Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago, Illinois, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Orlando, Florida.

Based on discussions with other law enforcement agencies around the country, Mississippi is

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

not the only state that is being targeted, but certainly one that is very attractive to the DTOs.

Marijuana, cocaine, and New Psychoactive Substances follow these. The transportation and

distribution of vast quantities of Mexico-produced methamphetamine continues to be readily

available in our state. The Mexico-produced methamphetamine is typically of high quality, or

purity, and is relatively inexpensive. Mississippi also passed legislation placing

pseudoephedrine back on the shelves as an over-the-counter (OTC) medication, which took

effect on January 1, 2022. MBN and our law enforcement partners will be monitoring the impact

and prepared for an uptick in the local manufacturing of methamphetamine within our state.

Prior to January 1, 2022, pseudoephedrine was classified as a Schedule III Controlled Substance

under Mississippi law and required a medical provider’s prescription as a requirement of that

law as passed and in effect on July 1, 2010. Cocaine has taken a back seat to marijuana in

Mississippi. Marijuana, as we all know, is the gateway/starter drug that is abused by a wide

spectrum of the population. Mississippi has recently passed legislation to allow for medical

marijuana use in our state, whereas there are many unknowns, to include how it will affect

everyday life for Mississippi citizens. Current trends indicate that marijuana, which is grown

and/or manufactured in-state, is not transported out-of-state, but is used locally in addition to the

vast quantities imported from other areas like California, Colorado, and Washington. Vaping

continues to an increased concern for the youth in Mississippi. Law enforcement in Mississippi

has seized numerous amounts of vaping cartridges containing THC and other synthetic

substances. Drug Trafficking Organizations continue to establish distribution routes in

Mississippi dealing in bulk shipments. Mississippi continues to experience significant issues

with drugs.

TRENDS

• The importation, distribution, and seizure of methamphetamine “ICE” from outside the

state, continues to be readily available.

• Overdose deaths related to fentanyl continue due to intentional misuse of pharmaceutical

products, as well as, by ingesting counterfeit pharmaceuticals (containing fentanyl).

• Mississippi law enforcement continues to see counterfeit pharmaceuticals, containing

fentanyl and other substances, sold in both small and large quantities in the Northwest,

Delta area, Central, and Coastal Mississippi.

• Diverted pharmaceutical abuse remains constant.

• DTOs target Mississippi’s pharmacies to acquire desired controlled medications, such as

promethazine with codeine and pain pills, for distribution in our state and out-of-state.

• Vaping continues to be popular among Mississippi’s youth.

• The presence of higher-grade marijuana has driven the price and popularity of marijuana

higher than in previous years.

• Activity on the Dark Web, where subjects avoid traceable transactions of currency and

drugs, continues to grow in Mississippi.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

• Kratom and other “legal highs” continue to adversely impact law enforcement efforts in

Mississippi’s fight for public safety and public health.

• Utilization of parcel services to facilitate the distribution of drugs and move United States

Currency across the country.

DEVELOPMENTS

• The Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) has made it easier to track illegally diverted

pharmaceuticals.

• The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics continues to strengthen its coalition with the

Mississippi Board of Pharmacy, Mississippi State Department of Health, Mississippi

Department of Mental Health, and the Mississippi Public Health Institute to help combat

drug abuse in the state.

• MBN continues to expand partnerships in the criminal justice field, the medical

community, social services, and substance abuse and mental health for combined

approaches and solutions to help reduce the increasing problem of drug use and abuse in

the State of Mississippi.

• Prior restrictions on ephedrine/pseudoephedrine, an essential component for the

production of methamphetamine, have been decreased, whereas the medications will be

available over-the-counter (OTC) and more readily available for the illicit production of

methamphetamine.

• MBN has created and continues to expand the Demand Reduction Unit, which a training

and education initiative to keep citizens and other law enforcement entities updated on

trends seen across the state.

• Industrial hemp farms, or hemp grows, are continuing to increase in Mississippi.

• The Mississippi Legislature passed a law to allow Medical Marijuana in January 2022 and

the state is working to implement this law.

• MBN is continuing to work with the medical community to combat public health and

safety issues, such as heroin/fentanyl use and prescription drug abuse.

PREDICTIONS

• Vaping will become the most popular way for Mississippi’s youth to consume drugs.

• Money laundering will increasingly become harder to discover due to the numerous

methods of transferring funds digitally over the internet.

• More drug dealers/traffickers will use virtual currency in efforts to avoid cash seizures

from law enforcement.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

• An increase in and the expansion in the use of technology, such as encrypted apps, to

conceal drug involved/related communications to thwart law enforcement’s efforts to

protect public safety and public health.

• MBN expects Mississippi to experience the diversion of Medical Marijuana.

• The production of new chemicals and compositions for manufacturing synthetic fentanyl

and other synthetic substances will increase.

• Marijuana will become more readily available and the industry will be a target for

diversion of the authorized medical marijuana.

• Interstate transportation using private and public carriers and domestic aircraft will

continue to be the primary method of trans-shipping narcotics across the state.

• Mississippi will see more of its youth enrolled in drug treatment programs.

• There will be an increase in availability of counterfeit substances across the state as the

demand for pharmaceuticals continues to climb.

• Abuse of synthetic drugs will continue to increase as people seek to obtain a legal high.

• More and more drugs will be abused utilizing vape pens.

X. METHODOLOGY

The Mississippi Drug Threat Assessment is produced annually by MBN’s Intelligence Division

to identify and quantify the nature, extent, and scope of the threat of illegal drugs and related

issues in Mississippi. This document includes information from previous MBN Drug Threat

Assessments, surveys from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, open-source

documents, law enforcement sensitive information from other investigative agencies, internet

websites, and anecdotal information from other reliable sources.

In preparation of this report, MBN Intelligence Analysts collected and analyzed the information

required to quantify the threat and identify trafficking trends. The specific drug categories

presented in the Mississippi Drug Threat Assessment are diverted pharmaceuticals, cocaine,

methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, and New Psychoactive Substances. The identification of

specific intelligence gaps and projections for the future by drug type are also included. In

addition, the Drug Threat Assessment identifies problems posed by the threat, the actions being

taken by participating agencies, and the anticipated impact on the state.

(NOTE: Statistics included for previous years may have changed due to late reporting and crime

lab results.)

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

XI. SOURCES

The following served as sources in the preparation of this document:

2023 Gulf Coast HIDTA Threat Assessment Survey

2023 Gulf Coast HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment

2021 Gulf Coast HIDTA Drug Threat Assessment

Biker Digital.com

Blue Lighting Operations Center (BLOC)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP)

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Federal Drug Administration (FDA)

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN)

Grenada, MS Police Department

Mississippi Department of Education (MDE)

Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH)

Mississippi Department of Revenue

Mississippi Forensics Laboratory

Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC)

Mississippi Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP)

Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH)

Mississippi State Hospital (MSH) Substance Use Services

Motoring Junction

Oregon-Idaho HIDTA Program Threat Assessment

Regional News (2021 September 15)

State Of Mississippi Judiciary, Intervention Courts

U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2021

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

U.S. Government Accountability Office (U.S. GAO)

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Wikipedia

Zippia.com

CBP Enforcement Statistics Fiscal Year 2021. (n.d.) Retrieved from

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/drug-seizure-statistics

Clarion Ledger. (2022 February 2) Gov Tate Reeves Signs Mississippi Marijuana Bill into Law.

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2022/02/02/medical-marijuana-mississippi-

legalized-gov-tate-reeves-signs-bill-law/6641911001/

Drug Scheduling. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling

How Does Your State Compare? (2021 December 21) Retrieved from

https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2021/comm/how-does-your-state-compare.html

Mississippi State Department of Health. https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/30,0,425.html

NIDA. 2021, December 15. Percentage of adolescents reporting drug use decreased significantly

in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic endured. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/news-

events/news-releases/2021/12/percentage-of-adolescents-reporting-drug-use-decreased-

significantly-in-2021-as-the-covid-19-pandemic-endured on 2022, February 11

Prescription Drop-Box-Locations (n.d.) Retrieved from

https://www.dps.ms.gov/narcotics/prescription-drop-box-locations

Record Sales Generate More Than $138 Million in Total Transfer to the State (n.d.) Retrieved

from https://www.mslotteryhome.com

States with the Most Fentanyl Deaths (2022 February 25) Retrieved from

https://247wallst.com/special-report/2022/02/12/states-with-the-most-fentanyl-deaths

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Know the Risks of Marijuana. (2021

October 25) Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/marijuana

Top Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs (2022 May 24) Retrieved from

https://motoringjunction.com/featured/outlaw-motorcycle-clubs/

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

XII. DRUG PRICES ACROSS MISSISSIPPI

Drug Type

Weight Jackson Greenwood Oxford Tupelo Starkville

Meridian

Hattiesburg Gulfport McComb

Powder

Cocaine

Gram

$60-$100

$80-100

$60-120

$100

$80-100

$60-80

$100-120

$100

$50

Eight-Ball

$175 $200-250

$150-250 $175-225

$250

$150-200

$250-300

$200

$160

Ounce $1,000-1,200 $1000-1200

$1000-1,200

$900-1,100

$1,000

$1,000-1,200

$700

$1000

¼ Kilo

$5,000

$8,000-

10,000

$6,000-9,000

$4,800-

6,500

$6,200

$7,000-8,000

$7,000-10,000

$5,000

N/A

½ Kilo

$9,000

$14,000-

19,000

$15,000

$9,000-

12,000

$14,000-

$15,000

$15,000-

$16,000

$15,000-19,000

$9,000 N/A

Kilogram

$16,000

$34,000-

37,000

$30,000-

37,000

$18,000-

24,000

$21,000

$30,000-

32,000

$32,000-36,000

$18,000-

22,000

N/A

Crack

Cocaine

Rock $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20

Gram

$100 $100

$100

$80-100

$100

$40

Eight-Ball $200-225 $200-250

$150 – 175 $175-250 $150

$250 $200

$200

$140

Ounce

$1,000-

1,200

$1,000-1500

$1,000

$900-1,100

$800-1,000

$1,000-1,200

$1,400-1,800

$700

$750

¼ Kilo $5,000-8,000 $5,000-8,000

$6,500

$6,800-

8,500

$6,500

$8,000

$7,000-10,000

$6,000 N/A

Kilogram

$30,000-

34,000

$25,000 -

30,000

$28,000-

36,000

$28,000

$27,000-

30,000

$30,000-

34,000

$30,000-34,000

$30,000 N/A

Marijuana

Dime Bag

$10 $20-25

$10

20-Sack $20 $40 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20

¼ Ounce

$35 $75

$40

$35-40

$40

$35

Ounce $100 $450

$100-150 $80-140

$80 $60-100 $50-100 $100

$400 high

$250 med

$60 low

¼ Pound

$400

$800-1000 $350

$180-200

$250-350

$250 $200-300 $400 N/A

½ Pound

$800 $1,200

$600-700

$250-300

$500-600

$450

$250-450

$800

N/A

Pound $1,200 $2,000-2,500

$1,000-1,200

$800-1,200

$800-1,200 $800-1,000

$500-700

$600

N/A

BC BUD

Ounce

$250 $450

$500-600

$400

$500

$400- 600

$150-200

$250

N/A

¼ Pound $700-1,200 $800-1000

$1,000-2,000

$1,500 $1,500-1,600

$1,500-

1,600

$1,000-1,200

$700 N/A

½ Pound $1,200-1,500 $1,200

$2,500-3,500

$3,500

$3,000-

3,200

$3,000-

3,200

$1,500-2,000

$1,200 N/A

Pound $3,000 $2,000-2,500

$5,000-7,000

$5,000-

7,000

$5,100

$4,500-

5,000

$3,000-3,500

$3,000 N/A

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

Drug Type

Weight

Jackson Greenwood Oxford Tupelo Starkville Meridian Hattiesburg Gulfport McComb

LSD

Dosage

Unit

N/A $10 $10-15 $12 $10-12 $10 $5-10 N/A N/A

MDMA

Dosage

Unit

N/A $10-20 $25-40 $25-40 $25-35 $2-5 $5-25 $12-15 $5-10

Meth Gram $50 $60-100 $50-75 $80-100 $80-100 $35-50 $30-60 $80 $50

Eight-Ball $150 $125-150 $150-200 $150-200

$150-250

$70-150 $75-150

$150

$160

Ounce

$425

$450

$400-700

$700-1,100

$1,100

$350-500

$250-550

$600

$1,000

Pound

$6,000 $4,500-5,000

N/A

$12,000-

15,000

$12,000-

15,000

$4,500 5,500

$2,000-

4,000

$5,500

N/A

Heroin Gram $250

$120 - 200

$200-250 $222-250

$250 $200-250 $100-200 $200 $200

Ounce $4,000 $2,500

$1,750-

3,000

$3,000

$1,750-

$2,000

$4,000 $1,400-2,200 $2,400

N/A

¼ Kilo N/A

$15,000-

18,000

$15,000-

18,000

$15,000-

18,000

$15,7500 N/A

$12,000-

16,000

N/A N/A

1 Kilo $120,000

$80,000-

85,000

$70,000-

75,000

$30,000-

50,000

$63,000 N/A

$45,000-

65,000

N/A