Charlotte considered mid-level hub for drug trafficking

01:00 PM EDT on Thursday, March 26, 2009

By BETH SHAYNE / NewsChannel 36
E-mail Beth: BShayne@WCNC.COM

Video
March 26th, 2009Tracking drugs in Charlotte More News video View larger E-mail clip More video Search Video:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As drug violence explodes in Mexico and southwestern border states, investigators in Charlotte are watching.

They have to be, because Charlotte is one of many American cities known as a home to operatives of those same Mexican drug cartels. The National Drug Intelligence Center says both the Juarez Cartel and the Federation are known to operate in the Charlotte region.

“It’s just prudent for us in the Charlotte area to make sure we are aware of what’s going on,” Vice and Narcotics Captain Mike Adams, with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police explained. “Am I naïve enough to say, ‘No, that it wouldn’t happen [here]?’ No, but I wouldn’t say that, but I think that we do a really good job …to try to stay on top of it.”

Adams said Atlanta is considered the major player in the southeast, and Charlotte is a mid-level source city. He said there are both higher-levels distributors who operate the business of the drug trade here, and lower level players—dealers—as well.

“It’s touching all parts of our community. There is not one demographic, or part of the city that is not effected in some form or fashion,” Adams said. “They are living among the everyday community resident, and you may never know.”

Adams said cocaine is the primary drug at issue, but meth, marijuana, heroin, and ecstasy are part of the trade too. He said most of those drugs—particularly the cocaine—in this region can be traced back to Mexico.

CMPD works in conjunction with DEA, ATF, and ICE in the Charlotte region. Their primary focus, Adams said, is on the things that go along with drugs—violence, and property crime. That is what draws their officers to a neighborhood.

“Those are the ones we are going to attack first, we are going to go after it hard, and if you are doing it, we are going to get you,” Adams said.

Still, he admitted, “We know we don’t get all of it, we know we don’t.”
http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-032509-mrn-cartels.6f91dbea.html#