What is the relation between drugs and

gangs?

What is the relation between drugs and

Street gangs, outlaw motorcycle

gangs (OMGs), and prison gangs arethe primary distributors of illegaldrugs on the streets of the UnitedStates. Gangs also smuggle drugs intothe United States and produce andtransport drugs within the country.

Street gang members convert powdered cocaine into crack cocaine and

produce most of the PCP available inthe United States. Gangs, primarilyOMGs, also produce marijuana andmethamphetamine. In addition, gangsincreasingly are involved in smugglinglarge quantities of cocaine and marijuana and lesser quantities of heroin,methamphetamine, and MDMA (alsoknown as ecstasy) into the UnitedStates from foreign sources of supply.Gangs primarily transport and distribute powdered cocaine, crack cocaine,heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine,MDMA, and PCP in the United States.

Located throughout the country,

street gangs vary in size, composition,and structure. Large, nationallyaffiliated street gangs pose the greatest threat because they smuggle,produce, transport, and distributelarge quantities of illicit drugsthroughout the country and areextremely violent. Local street gangsin rural, suburban, and urban areaspose a low but growing threat. Localstreet gangs transport and distributedrugs within very specific areas.

What are the 

gang activity?

than a quarturban schoopresence, anin suburban rural schools street gangs. much higher ence than pr

Large stree

violence to codistribution agangs and derefuse to pay also use violebers adhere tduct or to prleaving. In Nold gang memwas sentencefatally shootiwanted to lea

Authorities 

report that gamost of the smajor cities oengage in an including assshooting, extotion fraud, mtion operationproperty, and What are the gang activity?

What is the extent of gang operation and

crime in the United States?

These gangs often imitate the larger,more powerful national gangs in orderto gain respect from rivals.

Some gangs collect millions of dollars

per month selling illegal drugs, trafficking weapons, operating prostitutionrings, and selling stolen property. Gangslaunder proceeds by investing in realestate, recording studios, motorcycleshops, and construction companies.They also operate various cash-basedbusinesses, such as barbershops, musicstores, restaurants, catering services,tattoo parlors, and strip clubs, in orderto commingle drug proceeds with fundsgenerated through legitimate commerce.

There are at least 21,500 gangs and

more than 731,000 active gang membersin the United States. Gangs conductcriminal activity in all 50 states and U.S.territories. Although most gang activity isconcentrated in major urban areas,gangs also are proliferating in rural andsuburban areas of the country as gangmembers flee increasing law enforcementpressure in urban areas or seek morelucrative drug markets. This proliferationin nonurban areas increasingly is accompanied by violence and is threateningsociety in general.

According to a 2001 Department of

Justice survey, 20 percent of studentsaged 12 through 18 reported that streetgangs had been present at their schoolduring the previous 6 months. MoreWhat is the extent of gang operation andcrime in the United States?
NDIC Product No. 2005-L0559-001

Nat

011805

Other products of interest:

For more information on illicit drugs

check out our web site at:

www.usdoj.gov/ndic

Call 814-532-4541

to request NDIC products

Other products of interest:

For more information on illicit drugs

check out our web site at:

www.usdoj.gov/ndic

Call 814-532-4541

to request NDIC products







Huffing—The Abuse of Inhalants

Prescription Drug Abuse and Youth

Drugs,Youth, and the Internet

National Drug Intelligence Center

NDIC Washington Liaison Office

ADNET http://ndicosa

LEO home.leo.gov/lesig/ndicRISS ndic.riss.netINTERNET www.usdoj.gov/ndic

319 Washington Street, 5th Floor

Johnstown, PA 15901-1622

Telephone: 814-532-4601

FAX: 814-532-4690

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Telephone: 703-556-8970

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NDIC publications are available on the following web sites:

Cover photo: Suffolk County (NY) Police Department.

Dru

G

What are some signs that young people may be involved in gang activity? What are some signs that young people may be involved in gang Changes in behavior such as skipping school, hanging out with different friends or, in certain places, spray-painting graffiti and using hand signals with friends can indicate gang affiliation.

In addition, individuals who

belong to gangs often dress alike bywearing clothing of ,wearing bandannas, or even rollingup their pant legs in a certain way.Some gang members wear certaindesigner labels to show their gangaffiliation. Gang members often havetattoos. Also, because gang violencefrequently is glorified in rap music,young people involved in gangs oftentry to imitate the dress and actionsof rap artists.

Finally, because substance abuse

is often a characteristic of gangmembers, young people involved ingang activity may exhibit signs ofdrug or alcohol use.

the same color

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Q

A