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on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Thursday, February 5, 2015

Chapo's capture results in no change in street drug market -Heroin replacing RX as drug of choice

Written by Lucio for Borderland Beat

Sinaloa Cartel and its now incarcerated leader, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, can be directly linked to the heroin flooding the streets of St Louis, Missouri, reports the DEA.  The Drug Administration once proclaimed Guzman as the U.S. public enemy Number 1.

The former Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's regional office in Chicago, Jack Riley, says the Cartel brings heroin and cocaine to the United States, using Chicago as their staging hub.

Regional gangs then distribute it in cities such as St. Louis and throughout.

St Louis area police agencies have discovered a striking increase in heroin use, drug overdoses, and heroin related arrests.

Former agent Riley says eighty percent of the heroin and cocaine in the Midwest can be attributed to the Sinaloa Cartel.

“The real reason it has happened is that the cartels recognized the market,” said Riley.

The explosion of number of addicts created from using the expensive RX drugs, especially when purchased on the streets, have later fueled the much cheaper heroin market.

Sinaloa flooded the market with heroin, the cheaper alternative, while increasing its strength.  This action pulled business from the opioid RX market, shifting the drug of choice to heroin, creating a large pool of consumer, to the drug, that had greatly declined in use over the last decade.

In St Louis County, the heroin market has exploded over the past two years, as RX use has declined.  

Aside from the high price of opioids sold on the streets, the ability to acquire legal prescription for pain medication has become much more difficult as regulations, both state and federal, have been initiated.  Physicians after being placed on notice, have switched to severe criteria  when issuing prescription for pain medications, including writing RX for smaller quantities, at times only prescribing 1-5 tablets.

Subsequent to the capture of  the Sinaloa capo ‘El Chapo’, there have been no signs or affect on the U.S. street drug trade.  In the past few years number of arrests in St Louis region has doubled.


Riley says the heroin market is fueled by users who can't afford costly opioid prescription  pain relievers. 

RX medication addicts may choose the cheaper heroin. 

The aggressive manner in which Sinaloa chased the pill market, has proven once again that big cartels are big business. They have business structures and business plans that aside from the criminality, are much like any legitimate business.  

Sinaloa saw their heroin market declining to insignificance, and created a stronger, cheaper alternative, that had easier access than RX meds, to recapture their loss in the market.

 
Heroin can be injected, inhaled by snorting or smoked. All three routes of use, deliver the drug to the brain very rapidly, which contributes to its high risk for addiction, chronic relapsing caused by changes in the brain.

48% of young people who inject heroin, surveyed in three recent studies, reported abusing prescription opioids before starting to use heroin. They report switching to heroin because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than prescription opioids.

They also report that crushing prescription opioid pills, to snort or inject the powder, provided their initiation into these methods of drug administration prior to converting to heroin, making the switch comfortable.

54 comments:

  1. Good report Lucio. Yup, the U.S. still hangs on to the theory that arresting capos, especially Chapo is going to result in a big win in the drug war.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. People still whining that one and only tune…drug supply/demand.

      El Midget is a “mass murderer” (a crime) and ideally should not even be breathing, but since Mexico eliminated the death penalty at minimum he should spend the rest of his life in jail…in solitary confinement with no privileges.

      Growing, producing, distributing & exporting drugs are also a “crime” and as such the drug wars are not to eliminate drugs, but to try & reduce the large quantities of drugs entering different countries (not just U.S.).

      Wherever there is “crime and/or criminal activity” investigations, arrests and prosecution should be made.

      Delete
  2. The only way to combat addiction, and really win the war on drugs is to educate generations of children to not consume the product. There will always be drug use in any society with access to drugs that are addictive but to really have a positive impact is to educate the potential consumer and discourage consumption before it makes it into their hands.

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    Replies
    1. Educate all you want,bottom line drugs can be good,its when they are abused that shit happens..I would argue that alcohol is a worse scourge than anything.
      But,the sheep are legally allowed it by various governments so its ok?

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    2. The war on drugs is a total failure. It has only ruined lives. Want to really stop the violence? Want drug use to plunge? Want drug related crimes to stop? Legalize drugs, regulate drugs, tax drugs.

      Delete
  3. LoL, other than;gas in your car and food in your stomach

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  4. I believe that Marijuana should have never been illegal in the first place, but this is what happens when you begin to legalize marijuana. Drug Cartels are flooding the streets with cheap heroine and crystal meth, in order to fill that gap that the legalization of marijuana and the creation of high potent home grown marijuana has left on their profits. This is very sad to hear, but it is the cruel reality.

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    Replies
    1. Wow. Did you really just say that? This "flood" has been going on for some time. Way before a few states legalized marijuana. Heroin has been a major problem since like..right after 911? Meth like..years before?

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  5. Well theres a big f..... surprise nothing will ever change until the U.S.A. helps all there drug addicts that buy that garbage

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    1. 4:28 PM
      "surprise nothing will ever change until the U.S.A. helps all there drug addicts that buy that garbage"
      Anyone hear a huge whine?
      Supplier or supplied?Take your pick,who's to blame?Don't pat yourself on the back just yet dude,theres a huge domestic drug market in Mexico.Why do you think there are plazas big brain?Just to run drugs?

      Delete
    2. @428 pretty amazing how people seem to think dope only flows through mexico and isn't consumed there. Look at the fucking border towns in Mexico, they are all human junkyards, ugly as shit and flooded with hookers and addicts. Yes. On the mexican side. In mexico. Anybody who says otherwise is fucking lying; shit the border towns even smell like shit. Consumers on both sides, kids. Let's not forget or overlook that fact.

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  6. By the legalizing reggy weed it lost value so the cartels got into the other means and hit it hard to keep making money so it's the government fault!! All this means more guns violence on the st don't forget killings overdose!!

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    Replies
    1. What is it with you people blaming weed for a problem that's been well known and documented YEAR AND YEAR before weed was legalized in a few states? The ignorance is astronomical.

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  7. Of course not! Cds is not the only cartel that sells drugs. There hundreds of cartels in Mexico, of course zetas, cds, ct, cjng, are the biggest but there are hundreds of other low key independent groups that sell alot of drugs across the U.S.. ! Mensos

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    Replies
    1. Ya thats true but CDS controls the US market and they are the main supplier to that market those other groups do supply drugs but compared to the CDS they dont really affect the drug market

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    2. Why are people From Sinaloa so proud of their people Selling drugs. I would be inberrased if that's all my people knew to survive. But there's A sucker born everyday that idolized these chapo idiots and wants to be like them. And at the end when there locked up in prison regretting their 15 minutes of fame

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    3. I would be 'embarrassed' to reply to a post without using spell check or a command of their language of choice ...they're locked up

      Delete
  8. The US use Chapo for drugs the same way they used Osama Bin Hard On for terrorism.
    They blame Chapo for every drug that hits a street,shit,i blame Chapo if i run out of toilet paper

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  9. I get tired of the blame game.... With no consumer there is no market.... Im tired of mexico being difficult to drive in..... Tired of the drug war.... Even though it is needed...... But drugs are bad for our children.... Bad for the average citizen just trying to get by..... and now with obama care all these addicts are going to get free medical treatment and you and i that dont abuse but maybe a cheeseburger once in a while have to provide our own medical insurance.... Just does not make sense,... Some one sell one hundred percent heroin and let this dumb bastards overdose..... That would be one less obama care patient at your local hospital,... One less idiot robbing my childs oxygen.... Just venting.... Am i an idiot or do i make sense..... Stone me.... Rocks coming your way..... Im out.... Thank you for this forum......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Legalize and regulate, educate your children.

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    2. What if someone related to you uses heroin but you nore any of your family knows he uses it at his home when he about to go to bed he takes his hit of 100% pure heroin they call you at 5 am that ur family member has OD bow what 1 less addict on obama care until its one of your family member u will under stand your dumb fuck by giving them obama care u can give them hope REHAB Some one has to pay it

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    3. You say abuse cheese burgers like obesity didn't kill. Your morals are all mixed up. Yes, we must legalize, regulate and tax. Treat the addiction like a disease. And cut cartel profits. Of course there's billions in the black market. So human trafficking would increase, and so would kidnappings.
      However, I rather snitch on kidnappers, and those who commit extortion than drug dealers, and drug users. And I believe heroine to be one of the most vile and disgusting drugs. I would never wish it on my worst enemy. Those addicted need help, not jail or persecution.

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    4. 6:24 PM
      "Am i an idiot or do i make sense.
      One less idiot robbing my childs oxygen
      Some one sell one hundred percent heroin and let this dumb bastards overdose...."

      Someone should rob your oxygen..I would hate to be your child..
      Where do these people come from?

      Delete
    5. My god there are some fuckin cretins on here..They have huge mouths on a keyboard about what they would do to this person or that person when in actuality it is them who are hateful people...

      "now with obama care all these addicts are going to get free medical treatment and you and i that dont abuse but maybe a cheeseburger"

      Delete
    6. 8:56 PM
      "What if someone related to you uses heroin"

      Dude,dont bother it is a fuckin sheltered little idiot

      Delete
    7. February 5, 2015 at 6:24 PM
      What a dog you are,wishing death on people?And your calling people names?
      Sounds like another millie?

      Delete
    8. 11:37 PM
      "Your morals are all mixed up"

      His mind is messed up,the opinions it espoused are disgusting and unacknowledged by most right minded people..

      Delete
    9. February 5, 2015 at 11:37 PM

      Here here

      Delete
    10. 6:24 PM
      Who cares if your tired.Obama obama on the brain,get a grip..

      Delete
  10. Chapo isn't the only drug Lord in mexico and defenetly not the biggest. There's capos in guerrero and michoacan that grow poppy opiates. Tierra caliente has great soil that can grow petty much anything, that's why it's one of the main producers of heroin. They just blame chapo for everything and the average person believe anything they tell them.

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    Replies
    1. Lol and who u think buys all those drugs from guerrero and michoacan! The golden triangle is not enough do they get drugs from all over and most of it Sinaloenses deal it ,

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    2. Why are you so sure of that? The michoacanos have been dealing heroin for a long time. Not saying they are the biggest supplier from mexico but they are one of them so is guerrero. Your probably right sinaloas do deal drugs alot when I was in arizona county there was alot of them locked up.

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    3. The golden triangle matamoros have the biggest capos it will always be like that they just have the brains.

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    4. You can't compare matamoros to sinaloa bro they have had and will continue to have the biggest capos just cause you hear about Guzmans, zambadas, doesn't mean you know all the mafia fams in Chinola there are literary 100 all with thousands of foot soldiers.

      Delete
  11. Legalize all of it, then these fuckers have no source of income. But noooooooooooooooo illegal dope employs too many people on all sides of the spectrum, cartels, politicos, cops, crooked cops, border patrol, judges, crooked judges, and the little 14 year old selling that shit down the street from your house

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  12. Supply & Demand. As long as there is a demand for something, someone will always seek to supply the demand. Only cure is to stop the demand. Until the United States admits it has a problem nothing will change.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Legalize it all. Let what ever idiot wants to do herion take it. If they die, they die. The US has the market, they should make the money. Put that cash into treatment, if it's wanted, and roads and schools. Herion clearly isn't going away whether it is legal or illegal. Just don't make it more of a problem than it is. Don't make scumbags who kill people and cut people's heads off rich. This is actually all really easy stuff if enough people come to their senses and look at reality. There is nothing stronger than the will of the people. The people need to demand an end to this crazy drug war. Drugs aren't going away. It's just as dumb as people who think gun control is the answer. You can't un-invent the gun. It's out there. Just like drugs are. It's Pandora's box wide open and nothing can ever close the lid.

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  14. Drugs are not the only source of revenues for the cartels. Cartels are stealing billions by “fracking” from the oil companies. And extortion has increased over 1,000% within the last 2-3 years. The local police are providing the cartels information on individual criminals who kidnap, rob and do other criminal activities, and now the cartels are extorting these same criminals too. Extortion from legitimate businesses as well as ordinary citizens also!

    It really is a totally out of control situation there.

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  15. Graphic is from St Louis co attorneys office, I believe that is the St Louis county attys office in Duluth, MN, about 2 hours north of Minneapolis, not St Louis, Missouri

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  16. the graphic says it is from stl county, and stl area, read again, it is correct

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  17. St. Louis County is in Northeast Minnesota, including the cities of Duluth, Virginia and Hibbing, noted in the graphic. There is also a St Louis county in Missouri but there are no cities named Duluth or Hibbing in Missouri. The article refers to St. Louis Missouri but the graphic is for St. Louis County, Minnesota.

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    Replies
    1. thank you, so minn is even worse? i will have the image removed.
      I read an article out of chicago yesterday saying essentially the same goes there as well, about heroin and rx, i assume it is everywhere.

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    2. Yes, I was looking for a image to replace the one removed, Lucio is gone today. While doing so I got sidetrack reading about Minn and other places where drug are trafficked out of chicago. I know enough about heroin to know it is just about impossible to quit for good. my brother was an off and on addict, he was not down and out, he had it all, yet the drug desire was relentless. He was murdered at the age of 25. I was with him when he kicked cold turkey, no cushy rehabs back in the day, and also found him twice when he OD.

      I am sure experiencing that is what kept me from trying drugs. I may be the only person of the 60's who has never indulged in pot.

      Cocaine and heroin usage took such a dive when meth then RX replaced them as most favored.

      I hate to see this turn of events. My children and grandchildren never took hard drugs, mota was it by the 2 males, and honestly I don't put mota in the same category.

      I did not begin with this stance, but I now am very open to legalization of all drugs. It is the only hope to attaining some sense of control

      I wanted to thank you for being so respectful when pointing out the error. That was so appreciated. You would not believe some of the comments we receive, I worry about some of our readers :)

      Paz

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  18. yeah I think the article is correct in either location, it all comes right out of Chicago whether it's St Louis or Minneapolis or Duluth. Thanks for the work you do everyday and for this website, Chivis, I'm here everyday.

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  19. Guess who created Heroin? It was created by. German pharmaceutical company to decrease the use of Opium. Now that Pills are expensive,the junkies are going too the hard stuff. Also, with injections,comes HIV risks. The only solution is to kill the farmers and buyers in Mexico. Ignorance is bliss in the eye of the beholder. Kill the growers,and you have no product. Must be nice to get 1000 per kilo for growing it vs 25.00 for Marijuana. Greedy ignorant farmers....plain and simple. Keep a legit Lifestyle and mind your own business.

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  20. Thanks lucio. Appreciate the info

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  21. Everybody always has a waa waa waa story about some scumbag addict and how they were always just oh so dealt a bad hand. Fuck that. That's grade a bullshit man. Fuck that, I say you make your own decisions and those decisions have consequences and if you make really stupid ass decisions sometimes they have really permanent ass consequences. Death comes to mind. Prisoner to an inanimate substance is another, as pathetic as that sounds. Society shouldn't suffer because some piece of shit addict needs a fix 12 times a day, and society shouldn't have to deal with all the repercussions dope drags along, all the way from producers to movers to dealers to enforcers on both sides of the law. If someone really cared about whoever ends up being an addict then they wouldn't have become an addict in the first place. To say otherwise is to have the responsibility and mentality of a 1 year old. I say make the shit legal that way it fucks cartels monetarily, and it helps the stupid people who raise shitbags who "just want to try it out" in the first place. One less addict is one less piece of shit breathing productive, responsible, majority, everyday regular old society's air.

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    Replies
    1. 2:54 AM
      Go away with your shit.Do you want cigarette smokers to die?What about prescription pills?What about alcohol,should they die?No?You fuckin sheep just because a government tells you,because they are"legal"there ok?
      But"illicit,black market"drugs.Use your fuckin brain,you are completely manipulated,how many attitudes would change if government legalized heroin?
      Fools and followers of the highest order..What kind of nob head are you?
      Oh yeah,your the obama weirdo,obamas going to steal your money and your kids,watch out,obamas about...

      Delete
    2. 2:54 AM
      Blah blah ablah ba har blah ugg ugg obama

      Delete
  22. @405 you're so excited to call someone a sheep you forgot to check yourself first; why the fuck are you bringing obama into it? Who the fuck said anything about Obama? I could give two shits less about obama you fucking derp; unless you live in an imaginary world, this one has fucking rules. And the rules say heroin is illegal you moron. Where the fuck did you get cigarettes and alcohol from on my comment? What are you a fucking ADD kid? Cigarettes and alcohol? What the fuck? Did I say anything about cigs and alcohol? If you read the fucking article, which is about heroin taking the place on the streets over pills, that is what I am taking about. Heroin is illegal you dipshit, Obama has nothing to do with it. Stop trying to take shit somewhere it don't belong as far as my comment goes. Fucking dorky ass over here crying about Obama, cigarettes and alcohol. All I did was say addicts are fucking scum kid, everyone has an opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  23. 11:40 you have been visited by el mil mascaras, he does not have any argument, but will argue for the hell of it whenever his granny does not please his ass enough...
    --Someone has to pay for his not being 100% american and for having eaten too many beans as a child...

    ReplyDelete

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