59

Brunswick, Perth Amboy and South Amboy. The central through the southern portions of
Middlesex County includes suburban types of housing and business tracts as well as areas
which are largely rural in nature

In the past, the area from Philadelphia north to the Bucks County area of
Pennsylvania has directly impacted the methamphetamine and methamphetamine derivative
trade throughout Middlesex County. The vast majority of the individuals distributing
those narcotics within Middlesex County would procure them from clandestine
laboratories operating within those areas.

The New York City area has become the major northeastern point of importation
for various controlled dangerous substances and has become the main destination for
Middlesex County based on distributors wishing to purchase amounts for re-distribution in
our area. A vast majority of the cocaine, heroin and marijuana seized within the county
originates from New York City. The low overhead associated with traveling to the City
has facilitated this problem. The most frequent modes of transportation being utilized are
the motor vehicle and public transportation which consists of buses and trains.

There are numerous major roadways dissecting Middlesex County which are used
for the transportation of the narcotics. This includes not only the New Jersey Turnpike
but also the Garden State Parkway. Both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit operate
tailheads with several major commuter terminals located within Middlesex County. This
includes stations within the cities of New Brunswick, Perth Amboy and South Amboy as
well as several in the larger suburban areas such as Edison, Woodbridge and Metuchen.
These rail lines are also being utilized to facilitate the procurement and re-distribution of

Page 4


123

Substance Abuse Resources

Your Prevention & Education Network

Mary Ann Martin Marg Pat Angelini
President Lrecttive Director

The following are federal grants that Substance Abuse Resources have received in the last two
ifferent government units:

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
Division of Addiction

$174,000
Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant
via New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission
$92,000

Housing and Urban Development
via Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders

$10,000

1WO6 Highway 35 - Dakhurst, New Jersey O778S - (732) 663-1800 - Fax (792) 663-1698
[hb (732) 683-0080 - f dd@uonmouth.com

jay Apeneyaliliatd withthe Aston! Gomell an Alcoholism and Drug Dependence


25

This has effectively amputated one to two levels of the Colombian cell
system and forced the Colombians to relinquish some profits and control. The cell
system is still employed to provide security and compartmentalization, but it no
longer exists to the extent that Colombian traffickers exert complete control over
the distribution networks. They have been using Dominican trafficking groups to
handle, and to some degree, control wholesale and street level distribution of
cocaine and heroin in the United States, By using this approach, they may forego
some profits, but they gain the insulation from U. S. justice that they desire. These
new traffickers, vying for the Cali throne, understand that direct control creates

vulnerability for the criminal organizations’ leadership in both the United States
and Colombia.

The 20 to 30 percent fee charged by Dominican and Puerto Rican
transportation groups gives them a competitive edge over the groups in Mexico,
who are still demanding 50 percent of each shipment. This makes using Puerto
Rico and the Dominican Republic a far more profitable venture for the Colombian
traffickers, and allows them to recoup part of the profits lost to franchising
wholesale operations.

In the past, the Dominicans’ role in illegal drug activity was limited to being
“pick up crews” and couriers who assisted the Puerto Rican smugglers in their
drug smuggling ventures. Much of this has changed due to the evolution of the
Dominican traffickers in the drug trade. This new breed of Dominican trafficker
functions as smuggler, transporter and wholesaler in many cities on the East Coast
and is able, through direct links to the Colombian drug traffickers, to dominate a
significant portion of the market in major East Coast cities.

Traffickers from the Dominican Republic have developed intricate
trafficking networks to distribute cocaine and heroin for the Colombians in the
lucrative New York/New Jersey market, as well as in cities all along the East
Coast. Dominican traffickers operate with efficiency, relying heavily on counter
surveillance, and operational security to ensure success. They use sophisticated
communications equipment, cloned cellular communications, alarm systems, and
police scanners to monitor the activity of law enforcement. They also rely heavily
on the ingenious construction of vehicle “traps” to secrete and secure their drug

loads for transportation in passenger vehicles or trucks for transportation to cities
throughout the Northeast.


COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT
DAN BURTON, Indiana, Chairman

BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York HENRY A. WAXMAN, California

J. DENNIS HASTERT, Ilinois TOM LANTOS, California

CONSTANCE A. MORELLA, Maryland ROBERT E. WISE, JR, West Virginia

CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut MAJOR R. OWENS, New York

STEVEN SCHIFF, New Mexico EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York

CHRISTOPHER COX, California PAUL E. KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida GARY A. CONDIT, California

JOHN M. McHUGH, New York CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York

STEPHEN HORN, California THOMAS M. BARRETT, Wisconsin

JOHN L. MICA, Florida ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, Washington,

‘THOMAS M. DAVIS, Virginia DC

DAVID M. MCINTOSH, Indiana CHAKA FATTAH, Pennsylvania

MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana ELIJAH E, CUMMINGS, Maryland

JOE SCARBOROUGH, Florida DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Ohio

JOHN B. SHADEGG, Arizona ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, Llinois

STEVEN C. LaTOURETTE, Ohio DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois

MARSHALL “MARK” SANFORD, South JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts
Carolina JIM TURNER, Texas

JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire ‘THOMAS H. ALLEN, Maine

PETE SESSIONS, Texas HAROLD E. FORD, JRr., Tennessee

MICHAEL PAPPAS, New Jersey ———

VINCE SNOWBARGER, Kansas BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont

BOB BARR, Georgia (Independent)

Kevin BINGER, Stoff Director
DANIEL R. MOLL, Deputy Stoff Director
WitLiaM MoscHELta, Deputy Counsel and Parliamentarian
dupitd McCoy, Chief Clerk
PUIL SCHILIRO, Minority Staff Director

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, AND CRIMINAL

JUSTICE
J. DENNIS HASTERT, Chairman
MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana THOMAS M. BARRETT, Wisconsin
CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut TOM LANTOS, California
STEVEN SCHIFF, New Mexico ROBERT E. WISE, Jr, West Virginia
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida GARY A. CONDIT, California
JOHN M. McHUGH, New York ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, Illinois
JOHN L. MICA, Florida CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York
JOHN B. SHADEGG, Arizona ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland
STEVEN C. LATOURETTE, Ohio JIM TURNER, Texas
BOB BARR, Georgia
EX OFFIcio
DAN BURTON, Indiana HENRY A. WAXMAN, California
CuarLes, Staff Dis

ap


119

Testimony Presented to
Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs and Criminal Justice
of the
Congressional Committee on Government Reform and Oversight

Mary Pat Angelini on October 20, 1997
Report from the Frontline: Central New Jersey's Battle Against Drugs in Our Communities

As I read the title of this hearing -- Central New Jersey’s Battle Against Drugs in Our
Communities, I must confess that I was a bit disappointed. The play on words derived from the
‘War on Drugs is tired and over used. The citizen walking down the street feels immune from the
societal damage and destruction caused by drugs - they don’t see a war. I face the daily challenge
of keeping this topic alive, and in that respect I am grateful for your attempt to bring this matter
to the public’s attention through this hearing. But I begin to lose patience when I realize that this
‘War on Drugs was set up to fail from its beginning. This war was never taken seriously on all
fronts. There were sporadic fighting initiatives but no consistency. Victory in this war is not a
Priority -- but when one sees the devastating effects -- one wonders why it is not a priority. This
war needs to be strategically fought on all fronts --simultaneously.

Recent studies have shown us that
more young people are using marijuana today at younger ages

there is widespread binge drinking on college campuses

heroin and hallucinogen use is on the rise.

the perception of the dangers of drug use has declined among our youth

and in Monmouth County alone, the estimated annual cost of alcohol and drug use is a
staggering $537 million

.
.
.

Shall we just retreat and go home? I don’t think so. I do think that we are beginning to
see a change in this battle - we now realize that preventing substance abuse, especially among our
youth is cost effective. For many years, prevention efforts consisted of passing fads rather then a
scientific, professional field. Prevention efforts were seen as hit or miss efforts - we tried a little
bit of everything and were left with the remains - increased alcohol and drug use among our
youth.

1997 is a different day - a new day. The field of prevention is gaining respect. What has
changed? Well, first we learned what doesn’t work - such as one shot deals using charismatic
speakers in assemblies with no follow up - wastes money and time and accomplishes nothing
towards making a lasting impact.

What else have we learned? We have learned that healthy messages need to be consistent
and continuous - just as those beer commercials seem to be consistent and certainly continuous -
our positive, prevention messages must do the same. We have leamed that mixed messages
confuse our kids. We have leamed that the media plays an integral role in our children’s
perception about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Our children are being

Mary Pat Angelini - Testimony
732-663-1800


68

areas that I believe are crucial to our success. These areas are pertinent to Central New
Jersey and have been very productive to date and, in my opinion, can be combined with
other tactics to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

The first area to be discussed is the philosophy of community policing and it’s
unique application to law enforcement in general and narcotics enforcement specifically.
As mentioned previously, community policing does not equate to diminishing one of our
main functions, arresting offenders. Rather, community policing recognizes the need to
keep all options available to law enforcement. Although voluntary compliance is the
preferred method of following the law, arresting individuals for violations of the law is
always an alternative.

The second area I would like to discuss as an enforcement technique is the
utilization of the Task Force in narcotics enforcement. The Middlesex County Narcotics
‘Task Force was established in 1971, and is one of the oldest such organizations in the
State of New Jersey. The Task Force was initially formed to combat the growing problem
of drug use and distribution throughout the Middlesex County area. The Task Force is
not only comprised of County Enforcement Officers, but each individual municipality is
encouraged to participate in this enforcement by assigning one officer to the task force for
a specified time, up to a one year commitment. The purposes of the Task Force are:

1. The investigation, prosecution and conviction of individuals violating the New
Jersey Controlled Dangerous Substance Act, in cooperation with state and federal law
enforcement agencies, and to investigate drug related violence within the County.

2. Reduction in the amount of controlled dangerous substances throughout the
County and reduction in the number of incidents involving drug related violence.

3. Investigation of all levels of the distribution chain, from street level dealers up to
and including those involved in high level/importation.

Page 13


19

large quantities of the drug into New Jersey on commercial airline flights which arrive at Newark
International Airport daily. Higher purity levels and cheaper prices have created an explosion in the
user population, not only in inner cities, but in communities throughout New Jersey. The cocaine
and heroin marketed at the wholesale level by the Colombian cartels makes its way quickly to retail
distributors located in every urban community in New Jersey. Retail distribution is controlled
primarily by Hispanic and African-American trafficking networks. These networks supply inner city
street-level markets, as well as. mid-level distributors in suburban communities and rural hamlets.

Marijuana also remains a readily available controlled dangerous substance in New Jersey.
In 1996, 24,447 arrests for possession and distribution of marijuana represented 40 percent of all
drug abuse violations in New Jersey. While the majority of the marijuana consumed in New Jersey
originates from outside sources, domestic cultivation, by outdoor and indoor clandestine growers,
continues to be a significant problem for New Jersey law enforcement.

Methamphetamine, which is readily available in most areas of New Jersey, is manufactured
primarily in southern New Jersey and Pennsylvania in clandestine laboratories. Production and
distribution is dominated by individuals with strong links to Philadelphia-based organized crime
families and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Other controlled substances which remain a concem for law enforcement, health officials and
educators in New Jersey include: Prescription drugs (including amphetamines and barbiturates),
LSD, PCP, designer drugs such as MDMA (commonly referred to as Ecstasy), Ketamine, a
veterinary tranquilizer referred to in drug circles as “Special K”, and inhalants. While less frequently
abused than cocaine, heroin and marijuana, these substances are popular among youthful substance
abusers, and are widely used at “rave parties”.

The New Jersey State Police remain committed to leading New Jersey's war on drugs. We
are actively engaged in the campaign against substance abuse on all fronts. Uniformed State
Troopers, who patrol New Jersey's super highways and rural back roads, are on constant vigit
against traffickers and couriers who continuously replenish the State’s drug supplies.
The New Jersey State Police Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau, in its commitment to the
Statewide Narcotics Task Force, has formulated and implemented strategic initiatives which target
all levels of narcotics trafficking in the Garden State, from street-level distribution networks which
impact upon the ‘quality of life’ of New Jersey residents to wholesale importation and transportation
operations controlled by foreign drug lords.

In 1996, recognizing the need to more effectively marshall resources from with the Division
of State Police to address the growing drug threat and to combat the increasing number of emerging
crime syndicates engaged in narcotics trafficking, the Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau was
streamlined and reorganized to more effectively accomplish this mission. Specialized operational
units were established which are designed to target each area of drug trafficking in New Jersey.

A Narcotics Trafficking Unit was established to target individuals and organizations engaged
in the wholesale importation and distribution of narcotics. The Narcotics Trafficking Unit focuses
primarily on the trafficking activities of such large-scale organizations as the Colombian cocaine



15

groups in Mexico, who are still demanding 50 percent of each ship-
ment.

The new breed of Dominican trafficker functions as a smuggler,
transporter, and wholesaler in many cities on the east coast and
is able through direct links to the Colombian drug traffickers to
dominate a significant portion of the market in major east coast cit-

ies.

DEA’s Heroin Signature Program data from 1995, the most re-
cent data available, reveals that 62 percent of the heroin seized in
the United States was from South America, up from 32 percent the
year before.

Abuse of high. juality Colombian heroin, which can easily be
snorted or smoked, rather than injected, the traditional method of
administration, has significantly increased over the last several
years. Unfortunately, its use has become fashionable for many
young people.

To shield America’s Southwest border, the DEA and the FBI
have launched the Southwest Border Initiative, which dismantles
the sophisticated leadership of criminal groups from Mexico by tar-
geting their command and control functions and building cases on
the surrogate members and their United States-based infrastruc-

ture.

The effectiveness of this strategy is only hampered by the dif-
ficulty of incarcerating the leadership of these trafficking empires
who hide in foreign safe havens, like Colombia and Mexico.

Recently two such investigations, Operation Reciprocity and Op-
eration Limelight, demonstrated the importance of DEA’s ability to
successfully target the communications of the upper echelon of
international criminal organizations.

In these two operations, DEA, with the cooperation of other Fed-
eral and State law enforcement agencies, targeted cocaine distribu-
tion cells commanded by the Amado Carrillo-Fuentes organization.
The organizations that were taken apart in these two operations
show it the traffickers from Mexico are expanding their reach
across the United States, as far as New York City.

We started Operation Reciprocity, nearly a year ago, in October
1996, by identifying the command elements of the Amado Carrillo-
Fuentes organization dealing drugs in New York and Los Angeles.
We identified how the ickers transported cocaine across the
country in tractor-trailer loads and returned the illicit profits to
Mexico in the form of bulk cash. Reciprocity resulted in 40 arrests
and the seizure of over $11 million in cash and 7.4 tons of cocaine
and 2,700 pounds of marijuana.

Operation Limelight began in August 1996 in Imperial County,
CA and focused on the Alberto Beltran transportation and distribu-
tion cell of the Amado Carrillo-Fuentes organization.

Again, by targeting the command and control systems of this
group, we identified cross-country smuggling routes that employed
tractor-trailers that hauled tons of cocaine to California, Texas,
Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York. Limelight resulted in the sei-
zure of 4,012 kilograms of cocaine, 10,846 pounds of marijuana,
over $7 million in cash, and the arrest of 48 persons.

Operations Limelight and Reciprocity, like their predecessors Op-
erations Zorro I and II, demonstrated that law enforcement can


128

We also may need to look at who is making the decisions
about the length of time and type of treatment. The old
methods of bandaging the problem have put such a drain on
the health care providers that they have reduced or limited
access to reimbursable treatment. This type of thinking
penalizes those in need (i.e. the victim). Instead of
giving them the assistance they require they set them up
for continual failure. This is not the way to control the
cost of substance abuse.

Viable resolution to the substance abuse problem can
include:

“ Assessment of individual needs. :

“ Education/prevention programs, which must include
the adult community, targeted to those who have not
yet experimented with mood altering drugs.

@ Interventions for those who are users but not
addicted and not yet in crisis. This should not be
limited to the young adult community.

Finally, more aggressive LONG-TERM treatment
programs for those who are in the late stages of
addiction and chronic relapsers need to be
developed/expanded.

At the Good News Home for Women, our long-term program is a
holistic, non-sectarian, comprehensive program with
emphasis on providing healing for the mind, spirit/soul,
and body. The program includes bible studies, addiction
classes, Christian 12 steps and NA/AA support group
meetings, group and individual counseling, work therapy
programs and continual education opportunities. BUT, we
only have 12 beds with a waiting list! Our community at
large needs to acknowledge that there are ‘few programs that
meet the needs of women and none that meet the needs of
women vets.

Substance abuse is so pervasive it is hard to ignore all
the negative effects on family and community. If I had
time I could give you stories of how the lives of
communities, families, and the abuser themselves are
destroyed. This parasite drains our nations of both human
and financial resources. We need to take our heads out of
the sand and put our resources into stopping this insidious
epidemic once and for all.


184

‘Testimony for Congressional Hearings
relating to substance abuse

October 20, 1997

Page3

3. Increase the dollars available through the Safe and Drug Free School Funds so every district
and private school, in every state can afford full-time student assistance counselors to deal
‘with the 50% of the student population using substances. In the Sth largest school district in
New Jersey, 3 student assistance counselors held 3,622 individual and family sessions last
year. They do not have enough time to see all those affected by alcohol and drugs. The
district needs more aid to hire more counselors.

4. Mandate substance abuse evaluation and assessment of each person entering the criminal
justice system - do it atthe front end of ad
an be orchestrated and given, concurrently

Tie Federal Highway funds to a mandatory .08 blood alcohol level in each state’s driving-
‘while-intoxicated law, as proposed by New Jersey's Senator Lautenberg.

In essence, start early and stay longer with prevention programs and funding,
‘Thank you for this opportunity.
Respectfully submitted,

AMA e

Executive Director
SBS:swp

Mercer Council on Alcoholism & Drug Addiction


13.

4

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Drug and Alcohol Use Among New Jersey High School Students,” New Jersey
Department of Law and Public Safety, 1996,

“Handgun Violence Reduction Program, Prescriptive Package,” Third Edition,
Baltimore County Police Department.

“Healthy Communities Healthy Youth, 30 Developmemtal Assets," Search Institute,
Minnesota, 1993.

. Narcotics and Community Policing, Interview with K. Drost, Patrol Officer, South

Brunswick Township Police Department, Community Policing Bureau, October
1997.

|. Narcotics and Community Policing, Interview with F. Thompson, Captain, South

Brunswick Township Police Department, October 1997.

. Narcotic Trends in Middlesex County, Interview with J. Greczyn, Captain, Middlesex

County Narcotics Task Force, October 1997.

. Narcotic Trends in Middlesex Coutny, Interview with R. Kushner, Sergeant,

Middlesex County Narcotics Task Force, October 1997.

. Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Task Force, CDs Price List, September 1997.

Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force, Position Paper,
May 1997.

|. Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force, /996 Annual Report.
. South Brunswick Charter Study Commission, “South Brunswick Charter Study

Commission - Final Report,” August 1997.

. South Brunswick Police Department, DARE Curriculum, Description of Program

Grades 5-6, 1997.

Whitman, Governor Christine Todd, “Governor's Drug Enforcement, Education and
‘Awareness Program, Trenton, New Jersey, October 1996.

Page 19


32

specializing in the dismantling of violent drug gangs. The teams aggressively
target and build cases against individuals involved in violent drug trafficking
activities. This initiative attempts to address some of the factors that are believed
to be responsible for the increase in violent crime; including increased teen
violence, witness intimidation, violence within the criminal communities, and
limited resources among state and local law enforcement components to combat
this growing menace to law abiding citizens. After MET deployments have been
completed, the local authorities can show solid statistics on decreased crime rates
and measurable improvement in quality of life for the community.

There are now 19 METs strategically located across the country, which can
be sent anywhere drug gangs are responsible for high crime rates and few crimes
being solved. MET deployments help local authorities remove the most violent
offenders from the streets and renew citizens confidence in the ability of
government to respond to citizens’ concerns: drugs and violence threatening their
homes. The MET program, which was fully funded by Congress in FY 1997, is
based on the belief that those who distribute drugs on the streets of the United
States and commit violent activities are part of a seamless international continuum

of drug trafficking organizations headquartered in Colombia, Mexico, and
Southeast Asia.

During August 1997, there was a three-week, intensive MET deployment
requested by the Atlantic City Police Director. Surveillance and undercover drug
purchases were targeted at specific street level drug trafficking groups which had
been plaguing area housing developments. The targets of the operation were
felons with prior charges ranging from homicide to drugs, several were wanted in
connection with local shootings. The deployment ended with the arrest of 58
violent criminals.

A MET team was deployed to Paterson in March, 1996, and concluded its
operations in February 1997. The MET and Paterson police targeted several
violent Dominican crack cocaine trafficking groups whose leaders were all
previous felons and were responsible for most of the retail drug sales in the city.
Asa result of this MET deployment, targets of the investigations are now awaiting
trial on homicide and weapons charges. Overall, the deployment resulted in 37
arrests on federal drug charges and homicide charges. Four and one half pounds
of crack cocaine, one ounce of heroin and numerous weapons, were seized during

16


103

those gateway drugs toward addiction. The problem with mari-
juana is also its perception.

The marijuana of the 1960’s, from the baby boom generation, is
much different than the marijuana of the 1990’s today. The active
ingredient, the THC, or the tetrahydrocannabinol, is far, or five
times, more potent today than it was in the 1960’s. And there could
be no misconception that it’s not a drug that will lead to addiction.

Mr. Pappas. Thank you.

I just have a few more. I know we want to hear from the stu-
dents, but I have just a couple of more. Mr. Prosecutor, could you
either confirm or change the Perception that many of us have, hav-
ing been told in a regimen of different publications that many of
the crimes that we have are a direct or indirect result of drug
usage in our society? Would you talk about that here in this part
of the State?

Mr. Kaye. Yes. A few years ago—the major crime here is bur-
glary. This is a very wealthy county. And manufacturers have
made things smaller. So they’re easier to steal.

A few years ago burglary was probably our largest crime. It still
is. We attributed it mostly to drug use years ago because most of
the people we arrested happened to have drugs in their system
when they were arrested.

The fact is, however, that—this is my opinion; Mr. Coleman will

or disagree—drugs are cheap. They’re really cheap. And you
don’t have to rob a house to get enough money for drugs.

My experience has been lately that it’s coincidental. It also hap-

ns to something that the burglars do. In general, we don’t

ve violent crimes committed by people on drugs. Crack is not as
prevalent here as it used to be. Heroin is increasing.

Anyway, I don’t know what John thinks about that.

Mr. Pappas. Briefly.

Mr. COLEMAN. Again, there are a number of areas you can tack
this on. One is that the crimes are associated with the drug traf-
fickers themselves in the sense that trafficking in drugs is a crime.
And there are also the crimes that drug fickers commit to get
the drugs. And then there are the crimes that are inspired or oth-
erwise associated, correlated with criminal activity.

For example, the use of stimulant drugs, such as methamphet-
amine and cocaine, are more readily associated with crimes of vio-
lence, use of CNS, or central nervous system, substances, such as
heroin, are less associated with crimes of violence, more associated
with property crimes, for example, instead of personal crimes.

So, you have a wide variety of situations involving criminal activ-
ity and the use of drugs.

Mr. Pappas. My last comment, really—it’s not so much a ques-
tion—is for the chief that’s here. I like to use the term that I like
to hear about local solutions to national problems. And I certainly
view people like yourself and your colleagues around this State and
our Nation as really the front line of defense. And you're to be com-
mended for that. And I certainly appreciate your testimony here

lay.
And I certainly want to, through you, convey to all of the local
law enforcement officials in my district that my door is open. And


39

Here’s my thoughts on treatment and something that you ought
to bear in the back of your mind when you're voting on appropria-
tions. There’s been a dispute between law enforcement and treat-
ment facilitators for years over where the money goes. There’s less
and less Federal money all the time. The argument is over who is
going to get it.

We favor treatment. We strongly favor treatment. But nobody
goes into treatment without us. If it weren’t for law enforcement,
people wouldn’t be in treatment.

e idea that if somebody wakes up on Monday morning and
says, “Gee, it’s really a beautiful, sunny day. I think I'll just go
down and start my treatment” is baloney. They start treatment be-
cause they failed, they're arrested, they've had their car taken,
they've had their house forfeited, they've had their money taken.
And it’s happened not once but twice or three times.

Finally their family is fed up with them and everybody is sick
and tired of them. Then they go into treatment and maybe they
failed. But then they should go back again and again. We favor
that, but it doesn’t happen without us.

One last quick point or maybe two if you don’t mind. One is how
we measure our success. We measure our success by a standard:
How many people are taking drugs; how many people are being ar-
rested; how many crimes are being committed? The problem is that
we've readily had a tremendous failure in that regard nationwide.

The FBI's statistics only cover seven major felonies. They do not
cover drugs. They do not cover juveniles. Department of Justice
statistics with their victimization surveys do not cover anyone
under 12 years old.

In anticipation of coming here, I looked at the national household
survey on drug abuse in 1996, which quotes from Donna Shalala,
which says that the level of drug use remains the same but that
overall drug use has fallen 50 percent in the last 15 years.

I then get another report 1 month later from the National Par-
ents Resource Institute for Drug Education, which says we are now
at the highest level in 9 years and 1 out of every 5 high school sen-
iors weekly uses drugs, 1 out of every 10 daily, and the arrest rate
is at its highest level since the survey began in 1987.

These numbers are all over the place. When it comes to juveniles,
the police fill out a uniform crime report. Uniform crime report
goes into the State, does not go to the Federal offices when it comes
to juveniles. The State then tries to figure out who got convicted
of what later on.

And the record is hierarchical so that if you committed as a juve-
nile five or six different crimes, what you would eventually be con-
victed of would be one crime. It’s a very, very misleading indication
of where we are and how we're doing.

The problem is that it also gives us difficulty in figuring out
where we're spending the money. What are we doing? Are we put-
ting our resources in the right place?

T would suggest that sometime, gentlemen, there be an effort to
create a commission to develop a national picture of crime, which
would include drug use as about 40 percent of the crime in the
country, that is accurate, that all of us can use, and that will be


64

New Jersey 7th and 8th graders, (57%), have tried alcohol, and 2 out of 5 have tried
cigarettes. Fourteen percent report having tried using marijuana at least once in their

lives, and eight percent report that they used marijuana in the month preceding the survey.

Ri IN

In the 1980's, the law enforcement community across the country viewed it’s role
as enforcement oriented with a “lock them up and throw away the key” philosophy. This
type of attitude didn’t work then and it certainly will not work now. Although a legitimate
part of our role is enforcement, it is not our only role. Prevention is an aspect of law
enforcement that must be viable and viewed as something that is positive. Prevention is
another word for being proactive. Proactivity is the concept of getting involved before
something happens or getting invoived to get something positive to occur. In my opinion
there are three major options available to local law enforcement that deal with prevention
of crime and can be specifically used in the fight against drugs.

The first prevention strategy available to law enforcement is the philosophy of
community policing. Community Policing is a unique option for any law enforcement
agency to analyze. It is the only option that can be classified as both a preventative tool
and an enforcement option. In it’s purest form, community policing is best known for
it’s ability to interact and problem solve. In it’s most effective form, it combines the
assets of prevention with the possibility of enforcement because not all areas of concern or
individuals are amenable to positive preventative interaction.

In order for community policing to truly have an effect on crime, there must be a

de-emphasis on the police component and an emphasis on the community component. It

Page 9


148

Thank you ve. ich.

Mr. HASTERT. Thank you. I, too, would like to thank Dr. Mulhare
for making this facility Svailable. It was certainly very, very hel}
ful. And I want to thank all of our distinguished witnesses. I would
like to say I think it’s been very helpful.

The Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs,
and Criminal Justice is hereby adjourned.

[Whereupon, at 1:30 p.m., t! subcommittee was adjourned.]


35

Mr. Hastert. Thank you, Mr. Williams.

Td caution all people giving testimony if you’d—all written testi-
mony will be made part of the record. And if you’d to summa-
rize your testimony in about 5 or so minutes, then we'll have time
for questions and move on. So, Mr. Coleman, please proceed.

Mr. COLEMAN. Thank you very much.

Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Pappas. My name is John
Coleman. I'm the special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement
Administration Field Division in New Jersey headquartered in
Newark, NJ. Thank you for inviting me to participate, and I will
try to keep my remarks to the 5 minutes or so.

Although the Mexican drug trafficking organizations are consid-
ered to be the greatest law enforcement threat facing the United
States today, New Jersey has been until very recently only periph-
erally affected by the Mexican organizations.

New Jersey has one of the largest Colombian populations in the
United States and, therefore, continues to be a stronghold of Co-
lombian trafficking groups. We are beginning to see, however, the
impact of the expansion of Mexican trafficking groups to the east

coast.

As part of Operation Reciprocity, which Mr. Williams just men-
tioned, in June 1997, approximately 614 kilograms of cocaine were
seized in a Jersey City warehouse. This warehouse was being used.
by the Mexican traffickers as of their transportation network
running through Chicago to New Jersey, with a final destination
being the markets of New York.

In yet another recent example of the expansion of drug markets
by groups from Mexico, as part of an operation called Operation
Pipeline, which, coincidentally, was developed many years by
the New Jersey State Police and members of the New Mexico State
Police, as part of Operation Pipeline, the Newark division in con-
junction with the Phelps County, MO, sheriffs department, the

‘iddlesex County, NJ, prosecutor’s office, and the East Brunswick,
NJ, police department, earlier this month seized more than 750
pounds of marijuana from a Mexican organization based in El
Paso, TX, and Juarez, Mexico. The marijuana was destined for a
traditional organized crime syndicate in the New Jersey/New York
area.

A recent investigation conducted by the Newark division in con-
junction with the FBI, U.S. Customs, the Costa Mesa Police, the

internal Revenue Service, the Hudson County, NJ, prosecutor's of-

fice; and the Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
Group, which was dubbed Operation MERY-GO-ROUND, clearly
demonstrates that Colombian-based trafficking groups remain a
dominant force in the cocaine trade affecting this area. To date, 78
people have been arrested, including 12 in New Jersey.

Through September 1997, more t! 2,100 kilograms of cocaine,
75 pounds of methamphetamine, and almost $7.5 million in cur-
rency have been seized in this one investigation.

The common thread throughout all of these operations, whether
the groups are from Mexico or from Colombia, is that they display
a need for the cell heads or the organizational heads to commu-
nicate with both the syndicate leadership outside the United
States; that is, in Colombia and Mexico, and their subordinates


67

positive. Additionally, we also offer a K-4th grade program about drugs. This curriculum
is similar to the traditional D.A.R.E. program but sets the stage for the students as

they get older and need more than ever the ability to make good solid decisions
concerning their future and the decisions they will have to make.

The third prevention strategy available to local law enforcement is again one that is
best utilized when done in cooperation with the local school district at the implementation
level. This is a program that identifies thirty assets a young person needs in order to have
them grow up healthy, caring and responsible. The intent is to allow a community to
recognize the need for all children to acquire as many of the thirty assets as possible
because there is a direct correlation between the number of attained assets and high risk
behavior. This high risk behavior includes the use of narcotics and is a good indicator of
the young community as a whole. Once the behaviors are identified, the community can
initiate a strategy to overcome the negatives. The strength of this prevention strategy is
the community itself When the results of the survey are released and problem areas are

identified, it becomes a community initiative to develop solutions.

LAW ENFORCEMENT OPTIONS: ENFORCEMENT

Enforcement of narcotic laws at the local level is an option that will always be
necessary. I do not believe the day will come when there will be voluntary compliance
with all the laws pertaining to use and sale of narcotics. However, a more important issue
than the enforcement of narcotic laws is the method law enforcement uses to be

successful. Although there are countless ways to enforce the laws, I will focus on three

Page 12


104

I certainly desire to hear from you folks very directly what are
things that we in Wa on can do to make your jobs easier.

You keep peace ce in conjunction with the county prosecu-
tor and the State police and our Federal officials that are here, but
the police officer, the police detectives, the chief are the law en-
forcement officials that most of our citizens ever encounter, speed-
ing tickets maybe, if you’re involved in an automobile accident. But
we certainly appreciate, I certainly appreciate the job that you do
and the job that the other police officers do in helping e our
communities a safe place.

And I certainly hope that each of you would be willing to con-
tinue to be in a dialog with us and to provide us maybe sometimes
even unsolicited suggestions as to what we can do in Washington
to have an effect in our communities.

Mr. HASTERT. Thank you. Sometimes the unsolicited are the best
suggestions.

Just one followup question. Captain Butt, you said this and I

ink, Mr. Coleman, you implied that 65 percent of all violent
crime that you encounter is drug related. That’s amazing.

So that’s theft. That’s OD’s. That’s crime against Property, theft,
all those types of crimes. Is that what you're talking abot

Mr. Burt. Yes, sir. I took those statistics from our Pom crime
report. And they seem to convey a message that while drugs may
be cheap, they're in plentiful supply and there’s an abundance of
abuse taking place.

That habit has to be supported financially, going to and from
open air markets to obtain 8, provide opportunities for the cas-
ual user to commit crimes, to be victims of crimes. And those areas
are something that we’re addressing with a strong commitment to
eliminate, make it harder for a casual user to find drugs, No. 1.

Mr. HASTERT. Thank you very much. I want to thank this panel
for their testimony today. As I said, all testimony will be made part
of the record. And you're excused. Thank you very much.

The next panel that we're going to bring up, I’m not sure who
they are. And, quite frankly, this is a drastic diversion from what
this committee usually does. We have a unique situation. This is
a hearing out in the States. And usually an: ly who comes and
testifies submits testimony in advance and then gives their oral
testimony.

Today Mr. Kerwin Lance has brought his class from Metuchan
High School. And we thought it would be unique and good for the
record to bring up a couple of high school students, not to grill
them but to give their, first of all, just view of how drugs affect
them or whatever they want to discuss about this and open it up
to a couple of questions. And let me say, let our folks come up,
whoever you have chosen. I hope we've got enough chairs there.
Come on in here.

What we would like you to do is, first of all, just state your name
for the record and your high school and hometown and just very
briefly, in a very brief statement, tell us your view of what we're
doing. Drugs may affect you or your community or your high
school. And then well open it up to a couple of questions. Because
we've squeezed you in, we need to keep time constraints.


126

to the community people who are free to fully contribute their tal-
ents and gifts to our society.

And I need to add onto that that the young people who sat at
this table a few minutes ago, it was really heart-wrenching to think
that they thought for the most part it was a hopeless, hopeless
problem. And we need to as adults really think that situation

ug!

Mr. HasTERT. Let me just comment. You know, when you bring
a panel up, you don’t know what the results are going to be, es)
cially if you don’t have any testimony beforehand. But for us, t! at
opens our eyes. I think that’s a wake-up call.

Ms. WINFREY. Yes.

Mr. HASTERT. So we have to understand that. You know, without
that, we have all kinds of good ideas, but we can’t ignore what re-
ality is. And we need to be able to deal with that as well. So I ap-
preciate your comment.

Ms. WinFrEY. And in closing, if I may just say one more thing?
Just yesterday—I have a class that I teach in my church, a Sunday
school class. That very same comment came up. We're
about just the sexual revolution. But it was hopeless.

The younger class coming in, the freshmen coming in, at the
local high school were so involved that they had what was called
an A to Z club. Four or five of these young ladies had an A date
tonight, the B date tomorrow night, the C-D date the next night,

and a record of maybe making three at a time.

That’s just how prevalent drugs and sex are in our community
with our young people.

{The prey statement of Ms. Winfrey follows:]


45

(2) Manner of ingestion - snort/inhale - users do not
have to begin their use with a substance by using
needles.

@)

@

(5)

This is a result of the increased purity of the
heroin available, and has opened up a whole new
market to young middle-aged suburban people.

Availability - four major sources.

(a)
()
(©)
d)

Price.

@

Southeast Asian heroin

Southwest Asian heroin

Mexican heroin

Colombian heroin - very pure, wholesale
price.

A “bundle” of heroin is New York City
constitutes ten bags of heroin. The cost for
the ten bags is $100.00. In Monmouth
County, each bag sells for $20.00 per bag.

Results.

(a)

(6)

(2)

More overdose cases and the victims are
younger individuals.

Once an individual commences to use
heroin, it is easy to tum to the use of
injections as such a method of ingestion
uses less CDS, thereby saving money,
wasting loss and still packing the same high.

Turning to the process of injection by the
use of needles facilitates disease
transmission and, specifically, AIDS.

5


Drug Control Policy.

The Narcotics Enforcement Unit conducts investigations of mid-level and street-level retail
narcotics dealers. Recently, a “Quality of Life” Task Force was developed and implemented to
identify and close down open-air drug markets and drug ‘hot spots’ which have become havens for
public drinking, drag consumption and violence, and which pose serious threats to the public’s safety
and welfare. The Task Force is designed to provide a rapid response to crime and drug trafficking
‘occuring in a specific locale immediately upon it’s identification. This response includes increased
police patrols, drug sweeps of narcotics trafficking areas, and the use of undercover and confidential
source infiltration. In areas where these tactics have been implemented, drug dealers and customers
alike have been displaced and forced to abandon familiar and comfortable surroundings in favor
of more clandestine, secretive and cumbersome means for conducting street-level drug transactions.
The ‘Quality of Life’ Task Force provides tactical support to county task forces and local law
‘enforcement agencies to coordinate the investigation and dismantling of street-level and mid-level
narcotics trafficking operations.

During the period beginning October 1996, through August 1997, this cooperative
enforcement initiative conducted approximately sixty-nine (69) “quality of life” details which
resulted in 696 arrests:

Location Details Arrests
Asbury Park 2B 129
Burlington 1 13
Camden 15 358
Egg Harbor 2 14
Glassboro 1 1
Howell 1 1
Hunterdon 1 27
Jersey City 4 30
Long Branch 4 7
Mt. Arlington 1 7
Salem City 4 Al
Neptune l 1
Newark 3 10
Passaic 1 3
Shrewsbury 1 1
Wharton 1 6
Wildwood 1 13
Meadowlands Complex 2 5
PNC Arts Center 2 9
Total 6 696

As a result of these details, bureau members arrested 696 individuals for various narcotics violatons.


8

reaction, well, that gentleman’s letter to me earlier in this year is
partially why we're all here today. And I thank you very much.
don’t we give hima round of f applause? [Applause.]
a, with that, Chairman, I yiele to you.
[The prepared statement of Hon. Michael Pappas follows:]


REPORT FROM THE FRONTLINE: CENTRAL
NEW JERSEY’S BATTLE AGAINST DRUGS IN
OUR COMMUNITIES

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1997

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY,
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE,
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT,
Freehold, NJ.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:30 a.m., at the
Freehold Borough High School, 85 Broadway, Freehold, NJ, Hon.
J. Dennis Hastert (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Present: Representatives Hastert and Pappas.

Staff present: Sean Littlefield, professional staff member; and
Any Davenport, clerk.

ir. HASTERT. This hearing of the Committee on Government Re-
form and Oversight’s Subcommittee on National Security, Inter-
national Affairs, and Criminal Justice will come to order.

I want to wish cverybod a good morning. We certainly thank ev-
eryone for coming . Most of all, we’re going to make some in-
troductions here, but I just want to make note that Mr. Kerwin
Lance has brought his class from Muetchan High School. I think
that’s great.

One of the things that those young Beople today will see is testi-
mony coming from national level, local level about problems we’re
having in drugs, and jvst not having a hearing just to hear people
talk. This hearing will take the ideas and basically the problems.
And when we start to pass legislation—most notably, this week
we'll be passing major drug legislation in Congress—a lot of these
ideas ill be commonsense ideas, try to be incorporated in that leg-
islation.

So, I know those young folks are studying history and the Con-
stitution and what the U.S. Government is all about, but I really
appreciate, especially their teacher taking the time to bring those
young folks in to see government at the frontline, how it works.

‘d also like to thank my colleague, Congressman Mike Pappas,
for allowing us to come to Freehold to discuss the status of drug
use in this district and this area. Congressman Pappas has worked
hard on the committee to bring the problem of drug use to the fore-
front of this Congress.

Today we will be examining the dire threat of drugs to our com-
munities. When people think of drugs and young people, they gen-

Mm


42

‘The message is that “if we don’t feel good, we need to take
something and, therefore, we will feel better right away.”

We are an impatient society that does not want to persevere or
endure or work through any type of problem — we demand the
quick fix, the easy solution.

It is not a large step then to go from recommended use to
abuse. Ifa little is good, more will be better -- be it pills,
medicine, alcohol, tobacco or controlled dangerous substances.

Concerning controlled dangerous substances, our geographical
location is a major factor contributing to our problem and its
peculiarities.

1

We are close to major points where CDS enters the country.

a. New York City
b. Newark

c. Philadelphia

Major highways and mass transit make access easy and
inexpensive to these points. This also creates jurisdictional
problems for local law enforcement efforts.

Prices for CDS at major urban cities are less than the prices in
suburban areas. This encourages trips to obtain the CDS.

a. Schedule A attached details the prices for CDS in
Monmouth County. In New York City, the price is
generally one-half the cost the substance is being sold
for in this county.

b. This encourages the development of many entrepreneurs
whose initial “stake” does not have to be that great, and
can then enable one to double their money upon a return
to this area.


3

7. More interaction with the school districts to provide meaningful programs with
consistent reinforcement to students from grammar school through high school. This
allows the police to be viewed as appropriate role models and give school children access
to an adult who can counter the temptations they will encounter.

8. Continued utilization of deterrents to possession of narcotics, even if the method
is known and expected. The use of canine dogs trained to identify and locate narcotics are
quite successful in school locker “sniffs” in reducing the amount of narcotics kept in the
school environment.

Federal Government

1. Continuing use and expansion of grants.
a. Block grants to municipalities for the hiring of additional police officers.
b, Develop a grant to improve the utilization of the D.A.R.E. program and
prevention programs in general.

2. Continued concentration on source reduction and narcotic eradication at an
international level with a continued emphasis on interdiction at ports of entry.

3. A recognition that technology has changed the ability of law enforcement to
have all the tools we need to be successful. There must constant evaluation of
technological advances and their impact on law enforcement. The result must be timely
changes in the law to allow law enforcement to do our job.

Page 18


82

DEMOGRAPHICS

New Jersey is a remarkably diverse state. There are urban centers such as Newark, Trenton
and Camden, with inner city problems as challenging as any major metropolitan city. There are rural
areas ranging from the mountains of Warren and Sussex counties to the Pine Barrens, marshes and
beaches of South Jersey and the Jersey Shore. Between the two are sprawling suburbs; bedroom
communities for people working in New York and Philadelphia. Regrettably, both of these source
cities offer easy access for drug dealers looking for supplies of illicit narcotics.

New Jersey is one of the five smallest states by area (7,496 square miles), yet it is the ninth
largest state by population (7,730,200). It is the mostly densely populated state in the country, with
an average population of 1,031 people per square mile, It has a transportation system which is
among the nation’s busiest, with superhighways which include the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden
State Parkway, the Atlantic City Expressway, Interstate-80 and Interstate-95. In addition, New
Jersey has a myriad of secondary roadways which connect the interior areas of the state.
Unfortunately, while this vast highway system allows easy and direct access to markets for goods
produced both in the United States and abroad, these same highways permit illegal drugs and other
contraband to flow into and through New Jersey virtually undetected and unimpeded.

New Jersey has two intemational airports located within its borders, Newark Intemational
Airport in northem New Jersey and Atlantic City Intemational Airport in southem New Jersey,
which serve as primary conduits for illegal narcotics entering the United States and for the departure
of illicit proceeds returning to source countries. In addition, international travelers, including drug
smugglers and couriers, have easy access to John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia International Airports
in New York, and Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania. New Jersey also has 51
smaller, often unregulated, airports throughout the state which are utilized to import and distribute
illegal narcotics.

A significant portion of the central-eastem region of the state is composed of miles of ocean
front property, bays and inlets into the Atlantic Ocean. These areas make maritime drug smuggling
a profitable activity. Also, there are several commercial fishing fleets operating in the central and
southern areas of the state, enhancing the possibilities for smuggling activity. Interdiction operations
are on-going to curtail these illegal activities. In the northern part of the state, there are seaports in
Newark, Elizabeth, and other locations along the Hudson River. In the southern part of the state,
along the eastern border, there are approximately 120 miles of shoreline property along the Atlantic
Ocean and Raritan Bay, and on the southwestern border there is the Delaware Bay. Along these
waterways, there are hundreds of marinas allowing easy access to small boats. These marinas are
often used to facilitate the importation and distribution of illicit drugs.

THE CENTRAL JERSEY PERSPECTIVE

Central New Jersey is a representative cross section of the drug problems inherent in
communities throughout the Garden State. Narcotics activities which occur in Mercer, Monmouth
and Hunterdon Counties, are similarly found throughout the remaining 18 counties, with variances
only in intensity and frequency. According to a needs assessment survey completed by county and


REPORT FROM THE FRONTLINE: CENTRAL NEW
JERSEY’S BATTLE AGAINST DRUGS IN OUR
COMMUNITITES

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY,
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT
REFORM AND OVERSIGHT
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION

OCTOBER 20, 1997

Serial No. 105-96

Printed for the use of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight

oe

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
41-812 WASHINGTON : 1998

For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
‘Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402

ISBN 0-16-056521-9
3



108

The young lady who talked about her experience in Brooklyn,
how things change, and how life in a sense can become intolerable
when your community becomes saturated with this, how best, and
some folks here saying, “You just need to get tougher.”

We need to get some sense on where we're going and what we
need to do. Let me just ask you one question. Just try to simply
answer it as best you can. How can we best get the message across
that this isn’t a good thing to do and we shouldn't do it? You know,
your parents, community, churches, schools, who is the best com-
municator of that purpose or how do you get the results?

Let’s start back. If you want to comment, fine. If you don’t want
to comment, that’s fine, too. Go right down the line. It’s easier.

Mr. Larris. Personally I think that it starts in the home and
around the school, too. And it influences some people, not every-
body. But also a lot of people who take drugs should take trips to
like hospitals or drug prevention centers just to see what the fu-
ture holds for them because that’s basically where they’re going to
end up if they keep using the drugs.

We have one security guard in our school. And everybody likes
him. He’s a great guy. And he’s doing a good job. He sees people
smoking and gets them out of there. And he writes them up, gives
them detention, whatever. But we only have one. I mean, I think
we need more people like that in our school.

Mr. HASTERT. What about peer pressure?

Mr. Larris. It’s a big part of this, why a lot of people start doing
the drugs.

Mr. HASTERT. How about the other way?

Mr. Larris. The people who are already on drugs don’t want to
hear about it from other people who don’t use the drugs. I mean,
people who don’t already use drugs may be influenced by that, but
people who are already on drugs probably won't listen.

Mr. Baum. I agree with what he says basically, but another secu-
rity guard is not going to do it. If we had like 10 security guards
patroll ing every corridor and everything, it’s really not going to
make the difference.

If people have the desire to do these drugs, they're going to do
it. I mean, if they have no common sense to realize that the drugs
are going to end up killing them, what can you do about it? Just
like more programs.
em at a loss for it. Maybe the Government can find out. Who

ws

Mr. Potuock. I think it definitely starts at the home. If the stu-
dent is part of a strong family, then they need to know that there
is somebody, a parent, that they can trust and that they can talk
to about drugs. If they have a strong family, then maybe the par-
ents can educate the children before anything can get out of hand.

I think maybe more trips can be taken to hospitals to see the ef-
fects, the firsthand experience on the effects of what drugs can do
to you. Maybe that can change some people’s opinions on what
drugs can do because the education that we have I think is insuffi-
cien’

So I feel that we need firsthand experience to really show the ef-
fect of drugs.


131

65 percent of the current prison population are there due to alcohol
or other drug use that precipitated their crime, and 46 percent of
all parolees have a drug offense as their base crime.

Just imagine, at a cost to benefit ratio of $11 returned to societ;
by every dollar spent on prevention, what spending only one-tent
of the cost of addiction, that $10.4 billion, could mean just for New
Jersey; not to mention the rest of the country.

Finally, I urge you to do more. We are only beginning to see the
benefits of prevention programs. It is a new field, a new science,
and in need of an increase of and continued funding.

Make health care companies responsible for health. Since preven-
tion saves care dollars, legislation mandating health care compa-
nies to route even one-half of 1 percent of their profits into local
and national prevention programs would result in substantial cost
reduction in health care. Also, this initiative should help fulfill
their supposed mission of using preventive measures to help cut
health care cost. Why not use this rationale in the area of alcohol-
ism and substance abuse?

Second, mandate that all companies who do business with the
Government have employee assistance programs in place, a proven
prevention and early intervention tool and a cost saver to the work
force at a nominal cost.

Third, increase the dollars available through the safe and drug-
free school funds so every district and private school in every State
can afford full-time student assistance counselors to deal with the
50 percent of the student population using substances.

In the ninth largest school district in New Jersey, 3 student as-
sistance counselors held 3,622 individual and family sessions last
year. They do not have enough time to see all of those affected by
alcohol and drugs. The district needs more aid to hire more coun-
selors.

Fourth, mandate substance abuse evaluation and assessment of
each person entering the criminal justice system. Do it at the front
end of admission to the system so prevention and treatment can be
orchestrated and given concurrently with punishment.

Fifth, tie Federal highway funds to a mandatory 0.08 blood alco-
hol level in each State’s drunk driving law, as proposed by New
Jersey's Senator Lautenberg. In essence, start early, stay longer
with prevention and funding.

Thank you for this opportunity.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Sechrist follows:]




109

Mr. Lippman. I think I have two ideas. I think one is realistic
and the other one just isn’t. Starting with the unrealistic goal, like
they were saying before, it does have to do with your home.

And I think t—well, I don’t do drugs. And the reason is be-
cause I—I think the main reason is because I don’t want to dis-
appoint my parents. I think that that only begins with how you're
raised and sensitivity and the way you feel about your family.

But there’s no way that every family—no matter what we say,
it’s not going to change the way people raise their children. So I
don’t think that’s a realistic goal.

Another thing that I see, like on TV, I see how they have like
popular People, like LL CoolJ and all these people that kids look
up to. And they’re saying how drugs are, what they do to you, how
they’re not good. I think that’s a positive role.

I think that kids when they see someone that they look up to and
they see that they’re doing right thing it makes them want to
do that, too, especially if they're accept yy a lot of people and a
lot of people think they’re cool, like LL CoolJ. A lot of people think
he’s like a cool guy. Some people want to follow that.

I think like you asked him a question about the opposite of peer
pressure. I think that the kids who don’t do drugs kind of feel that
they’re outcasted. They think that everyone’s doing it. And they
think that people might think they’re a dork by saying it isn’t for
them.

People who don’t do drugs are not going to say to someone who
does do drugs, “You know, I think you’re doing the wrong thing”
or try and persuade him to change his ways because it’s just not
going to happen.

Ms. CLOUDEN. I think that it does start at home. I think that if
your child is on drugs or in that kind of situation and you know
it and the teacher—or if you see a child, I can tell if a child is—
some of the time. Some children are able to hide it. But most chil-
dren you know if they’re on drugs. You know if they're smoking.
You know if they're in gangs. You can see by their changed behav-
ior and stuff.

Parents need to get more involved in what their children are
doing. Lots of parents have no idea what their children do in school
once they leave the house. And the parents are letting them do

I think that children who are not taking drugs should get more
involved and try to help the person by discussing it, by seeing chil-
dren who take and mess with their lives and other people’s
lives if they’re on igs and the other people around them. But I
would not agree to go up to a dealer—well, not drug dealers,
like someone that abuses drugs and try to get them to change.

I think that we need more student help, more parent help. I
think that the Government now is taking too much responsibilit;
in raising the children today. You have to stop. I saw it on
shows. And the parents should get more involved in what their
children are doing.

Ms. PANNONE. Again, I agree that the responsibility is also with
the parents. You have to be looking at what your child is doing.
You have to be more involved in their life. And although at this
day and age teenagers want to have more independence, you need


30

ROUND focused on a Colombian cell operating in New York, Miami, Dallas,
Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Cleveland. To date, 78 people have been
arrested, including 12 in New Jersey. Through September, 1997, an 2,100
kilograms of cocaine, 75 pounds of methamphetamine, and over $7,680 in
currency have been seized. The central figure in this investigation, Mery
Valencia, is currently incarcerated in Brazil awaiting extradition to the United
States to stand trial in the in the Southern District of New York.

The common thread in each of these major operations, whether the groups
were from Mexico or Colombia, was that they displayed a need for the cell-heads
to communicate with both the syndicate leadership in Colombia and Mexico and
their subordinates around the United States. These communications are critical to
the efficient operation of their organizations and are, at the same, time their
greatest vulnerability. However, this vulnerability will only continue as long as
law enforcement has access to their communications systems. With sophisticated
communication encryption equipment becoming available to these wealthy
traffickers our access to their key communications could be severely limited or
completely eliminated in the near future if law enforcement is not given access to
encryption codes.

Heroin Trends: The Rising Tide

The cases just discussed focused on cocaine trafficking, but heroin is also a
rising threat. Just a few years ago, Southeast Asian heroin dominated trafficking
on the East Coast, and Colombian heroin was non-existent. As previously
indicated, in 1995, 62 percent of the heroin seized in the U.S. was from South
America, up from 32 percent the year before. The average purity in 1996 was 71.9
percent, while some purchases registered as high as 95.5 percent pure. Today,
from New York to Miami, Colombian heroin is widely available, extremely pure
and cheap. The organized criminal groups who control the Colombian heroin trade
have been able to establish their substantial market share through aggressive
marketing techniques, such as providing free samples to new customers, forcing
cocaine customers to sell heroin or have their cocaine supply cut-off, and cutting
the price of a kilogram of heroin in half, from roughly $150,000 to $90,000.

Colombian heroin is prominent all along the East Coast of the United
States. Puerto Rico is increasingly being used by independent Colombian

14


89

these duties, the Patrol Response Squad has established a Scent Detector Dog Training Academy
which has coordinated and standardized the training of canines utilized by law enforcement
throughout the State. Scent Detector Dogs have become an increasingly effective tool for law
enforcement, particularly in the area of narcotics enforcement. The enactment into law of a State
Money Laundering statute has dramatically increased the call for narcotics detector dogs. The
training provided by certified instructors of the New Jersey State Police ensures that scent dog
handlers in New Jersey receive expert and standardized instruction in detection techniques, as well
as current case law governing the use of scent detection dogs.

The Domestic Cannabis Eradication and Suppression Program, also known as
Operation Green Merchant, is a national program which targets both indoor and outdoor marijuana
cultivation activities in all 50 states. Since it’s inception in 1991, Operation Green Merchant has
resulted in the seizure of 23,800 live marijuana plants, the arrests of 212 individuals involved in
marijuana growing operations and the seizure of assets valued in excess of $1.5 million. In
cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Jersey National Guard
Counterdrug Support Group and the twenty-one County Narcotics Task Forces, the State Police
provides tactical, logistical and administrative support to this program.

The New Jersey State Police Active Laboratory Emergency Response Team (ALERT)
targets the illicit manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine, and the investigation of
clandestine methamphetamine laboratories. It is a cooperative law enforcement effort with
participation from the New Jersey State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, county and local law enforcement
agencies and law enforcement authorities in contiguous states. Clandestine drug laboratories often
contain toxic chemicals and must be carefully dismantled in accordance with federal Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. Advanced training in the investigation and
safe dismantling of clandstine drug laboratories for state, county and local law enforcement
personnel is a primary responsibility of the New Jersey State Police ALERT Squad. Bureau members
who are assigned to ALERT are mandated through the Statewide Narcotics Action Plan to train other
Bureau members, as well as county and local law enforcement agencies, in the investigation and
dismantling of these clandestine drug laboratories.

Inaddition, ALERT members conduct proactive investigations into illicit methamphetamine
production, with specific emphasis on methamphetamine trafficking by organized crime and outlaw
motorcycle gangs.

The Organized Crime Unit conducts investigations of individuals and groups which are
engaged in traditional and non-traditional organized crime. These investigations target the illicit
activities of individuals affiliated with traditional organized crime families, inch i
trafficking, loansharking, extortion, bookmaking and racketeering. In addition, a growing number
of ethnic crime groups present unique challenges to law enforcement. The political, economic and
social changes occurring in the former Soviet Union and eastern block countries are providing
significant opportunities for Russian organized crime groups to expand their influence in New Jersey
and the surrounding metropolitan area, The densely populated and close-knit Asian communities
of northem New Jersey are fertile grounds for Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese crime



84

international sources of supply are available to New Jersey users. International sources of supply
are most commonly linked to Jamaican and Mexican drug syndicates. Large quantities of the drug
enter New Jersey through a variety of methods: via containerized cargo at Ports Newark and
Elizabeth; in tractor trailers and private motor vehicles inbound from southwestem border states; in
luggage arriving at Newark and Atlantic City International Airports; and in mail parcels forwarded
through common carriers, such as Federal Express and the United Parcel Service. Domestically
cultivated marijuana continues to be a significant source of the drug in New Jersey. Hidden within
densely forested woodlands and rural farmlands of central and northem New Jersey, and scattered
throughout the pine barrens and marshes of southem New Jersey, outdoor marijuana growers
cultivate and harvest bountiful crops. In suburban communities, indoor marijuana growers realize
enormous profits by converting basements, spare rooms and closets into highly sophisticated
hydroponic marijuana production fa .

Heroin

The geographic range of heroin, formerly associated only with certain urban areas, has grown
dramatically. The drug is now found, not only in additional urban areas, but also suburban and rural
counties. In October 1992, the United State Drug Enforcement Administration reported that Newark
(Essex County) had the purest and cheapest heroin available for sale in the country. High purity and
low cost is normally an indication of proximity to source. Newark/New York is therefore believed
to be a key importation site in the United States.

Increased availability inevitably leads to increased use. The statewide resurgence of heroin
is causing a great concern. This increase is likely associated with the increased availability of
smokeable and snortable heroin. Many crack addicts have switched to heroin or use it in
combination with crack. There has been a dramatic increase in heroin overdose incidents reported
statewide. Southeast Asian, Southwest Asian and South American heroin are all readily available
in New Jersey. In response to this heroin revival, the Northem New Jersey High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area (HIDTA) project has been initiated in five of the northern counties. This initiative
concentrates primarily on the distribution of heroin by organized criminal groups.

‘Cheaper prices and higher potency levels have created an increased demand for the drug, not
‘only among inner city residents, but in middle class circles as well. Newark Airport has become a
key importation site for Colombian heroin entering the U.S. Newark also continues to be one of the
most significant distribution points in the northeast. Mid-level heroin distribution is controlled
primarily by Dominican and Puerto Rican drug trafficking organizations, These groups frequently
‘employ violent gangs, such as the Latin Kings and Netas, as distributors and enforcers. African-
‘American trafficking groups function mainly as large-scale retail suppliers, distributing heroin, as
well as ‘crack’ and powder cocaine, from neighborhood strongholds. ‘Drug sets’, street comers,
housing projects and neighborhood grocery stores where street-level drug sales take place, are
overseen by trusted members of a trafficking group. Intimid: and violence are commonly
employed to maintain security and to dissuade rivals from encroaching on a group’s territorial
claims.



12

Mr. Hastert. Thanks, Mike.

At this time I'd like to welcome our first panel. We're privileged
to have Greg Williams with us today. Greg is the Chief of Domestic
Operations of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington,
DC. Accompanying him is John Coleman, special agent in charge
of the Drug Enforcement Agency, in Newark, NJ. Also, we have
John Kaye, the Monmouth County prosecutor thank you, Mr.
Kaye, for being with us today—Michael Paquette, chief of the
South Brunswick Police; and Captain How: Butt, representii
the narcotics division of the New Jersey State Police. I welcome
of you and thank you for coming.

It’s a rule of our committee that we'll swear in all of our wit-
nesses. Please stand and raise your right hand. Do you solemnly
swear that the testimony that you are about to give is the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Mr. WILLIAMS. Yes.

Mr. COLEMAN. I do.

Mr. Kaye. I do.

Mr. Paquette. I do.

Mr. HASTERT. Let the record show that the witnesses answered
in the affirmative. Please be seated. Mr. Williams, would you
please Proceed with your opening statement?

Mr. WILLIAMS. Thank you very much.

STATEMENTS OF GREG WILLIAMS, CHIEF OF DOMESTIC OPER-
ATIONS, DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION; JOHN
COLEMAN, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, DRUG ENFORCE-
MENT ADMINISTRATION; JOHN KAYE, MONMOUTH COUNTY
PROSECUTOR; MICHAEL PAQUETTE, CHIEF, SOUTH BRUNS-
WICK POLICE; AND CAPTAIN HOWARD BUTT, NARCOTICS DI-
VISION, NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE

Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. Chairman, members of the subcommittee, I
appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today as the DEA
Chief of Domestic Operations. My comments today will entail an
objective assessment of the threat that we face in the United States
from the organized criminal syndicates from Mexico and Co-
lombia who control the drug trade in the Western Hemisphere and
the effect that they have on our day-to-day lives.

I am accompanied by Mr. John Coleman, special agent in charge
of the DEA’s Newark Field Division, who will discuss the impact
these organized criminal groups have had on this region and the
steps that DEA is taking to address the drug situation in New Jer-

sey.

Although the Colombian traffickers still control and facilitate sig-
nificant portions of the cocaine trade in the Western Hemisphere,
the sophisticated, 0 ized criminal groups from Mexico have
eclipsed the drug trafficking criminals from Cali and Medellin, Co-
lombia as the atest law enforcement threat facing the United
States today. The leaders of these Mexican groups are simply the
1990’s versions of the traditional organized crime leaders that
United States law enforcement has fought to dismantle since the
turn of the century.

Since the early 1970's, drug traffickers from Colombia have been
smuggling hundreds of tons of cocaine and marijuana into the


54

The second area I would like to discuss as an enforcement tech-
nique is the utilization of the task force in narcotics enforcement.
The task force investigates primarily those individuals involved in
the crimes of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and
possession with intent to distribute. This is done through coopera-
tion with multiple law enforcement agencies.

The third area of enforcement that is critical to narcotics enforce-
ment is drug interdiction programs. It is particularly relevant to
this county to have such types of directed patrol because of the
number of highways in the area, the access to major cities, and the
need for a coordinated effort to be successful.

Inclusive of strategies at a local level, the Federal Government
has an integral part in the total enforcement process in relation to
narcotics. From a local standpoint, one of the Federal Government's
greatest successes has been their ability to tackle source interdic-
tion and production eradication on an international level.

The biggest area of Federal involvement has been in the develop-
ment and implementation of block grants for local law enforcement.
These grants have allowed municipalities to apply directly to the
Federal Government in the form of Cops Fast, Cops More, and the
Cops Universal grants. Without these grants applied directly to
local police agencies, most would not be in a position to hire offi-
cers, assign juvenile detectives, or hire civilians to help combat the
drug problem.

-As a result of the research, in my opinion, in this area, I submit
the following recommendations at a local level for local law enforce-
ment.

First, police departments should adopt a Philosophy of commu-
nity policing because it brings the community into the process and
makes them a part of, not apart from, the needed solutions.

Second, aggressive enforcement of all drug laws by law enforce-
ment. There must be a rebirth of the belief that 's are illegal
and possession of any amount will result in arrest and prosecution.

ird, aggressive prosecution, strengthening of drug laws, and
stronger sentencing, coupled with uniform guidelines could greatl,
enhance law enforcement’s ability and capability to make a dif-
ference.

Fourth, expansion and aggressive utilization of the task force
concept for narcotics enforcement.

Fifth, better communication between law enforcement agencies
and the need to constantly evaluate and recognize that at times in-
vestigations would grow beyond our individual capabilities.

Sixth, more interaction with school districts to Brovide meaning-
ful programs with consistent reinforcement to students from gram-
mar 1 through high school.

Seventh, continued utilization of deterrence to possession of nar-
cotics, even if the method is known and suspected. The use of ca-
nine dogs trained to identify and locate narcotics is quite successful
in school locker sniffs and reducing the amount of narcotics kept
in the school environment.

I also have three recommendations for the Federal Government
in their interaction at the local law enforcement level. The first and
probably one of the most important is the continued use and expan-
sion of grant programs. Block grants to municipalities for the hir-


96

Mr. Hastert. Thank you, Captain.

We're going to take a round of questions. I’ll start. Mr. Coleman,
one of the things we've talked about is increasing evidence that not
only the Colombians have a presence here in New Jersey but also
increasing Mexican influence and trafficking and bringing cocaine,
heroin, and marijuana up across the border and actually being part
of the entrepreneurship of drugs. Also, you say there’s a lot of Do-
minican presence increasing.
ne that a cooperative effort or is there competition in the field

ere!

Mr. CoLEmaN. First of all, it’s not quite as monolithic or struc-
tured as many people would expect to see. It’s more amorphous
than entrepreneurial. It seems to be lining up along the following
routes. The Colombians are the overall masters of this trade.

Mr. Hastert. Right.

Mr. COLEMAN. They control the growing fields in Bolivia and
Peru and parts of Colombia and Ecuador and, of course, the manu-
facturing process in Colombia itself. They oversee and supervise
the export, transport, et cetera, to the United States. There’s where
it begins to get-——

Mr. Hastert. I understand. I jus-—.

Mr. COLEMAN. That’s when the Mexicans operate as transporters
almost as, say, a moving company would transfer your household
effects from one location to another. The Mexicans get into it,
transporting the drugs from one location to another, turn it back
over in some cases to the Colombians or the Dominicans.

Mr. Hastert. In some cases take half for themselves.

Mr. COLEMAN. That’s correct, yes, the Mexicans, exactly, a 50
percent fee, either in product or in cash value for the service.

Mr. HASTERT. So what’s the situation here? So there’s no real
turf problem? It’s kind of a cooperative effort? People just kind of
disburse into this area——

Mr. COLEMAN. Pretty much.

Mr. HasTerT. You’ve seen more Mexican action and also more
Dominican action?

Mr. COLEMAN. Exactly. There’s enough action for everybody.

Mr. Hastert. Let me ask another question. How much coopera-
tion in your estimation is there among DEA, county police, local po-
lice? We talk about this triangle effect. To me, probably the most
effective way to stop drugs is intelligence. Find out where it’s com-
ing from, who’s dealing, and everybody has their own little pocket
of intelligence.

So in this triangle that’s used both in the prosecutorial side and
also in the law enforcement side, is that intelligence being shared
with State police, with local police, with county police, as well as
with DEA in your opinion?

Mr. COLEMAN, Yes, sir, it is. And I’m very pleased to be able to
say that in the State of New Jersey, as Prosecutor Kaye has men-
tioned, there is a linear structure from the Attorney General’s Of-
fice on down in the 21 counties, each with a prosecutor, each with
a task force, a narcotics task force, a statewide narcotics task force
program, State police, the commanders of these task forces, and the


75

Mr. HASTERT. Thank you. Thanks for being with us.

Captain Butt.

Mr. Butt. Mr. Hastert, Mr. Pappas, and members of the commu-
nity, thank you very much for the opportunity to testify before you

jay.

New Jersey’s drug problems are as diverse as its population and
geography. Similar narcotics activities occur throughout the 21
counties, varying only in degree and intensity. From large-scale im-

rtation and distribution networks controlled by foreign drug

lords to organized street-level distribution operations monopolized
by violent gangs, drugs have infiltrated every community in New
lersey.

In many of New Jersey's urban cities, areas exist where street-
level drug trafficking is blatantly conspicuous and dealers operate
with impunity. In these communities, open air drug markets, crack
houses, and drug trafficking in public housing have become serious
threats to the safety of residents and have eroded the quality of life
in many neighborhoods.

Despite educational programs to promote drug abuse awareness,
expanded rehabilitation and treatment efforts, and increased en-
forcement, drug trafficking and drug abuse in New Jersey have in-
creased steadily. Most alarming is the widespread use of drugs
among teenagers.

In 1996, there were over 61,000 arrests reported by New Jersey
law enforcement agencies for drug abuse violations. Juveniles ac-
counted for about 11,000, or 18 percent, of these arrests. It has
been estimated that 65 percent of all violent crimes committed in
New Jersey are drug-related.

The drug activities which occur throughout central New Jersey
are part of a continuum and cannot be viewed as an isolated and
localized problem. The primary transportation and courier routes
utilized by traffickers to ferry narcotics into and through New Jer-
sey from importation centers as far away as Houston, Los Angeles,

Miami, and from New Jersey’s urban distribution markets in
Newark, Paterson, and Camden flow through the heart of central
New Jersey.

The New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway, Inter-
states 95 and 195, and U.S. Route 1 are routinely traversed by
couriers in the employ of foreign drug cartels and domestic traffick-
ers alike. State highways and rural county roads ensure that nar-
cotics which make their way from these distant locales find their
way to the very heart of New Jersey’s most suburban communities.

Cocaine and heroin are available in unlimited supply in New Jer-
sey. The Colombian cocaine cartels and their Mexican allies have
entrenched themselves in New Jersey and import vast quantities
of cocaine into this area on a weekly basis.

More recently, the cartels have gained a strong foothold in the
heroin market, importing large quantities of the drug into New Jer-

in a variety of methods, including commercial airline flights,
which arrive at Newark International Airport daily.

Higher purity levels and cheaper prices have created an explo-
sion in the user Population, not only in inner cities, but in commu-
nities throughout New Jersey.


36

throughout the United States. These communication links are criti-
cal to the efficient operation of the organizations and are at the
same time their greatest vulnerability.

With sophisticated communication encryption equipment becom-
ing available to these traffickers, our access to ir communica-
tions could be severely limited or indeed completely eliminated in
the near future.

I would like to talk about the heroin trends and the rising tide.
The cases just discussed focused on cocaine trafficking, but heroin
is a rising threat. Just a few years ago, Southeast heroin

dominated trafficking on the east coast, and Colombian heroin was
nora ent of 1996 719 hil

average purity of heroin in was 71.9 percent while
some registered as high as 95.5 percent pure. Today,
from New York to Miami, Colombian heroin is widely available, ex-
tremely pure and remarkably cheap.

The organized criminal Broups Controlling the Colombian heroin
trade have been able to establish their substantial market share
through aggressive marketing techniques, such as providi:
samples to new customers, forcing cocaine customers to sell heroin
or have their cocaine gupplies cutoff, and cutting the price of a kilo-
gram of heroin in half, from roughly $150,000 to as low as $90,000.

Unfortunately, high-quality heroin is being offered at a cheap
price on the streets of America at a time when some in the fashion
and entertainment industries are seeking to glamorize heroin use.
Tragically, teenagers who are ravaged by heroin begin the abuse
process by administering the heroin through smoking or nasal in-
gestion, but they quickly find themselves drawn to injection to sat-
isfy what is frequently called, “the hook,” the onset of addiction
that happens so rapidly and so frequently with heroin.

Heroin of Southeast Asian, Southwest Asian, and South Amer-
ican origin is readily available throughout all of the urban areas
of New Jersey. Of the 21 counties in New Jersey, in a recent com-
manders’ meeting of the county narcotics task force commanders,
well over half the counties reported the eme: ce of heroin. And,
most alarmingly, in some of these areas, the heroin was emerging
in the high Is.

Heroin purity levels in the first and second quarters of fiscal year
1997 have averaged between 60 and 70 percent. Heroin throughout
the New Jersey area, mostly from South American sources, still
ranks well above the national average in terms of purity. South
American heroin continues to remain in the forefront of desirabil-
ity, due as a result of price, availability, and purity.

Heretofore, New Jersey Dominicans have primarily been involved
in lower-level wholesale and retail drug distribution. Recently,
however, we have seen Dominican groups increasingly assuming a
more dominant role in the wholesale trafficking of cocaine and her-
oin, which they, in turn, receive from their Colombian competitors.

One of the things that I'd like to talk to you about is the MET
initiatives. DEA has addressed the relationship between drug traf-
ficking and violent crime through the Mobile Enforcement Team

. When invited by jocal police departments or sheriff's of-
fices, or prosecutors, the 'T team, as it’s called, will send in a
team of specially trained investigators with specialized equipment


counties.

b. The problem developed is that the standards of the
investigation under federal law are less onerous to law
enforcement as opposed to state law, and especially New
Jersey law. For example, the law in the areas of
discovery, wiretaps and search and seizure issues.

c. There is a need to see a greater willingness of the United
States Attorney to take good cases against significant
local targets that may not specifically meet existing
threshold standards.

d. The distinction under federal law as to powdered cocaine
versus crack is a good example.

(1) Our Task Force has found that when working a
cooperative case, the federal insistence upon
obtaining crack can hinder the investigation by
eventually tipping off the target that federal
authorities are involved.

(2) Cocaine is bad, regardless of its form. Congress
should revisit the reasons for the distinction and

perhaps upgrade powdered cocaine to the same
level as exists for crack cocaine.

Funding support from the federal government is crucial to the ability
of New Jersey and other states to mount solid offenses against drug
trafficking.

1. Byrne grants are essential to maintain state narcotic task forces
because of local budget crunches.

a. Such grants are crucial in providing a basis to keep task
forces equipped with new sophisticated equipment


117

Mr. HasTERT. Ms. Angelini.

Ms, ANGELINI. Thank you very much for giving me this oppor-
tunity to speak to you. And I want to take this opportu: ity to wel-
come you to Monmouth County. My agency, Substance Abuse Re-
sources, has served in Monmouth County since 1967. Welcome to
Monmouth County.

As I read the title of this hearing, “Central Jersey's Battle
Against Drugs in Our Community,” I must confess that I was a bit
disappointed. The play on words derived from the war on drugs is
tired and ove: . The citizen walking down the street feels im-
mune from the societal damage and destruction caused by drugs.
They don’t see a war.

I face the daily challenge of keeping this topic alive. And in that
respect I am grateful for your attempt to bring this matter to the
public’s attention through this hearing. But I begin to lose patience
when I realize that this war on drugs was set up to fail from its

This was a war that was never taken seriously on all fronts.
There were sporadic fighting initiatives but no consistency. Victo1
in this war is not a priority, but when one sees the devastatin; ef
fects, one wonders why that it’s not a priority. This war nee:
be strategically fought on all fronts simultaneously.

Recent studies have shown us that more young people are using
marijuana today and at younger ages, that there is widespread
binge drinking on college campuses, that heroin and hallucinogen
use is on the rise, and that the perception of the dangers of drug
“use has declined among our youth. In Monmouth County alone, the
estimated annual cost of alcohol and drug use is a staggering $537
million.

Shall we just retreat and go home? I don’t think so. I do think
that we are beginning to see a change in this battle, we now realize
that preventing substance abuse, especially among our youth, is
cost-effective.

For many years, prevention efforts consisted of passing fads,
rather than scientific, professional strategies. Prevention efforts
were seen as hit or miss efforts. We tried a little bit of everything
and were left with the remains: Increased alcohol and drug use
among our youth.

Nineteen ninety-seven is a different day, a new day. The field of
prevention is gaining respect. What has changed? Well, first we
learned what doesn’t work, such as those one-shot deals using
charismatic speakers in assemblies with no followup. They waste
money and time and accomplish nothing toward making a lasting

impact.

What else have we learned? We have learned that healthy mes-
sages need to be consistent and continuous. Just as those beer com-
mercials seem to be consistent and certainly continuous, our posi-
tive prevention messages must do the same.

We have learned that mixed messages confuse our kids. We have
learned that the media plays an integral role in our children’s per-
ception about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Our
children are being bombarded with talking frogs and smoking cam-
els to sell a beer, to make a dollar. The children are the innocent
victims of this war because they are being recruited subliminally.


53

Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Paquette—Chief.

Mr. PaqueTTe. Mr. Chairman, Congressman Pappas, I'd like to
thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I con-
sider it an honor and a privilege.

Much like Mr. Kaye has already stated, the demographics of
Middlesex County are really the same when we talk about subur-
ban New Jersey. South Brunswick Township is located in the
southern portion of Middlesex County, which is centrally located
within the State of New Jersey. This county has an approximate
population of 700,000 residents.

e to the proximity of this county to both New York City and
the city of Philadelphia, it has become a conduit for the transpor-
tation of narcotics. It has been established in recent years that
both cities figure prominently in the importation of large shipments
of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.

Numerous trends have been identified, but one, in particular, il-
luminates a monumental problem when we speak of narcotics use.
The age of experimentation has decreased. Although all trends rep-
resent problems for law enforcement and our country as a whole,
I don’t believe any are more disturbing than a study that revealed
adolescents are using drugs at an earlier age. Drug use among our
young people age 12 to 17 years old rose 105 percent from 1992 to

At a local level when we talk about addressing this problem, I
really look at it as a prevention strategy and an enforcement strat-
egy. The first prevention strategy available to law enforcement is
the Philosophy of community policing. It is the only option that can
be classified as both a preventative tool and an enforcement option.

In its purest form, community policing is best known for its abil-
ity to interact and Problem-solve. In its most effective form, it com-
bines the assets of prevention with the possibility of enforcement
because not all areas of concern are amenable to positive preventa-
tive interaction.

The second prevention strategy available to local law enforce-
ment is the D.A.R.E. Program. This is conducted in conjunction
with the local school district and is incorporated into the school
curriculum at the fifth or sixth grade level. This program deals
with issues such as peer pressure, the ability to say no, self-esteem,
and many others.

The third prevention strategy available to local law enforcement
is a general one that is best utilized and done in cooperation with
the local school district. This is a program that identifies 30 assets
a young person should have in order to grow up healthy, caring,
and responsible.

The strength of this prevention strategy is the community itself.
When the results of the survey are released and problem areas are
identified, it becomes a community initiative to develop solutions.

The first area to be discussed when speaking of enforcement
strategies is again the philosophy of community policing. As men-
tioned previously, community policing does not equate to diminish-
ing one of our main functions—arresting offenders. Rather, commu-
nity policing recognizes the need to keep all options available to
law enforcement.


138

Congressional Testimony
by

Randy Stewart
October 20, 1997

My name is Randy Stewart and I’m an alcoholic and drug addict, and I have a little over 8 years
clean and sober. This is what has worked for me. In 1987 I was arrested for possession with
intent to distribute and 1 got pre-trial intervention which sent me through a couple of things, and
my drinking was questioned but I was in denial. Six months later I was arrested for drunk driving
and I lost my license for 6 months. And what I had to do was I had a mandatory 2 days at IDRC
which is the Intoxicated Drivers Resource Center if I planned to get my license back. What I
liked, or should I say what was done here was all of its resources, whether it was literature, films,
‘the people running the show there, one of my favorite films was Father’s Martin's Chalk Talk.
‘There was a questionnaire, I believe, that had 200 some odd questions on it about my drinking.
The majority of it I lied on. Then I was evaluated by the people who were running this thing, and
upon their evaluation they thought I had a drinking problem, which they sent me to a mandatory
follow-up counseling at the Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, which lasted 16
weeks.

‘When I started this, I was told that I would have to go to 2 mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous
meetings a week, while I was going through this counseling, and I would need signatures to prove
that I was at these meetings. Also while we were doing this counseling, there was another
gentleman there, and I believe there was one lady, and we had these roundtable talks that we
talked about different things in our lives. Our counselor, I believe, was a person who had been
there. I believe he was in recovery and that was a plus, because I’m an uptight person that I need
to hear from somebody's who's been there.

‘One of the things that I had to have was an open mind. I was told that while I was attending
these AA meetings, and I heard what the lord wanted me to hear. 1 identified and I did not
‘compare. Getting and using a sponsor was suggested. A sponsor is a person who has more time,
at least 2 year more than yourself, to guide you through the program. And one of the suggestions
the sponsor told me to do was getting and staying active in AA, which involves setting up for
meetings, making coffee, chairing meetings, going on commitments - speak to people, telling them
how I was staying clean and sober. Some of the things I do today is that I continue to work with
the community, whether it’s the church or the government. I go to prisons and I speak. I talk to
youths, I give back what I have freely received through the program, and I need to do this to be
reminded, and I need to see where I’m coming from. I’ve done different things: help feed
homeless in different states, not only just Jersey, but I’ve gone away to Washington DC and
Georgia to see where alcohol and drugs has taken people. And one of the last things that has
helped me is the money that I spend - I spend about 10, 12, maybe more than that, thousands of
dollars in fines and surcharges for the state, and insurance, and I don’t want to spend any more
money. It was the best money I ever spent because my life is a lot better today because of it.


49

needed to keep abreast of the criminals and equal to their
firepower and technology.

b. Task forces are capable community policing agents
which directly impact upon the quality of life in our
communities.

c. Task forces also zero in on gangs, weapons and violence
that go hand-in-hand with drug investigations.

OCDETF (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force)
funding is likewise vital to state and local prosecutions. The
Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office is able to work two to
three significant investigations a year because of the assistance
of this task Force and its funding.

Funding for the creation and developing of drug analysis labs
for counties would be of substantial assistance to local law
enforcement.

a. This would increase the speed of analysis, as this state
and other states are cutting back on a number of labs
available, thus increasing the time it takes to have drugs
analyzed for law enforcement and prosecution matters.

Leadership.

The most significant step that the federal government can take
in addressing the drug problem in the United States which is,
indeed, a drug use problem, is to provide clear, unequivocable
leadership from the top on down that proclaims the message
that drug use is wrong and must not be tolerated.

‘This must be a clear message and a continuing one.

The ultimate solution to the “drug problem” is to eliminate the
abuse of substances.


78

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

New Jersey's drug problems are as diverse as its population and geography. Similar
narcotics activities occur throughout the twenty-one counties, varying only in degree and intensity.
From large-scale importation and distribution networks controlled by foreign drug lords, to
organized street-level distribution operations monopolized by violent gangs, drugs have infiltrated
every community in New Jersey. In many of New Jersey’s urban cities, areas exist where street-
level drug trafficking is blatantly conspicuous and dealers operate with impunity. In these
communities, open-air drug markets, crack houses and drug trafficking in public housing have
become serious threats to the safety of residents and have eroded the ‘quality of life’ in many
neighborhoods.

Drug problems continue to plague the citizens of New Jersey. New Jersey's narcotics abuse
patterns are similar statewide, yet they display a sense of diversity within each county. The counties
are variously confronted with open-air drug markets, organized distribution networks, interdiction
problems, street-level and mid-level dealers, marijuana cultivation, as well as the problems inherent
to infiltrating diverse drug networks. Despite educational programs to promote drug abuse
awareness, expanded rehabilitation and treatment efforts, and increased enforcement, drug trafficking
and drug abuse in New Jersey have increased steadily. Most alarming is the widespread use of drugs
among teenagers. In 1996, there were 61,416 arrests reported by New Jersey law enforcement
agencies for drug abuse violations. Juveniles accounted for 11,054 (18%) of these arrests. It has
been estimated that 65% of all violent crimes committed in New Jersey are drug-related. In 1996,
there were 42,420 violent crimes reported to New Jersey law enforcement agencies.

The drug activities which occur throughout central New Jersey are part of a continuum, and
cannot be viewed as an isolated and localized problem. The primary transportation and courier routes
utilized by traffickers to ferry narcotics into and through New Jersey, from importation centers as
far away as Houston, Los Angeles and Miami, and from New Jersey's urban distribution markets in
Newark, Paterson and Camden, flow through the heart of central New Jersey. The New Jersey
Tumpike, the Garden State Parkway, Interstate 95, Interstate 195 and U.S. Route 1 are routinely
traversed by couriers in the employ of foreign drug cartels and domestic traffickers alike. State
highways and rural county roads ensure that narcotics which make their way from these distant
locales find their way to the very heart of New Jersey's most suburban communities.

“Crime in New Jersey’, prepared by the New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Reporting
Unit, reported 61,416 arrests for drug abuse violations in the State of New Jersey in 1996. This
figure represented a 4 percent increase compared to arrests in 1995. While arrest statistics revealed
the presence of all forms of controlled dangerous substances in New Jersey, 97 percent of all drug
violations were for possession, use, sale or manufacture of cocaine, opiates (including heroin and
morphine), marijuana and hashish.

Cocaine and heroin are both available in unlimited supply in New Jersey. The Colombian
cocaine cartels, which continue to dominate the cocaine market in the northeast, have entrenched
themselves in New Jersey and import vast quantities of cocaine into this area on a weekly basis.
More recently, the Colombian cartels have gained a strong foothold in the heroin market, importing


88

In addition, the following seizures were generated:

Cocaine 571 grams $57,100.00
Heroin 573 decks $11,460.00
Marijuana 5897 grams $ 58,970.00
Currency $ 14,326.00

Weapons 8

To enhance the capabilities of the ‘Quality of Life’ Task Force, the assistance of uniformed
‘Troopers to perform in limited undercover capacities during street-level narcotics investigations was
needed. Prior to their deployment, each of these members attended a forty-hour training course
entitled Covert Operations in Policing Situations. This training course was developed to instruct
Division members in the fundamentals of undercover narcotics investigations. During February and
March of 1997, thirty-one uniformed Troopers completed the training and were subsequently
deployed during ‘Quality of Life’ Task Force operations.

The ‘Quality of Life’ Task Force is a vital component of the overall New Jersey State
Police's narcotics enforcement strategy. In addition to the immediate, positive and visible impact
this initiative is having in targeted areas, post-arrest interviews of defendants have resulted in the
development of valuable sources of information pertaining to ongoing mid-level and wholesale
trafficking operations. Analysis of this information has enabled New Jersey State Police/Statewide
Narcotics Task Force investigators to more effectively develop and deploy operational strategies
designed to disrupt and dismantle trafficking hierarchies.

The Special Operations Unit conducts highly specialized narcotics-related investigations.
The unit works cooperatively with other units within the Division of State Police, as well as with
federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies. The Special Operations Unit currently
receives supplemental funding in the form of federal grants which support the operations of two
strategic projects which target illicit marijuana cultivation and methamphetamine trafficking in New
Jersey. In addition to funding provided by federal grants, Unit members also receive supplemental
federal funding during participation in Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
(O.C_DE:T-F,) investigations. Staffing within the Special Operations Unit is supported by members
of the New Jersey National Guard who provide assistance to the Bureau's marijuana eradication
efforts, as well as valuable services in the area of foreign language interpretation and electronic
surveillance tape transcription. ‘The following initiatives are coordinated by the Special Operations
Unit:

The Patrol Response Squad is comprised of 10 enlisted personnel, each of whom is a
certified Narcotics Detection Dog handler. The primary responsibility of the Patrol Response Squad
is to provide expertise and assistance to the Field Operations Section during narcotics and money
laundering investigations initiated by uniformed personnel. During these investigations, Squad
members conduct searches of vehicles for hidden compartments and ensure the follow-up of
narcotics-related investigations initiated during uniformed traffic stops. Bureau members also
provide support to law enforcement efforts nationwide through their participation in Operation
Pipeline and their dissemination of intelligence to the El Paso Information Center. In addition to



43

In central New Jersey, we have many dealers —- users -- who
sell to continue their own habit, and this applies to all CDS
substances.

a. This also works to facilitate young people in undertaking
distribution to supplement their own use.

In central suburban New Jersey, it is not necessary to stockpile
large quantities of controlled dangerous substances. Our
dealers commute!

a. This also helps to lessen their criminal exposure by-not
having to have large quantities on hand, should they be
stopped en route or raided.

b. The quantities most often encountered by the Narcotic
Strike Force and Tactical Narcotic Team Units are gram

ights, one eighth ounce weights, ounces and pound

quantities of marijuana (generally under five pounds).

c. Kilo quantities are rare for our suburban area.

D. We have limited open-air drug markets.

1.

Distribution operations are most often closed circles of
relatively few people who know each other.

a. This makes infiltration by law enforcement difficult, as
dealers are wary of people they do not know or who
suddenly appear on the scene seeking to obtain CDS.

The open air markets that we have serve to supply users easily
with small quantities of CDS.

a. In Monmouth County, the most significant and notorious
area is Asbury Park. This is a one-mile square ocean-
front town of 16,000 people.

3


129

It seems to me that we need to go back to the drawing board
and implement creative ways to remove drugs from our
community. It is good to have education/prevention
programs, interventions and aggressive long-term treatment
programs. But, I want to and don’t you want to live in a
country where there are no drugs draining our limited
resources. Yes, it would put me and other such programs
out of business. But, that’s not so bad, if it returns to
the community people who are free to fully contribute their
talents and gifts to our society.


113

Approaching this as a disease and fighting it as a disease I think
will begin to help in the areas that you deal with and locally in the
areas that we deal with.

Second, I think it’s important that if we are going to fight this
as a war, we coordinate all levels of service in this battle. I was
fascinated by the comments that were made by the law enforce-
ment representatives.

And I must dispute Prosecutor Kaye’s assertion that people don’t
go to treatment unless they’re forced by law enforcement. That is,
in fact, not the case as we see it in Middlesex County. The vast ma-
jority of our referrals are self-referrals or we get people who are re-
ferred by schools or by EAP representatives on the job.

It has reached an issue where nobody who is an addict is stupid.
They’re very clever. And they get to be an addict by being clever
and avoiding law enforcement complications.

So it’s important for us to coordinate, as I see it—and I also
speak for colleagues of mine in the field—that we coordinate all the
levels of service, especially social services, in fighting this battle.

We get more and more clients now who will bring to us more
than just drug problems. And it’s important for us to deal with all
the problems that they present because if we don’t, then we ask
them to prioritize what’s most important for them in their lives.

If, for example, we’re dealing with a single mother who has child
care issues, she’s going to want to have her children taken care of
before she admits herself to a long-term treatment program. And
the disease isn’t going to stop because she’s taken time to deal with
her kids. It’s going to continue to grow. This monster has many
heads. You have to deal with all of them, not just one or two, if
we're going to win this war.

Another problem that we see is that not enough people are com-
ing into the field professionally. If you know anything about drug
treatment and alcoholism treatment over the years in this country,
in the early years, it was staffed and manned by people who were
in recovery. Most folks are beginning to retire or die off.

This is not a field that is attractive to people coming in as a pro-
fession because: First, you don’t make a lot of money at it. You
don’t find a lot of people who want to live every day in the misery
and grief of other people's lives.

In fact, that’s what happens when you come to a treatment facil-
ity. You have people who have dedicated themselves to deali
with those |-core issues and are duty-bound professionally an
emotionally to see that some kind of recovery is in place so that
these people can return to society in some kind of useful fashion.
It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s a job that needs to be done.

The last point I want to talk about is funding. When all is said
and done, dealing with this issue is going to be one of bottom line
dollars and cents. You spoke about spending $35 billion annually
to deal with this problem. I would daresay the people who are sup-
plying drugs spend twice as much to get them into our country.

if we matched dollar for dollar, we may have a better chance for
success, but right now we're underspending compared to the people
who want to continue this lucrative business in this country as a
source of making revenues for themselves.


122

‘Mt. Rogers Community Services Board 1981 to 1983

ASSISTANT OIRECTOR

Responsible for administration of psycho-social rehabilitation program for psychiatric clients
‘Supervised professional staff

Developed quality assurance program

Maintained fiscal and programmatic records

EDUCATION
MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Fairleigh Dickinson University May, 1993
Rutherford, New Jersey

BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE
East Tennessee State University December, 1977
Johnson City, Tennessee

Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS) (New Jersey) December, 1996

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

‘American Society for Public Administration

‘Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce

‘County Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee of Monmouth County

Greater Roles & Opportunities for Women, Inc.

Healthquest of Monmouth County

Human Services Advisory Council on Monmouth County

Leadership Shore - Class of 1997

Monmouth County Urban League

Monmouth Ocean Development Council

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of New Jersey - Board of Trustees
New Jersey Business and Industry Association

‘Ocean Township Chamber of Commerce

Professional Advisory Committee - Mental Health Board of Monmouth County
Professional Advisory Committee -County Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services.
‘Westem Monmouth Chamber of Commerce

Youth Services Commission of Monmouth County

ey

MEDIA EXPERIENCE
* Produce and host weekly cable television show “Issues of Substance"

+ Frequent guest on local cable television and radio shows

REFERENCES FURNISHED UPON REQUEST


127

COMMITTEE on GOVERNMENT REFORM and OVERSIGHT

SPEAKER BACKGROUND
Good morning, my name is Ernestine Winfrey. I am the
Executive director of Good News Home for Women, which is a
Christian residential drug and alcohol treatment center
located in Flemington. Prior to coming to this program, I
worked with chemically dependant male and female veterans,
diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, at the East Orange and Lyons VA
Medical Center. In addition, I am a Licensed Clinical
Social Worker and Certified Chaplain with a Masters of
Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.

RESPONSE

My view of the substance abuse problem in the Hunterdon
county community is compiled from friends living in the
community, local newspapers, police reports, and community
agencies. My conclusion is that the substance abuse
problem IS SERIOUS in Hunterdon county. Yet my experience
and exposure allows me to speak from the broader community
base of the state and I contend that the illness and
degradation from chemical dependency and/or abuse is
destroying our communities and families across the nation.

We all know the facts:*

“ Alcohol use has been the #1 abused drug.
Marijuana use is almost as common as cigarettes.
Cocaine and LSD use/abuse has escalated.
Heroin is the fastest rising illicit drug at this
time.
Abuse of prescription medication by the adult
community with the use of alcohol is the most hidden
problem facing our communities.

ood

+

Even as primary education and prevention programs are
developed to address the substance abuse problem, little is
being done to address the needs of the adult user/abuser
and chronic dependent population. Many parents still have
the “not my child” attitude and the adult community
continue to “hide their heads in the sand.”

* National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, of NJ 1996.

Drug and Alcohol Use Among New Jersey High School Students, 1996, LPS

New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety.


CONTENTS

Hearing held on October 20, 1997 ..
Statement of:

Bronstein, Mark, student, Metuchan High School, Metuchan, NJ; Andrew
Larris, Brian Baum, Mitch Pollock, Jordan Lippman, Vanessa Clouden,
Samantha Pannone, and Ruthie Kullar, students, Metuchan High
School, Metuchan, Nd ...

White, Elliot, director, Local Advisory Committee on Alcohol and Drug
Abuse; Mary Pat Angelini, executive director, Substance Abuse Re-
sources; Ernestine Winfrey, director, Good News Home for Women;
Scott Sechrist, executive director, Mercer Council on Alcoholism &
Drug Addiction; and Randy Stewart, Alcoholic and Drug Addict .

Williams, Greg, Chief of Domestic Operations, Drug Enforcement Admi
istration, accompanied by John ‘coleman, Special Agent in Charge,
Drug Enforcement Administration; John Kaye, Monmouth County pros-
ecutor; Michael Paquette, chief, South Brunswick Police; and Captain
Howard Butt, Narcotics Division, New Jersey State Police .... .

Letters, statements, etc., submitted for the record by:

Angelini, Mary Pat, executive director, Substance Abuse Resources, pre-
pared statement of ... .

Butt, Captain Howard, Narcotics Division, New Jersey State Police, pre-

statement of .

Hastert, Hon. J. Dennis, a Representative in Congress from the State
of Illinois, frepared statement of .. .

Kaye, John,

Pappas, Hon. Michael, a Representative in

few Jersey:
H, Res 267 .
Prepared statement ot 5

Paquette, Michael, chief, South Brunswick Police, prepared statement

of

Scott, executive director, Mercer Council on Alcoholism & Drug
Addiction, prepared statement of . .

Stewart, Randy, Alcoholic and Drug Addict, prepared statement of .

White, Elliot, director, Local Advisory Committee on Alcohol and Drug
Abuse, prepared statement of

Williams, Greg, Chief of Domestic Operations,
istration, prepared statement of ....
infrey, Ernestine, director, Good
statement of ....

ap

105
112

12

119
78

41
145
9
56

132
138

127


145

1057 CONGRESS
2220" H, RES, 267

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the citizens of
the United States must remain committed to combat the distribution,
sale, and use of illegal drugs by the Naticn’s youth,

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OctoBeR 9, 1997

Mr. Pappas (for himeelf, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. HaSTERT, Mr.
BARRETT of Nebraska, Mrs. LinDa SMITH of Washington, Mr. WaTTs
of Okluhoma, Mr. REDMOND, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr. Hype, Mr. RILEY,
Mr. ILAuL of Texas, Mr. SUNCNU, and Mr. HUTCHINSON) submitted the
following resolution: which was referred to the CSmmittee on Education
and the Workforce

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that
the citizens of the United States must remain committed
to combat the distribution, sale, and use of illegal drugs
by the Nation’s youth.

Whereas recently revealed statistics demonstrate that Amer-
ica is not winning the battle to keep young Americans
drug-free:

Whereas the results of these studies show that 29 percent of
high school students state that a student in their school
died from a drug-related or an alcohol-related incident in
the last year;


106

fourth grade. Yet, it’s still a problem, and there’s nothing that’s
going to change that.

I don’t think there are enough laws that can be passed to stop
this problem. I think that it will always be there. So, I'm kind of
a pessimist that way, but I think that it will always be around, no
matter how hard we try to stop it.

Mr. LippMAN. I don’t really believe that education—well, edu-
cation is always good, but I don’t think that education could stop
anyone from doing drugs because at this stage in a person’s life,
they feel that they’re immortal. They don’t think that anything
could happen to them.

So, no matter what kind of facts and whatever you say, let me
just say that if you name the facts on the things that drugs can
do to you kids don’t think it can happen to them. I think the most
important thing that will reduce the abuse in this country is
cracking down on the amount of drug dealers.

And referring to the legalization, I think that by legalizing drugs,
it will become cheaper for people to buy and it won't be as many
drug dealers because they won’t be making a profit on it. It wil
be so—I mean, it sounds radical, but it will be so easy for people
to get drugs that people aren’t going to want to sell them anymore.
When people don’t want to sell them anymore, then people don’t
have anywhere to get it from.

Ms. CLOUDEN. My point of view is that——

Mr. Hastert. S| into the mic. We can’t hear you.

Ms. CLOUDEN. I think that we do need more involvement. I think
that all of the adults in the community, teachers, and Congressmen
and Senators, and ople who are educated to work personally with
the students and children more or less, telling the child, “Don’t do
drugs because it’s bad for you.”

I am against taking drugs and all, but I think that needs to get
more personal with results to let them understand why they are
taking drugs. And if you get to the heart of the person and realize,
really, what that person is—I think that people too much they put
too much effort on the way of enforcing laws. If there’s somebody
that takes to buy the drugs, there will be no dealers.

I think we need to put more effort in the community and people
need to start working one on one. And I think that, instead of chil-
dren, I think there uld be more like children meeting. And like
see how everyone comes around today. I think there should be
more children present. And more children are taking drugs than
are not taking 8.

And I think that the children that are not taking the drugs are
kind of—I know what drugs can do to a community. I just came
from Brooklyn, NY. And I know how a community that was once
good or considered OK can change and what drugs can do to a com-
munity.

I think that people who aren’t—children who think that taking
drugs is wrong should be able to—personally I would like to know
how I, as a child, can do more and get out and talk to people be-
cause a lot of children, they’re just miseducated. And we need to
put some more effort into that.

Ms. PANNONE. Hi. I’m a sophomore at Metuchan High School. I
think everybody has been talking about how we need to regulate


66

other mind altering substances, managing stress, reducing violence, recognizing positive
role models, resisting gang and group violence and self esteem. The curriculum covers
thirteen weeks and involves frank discussions on these substances effect on the mind and
body, the students feelings about narcotics and attempts to prepare them for the
temptations that lay ahead as they get older. It is my opinion that this program is a great
asset to all communities and should be mandatory. Although, there has been much recent
discussion concerning the merits of the program and it’s long term effects, I maintain the
Positives vastly and significantly outweigh any possible negatives.

If there are any negatives about the D.A.RE. program, it is not with the
curriculum, it is with it’s lack of consistent reinforcement. Prior to the program being
offered to school children at the 5th or 6th grade level, there is probably little if any
interaction with a police officer and little if any discussions with a knowledgeable adult
about drugs. Without reinforcement through at least middle school and maybe even the
beginning of high school, the quality and long term effects of the program are greatly
diminished. It is my opinion, that the D.A.R-E. program or a modified version of it should
be mandatorily provided at grades that are lower than the current program, Sth or 6th, and
additional reinforcement should be given at least through the first year of high school.

In South Brunswick, and in some other county school districts, we offer an
additional program at the 7th grade level called W.A.V.E. (Weapons and Violence
Education), which is a natural progression from the D.A.RE. program. This deals
violence, conflict resolution and the effects of resorting to violence. We have found it to

be a very successful program and the feedback from the students and teachers is also very

Page 11


52

A massive federal-led campaign against alcohol is
needed. When the federal government leads, the states
will follow.


101

Mr. HaAsTERT. Starts in Peru; yes.

Mr. Kaye. Or wherever. Then the money is laundered some other
place. You know, this stream runs through five, six, seven, eight
different nations. And we can only go after it so far. Crime knows
no borders, but we do.

Mr. HasTERT. If the gentleman will yield for a second? One of the
things that I was very, very distressed at, I did a couple of speech-
es in Switzerland last spring. Switzerland just had a referendum
that almost by 70 percent said that they shouldn’t ban heroin and
they should legalize heroin as well as marijuana and other things.

When that starts to develop in Switzerland, then, all of a sudden,
the banking system has license to move money for what, in their
country, are illegal drugs, heroin, and marijuana, which is really
the source of money laundering across the world and a very, very
serious problem. So your point is well taken.

Mr. Pappas. That was one of the questions I was going to ask
of, really, everyone.

Mr. HAsTERT. Sorry.

Mr. Pappas. No, no. That’s fine. I appreciate you raising it now,
the area of legalization.

I met with a group of police chiefs in Hunterdon County last
week. And one of them very vehemently stated that some in our
society are urging that marijuana, for instance, become a legal
drug. There’s a debate certainly in other States. We know what
took place in California and Arizona.

I would like your comments on that, each of you. Start with Mr.
Williams and just work our way down.

Mr. WILLIAMS. I'll address that, appreciate the opportunity.
Being the Chief of Domestic Operations, we have been working
very diligently on trying to address the Proposition 200 and 215 in
Arizona and also California.

I think our position right now is until—excuse me. Let me re-
phrase this. I think we have to really seriously try to educate the
people about the problems that we have with the legalization of
marijuana or any other type of drug.

I think California right now is hanging their hat on the medical
use or the benefits of marijuana to try to help seriously the dying,
the people who are using. That is just basically there’s not been
enough research to really consider the legalization of marijuana.

And not only is it marijuana in California. In California specifi-
cally, they're looking at maybe the legalization of heroin and other
things. Also with that, they look at the legalization of hemp and
trying to use hemp and other byproducts of marijuana for manufac-
turing of clothing and things like that.

There have to be just laws changed to actually address that. And
DEA’s stance right now is that we’re opposed to any type of laws
being changed for the legalization of those two products.

Mr. Pappas. Mr. Coleman, do you have anything to add?

Mr. COLEMAN. The Director of the Office of National Drug Con-
trol Policy, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, several months ago, with a
budget of, I think, about $2 million directed that some research be
conducted by the National Institutes of Health on any medicinal
claims of efficacy for marijuana, in particular.


26

The criminal groups from the Dominican Republic also provide a natural
conduit for Colombian heroin to the large addict population in New York and the
Northeastern United States. DEA’s Heroin Signature Program data from 1995. the
most recent data available, reveal that 62 percent of the heroin seized in the U.S.
was from South America, up from 32 percent the year before. Abuse of high
quality Colombian heroin, which can easily be snorted or smoked rather than
injected, the traditional method of administration, has significantly increased over
the last several years, and its use has unfortunately become “fashionable” for
many young people. The heroin trade in Colombia is controlled by independent
traffickers who harvest the poppy in the mountainous areas of the Andes and
produce heroin in small laboratories throughout the area. They then employ an
army of couriers who smuggle the heroin into the United States via ingestion,
body carries, and increasingly, in concealed compartments in luggage. The
couriers enter the United States primarily at the ports of San Juan. Puerto Rico,
Miami, Florida, and New York City, from where they distribute this highly
addictive drug all along the East Coast. The Dominican traffickers have also
come into their own right in the money laundering arena and have established a
network of casas de cambio throughout the Caribbean and in New York.

Protecting our Borders and the Heartland

To shield America’s Southwest border the DEA and the FBI have launched
the Southwest Border Initiative (SWBI) which targets the leaders of the major
Mexican trafficking groups that live in Mexico, and control the cocaine, heroin,
and methamphetamine traffic on both sides of the border. This strategy is
designed to dismantle the sophisticated leadership of these criminal groups from
Mexico by targeting their command and contro! functions and building cases on
the surrogate members and their U.S.-based infrastructure. The SWBI is anchored
in our belief that the only way to successfully attack any organized crime
syndicate is to build strong cases on the leadership by attacking their command
and control functions. With the assistance of foreign governments, the long-term
incarceration of the leadership will leave entire organizations in disarray.

This strategy now combines the resources of the DEA, the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI), the United States Attorneys’ Offices, The High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Area Program (HIDTA), the United States Customs Service
(USCS), and a host of state and local counterparts. Through this initiative, we

10


22

Guadalajara Airport in 1993. Part of the Arrellano-Felixs’ signature for violence
is not only in carrying out assassinations. but torturing and dismembering their
victims to send strong messages to others who would cross them in their
trafficking operations.

Miguel Caro-Quintero’s organization focuses on trafficking in cocaine and
marijuana, His brother is currently jailed for his role in the murder of DEA
Special Agent Enrique Camarena in 1985. Miguel runs the organization with his
two brothers ---Jorge and Genaro--- specializing in the cultivation, production, and
distribution of marijuana; a major cash crop for the trafficking organizations from
Mexico. This organization is believed to own many ranches in the northern border
State of Sonora, from which drug smuggling operations into the United States are
staged. Despite the organization’s specialization in marijuana trafficking, like
many of the other trafficking organizations in Mexico, they are also involved in
the trafficking of cocaine and methamphetamine.

Jesus Amezcua heads the Amezcua-Contreras brothers organization, based
in Guadalajara, assisted by Adan and Luis. They currently are the world’s largest
smuggler of ephedrine and clandestine producer of methamphetamine. The
Amezcua organization obtains large quantities of the precursor ephedrine, utilizing
contacts in Thailand and India, which they supply to methamphetamine labs in
Mexico and in the United States.

Joaquin Guzman-Loera began to make a name for himself in his drug
trafficking career as an air and logistics expert for Miguel Felix-Gallardo. He was
able to rise to the Patron level among the major trafficking organizations in
Mexico. Although he is presently incarcerated in Mexico, Guzman-Loera is still
considered a major threat by both the United States and Mexican law enforcement.
His brother, Arturo, has assumed the leadership role and the organization remains
active in Mexico, along the Southwest border, in the Western and Midwestern
regions of the U.S., as well as in Central America. They transport cocaine from
Colombia, into Mexico and the United States, for the remnants of the Cali and
Medellin Cartels. The organization also has involvement in the smuggling,
storage, and distribution of Colombian cocaine, Mexican marijuana, and Mexican
and Southeast Asian heroin.


105

Just for the record, we usually swear in all people giving testi-
mony. Because you haven’t had the opportunity to do research and
write down numbers and facts and make sure, we're not going to
hold you to that swearing in. We intend and expect that your testi-
mony is as close to the truth as you knowingly know it is.

And, with that, please start down here. Give your name, your
hometown, and your high 1.

Mr. BRONSTEIN. Mark Bronstein from Metuchan, and I go to
Metuchan High School.

Mr. Larris. Andrew Larris, Metuchan High School, Metuchan.

Mr. BAUM. Brian Baum, Metuchan, Metuchan High School.

Mr. POLLOCK. Mitch Pollock, Metuchan High School.

Mr. LippMAN. Jordan Lippman, Metuchan, Metuchan High

1.
Ms. CLOUDEN. Vanessa Clouden, Metuchan High School.
Ms. PANNONE. Samantha Pannone, Metuchan High School.
Ms. Kuu.ar. Ruthie Kullar, Metuchan, Metuchan High School.
Mr. HaAsTERT. Let’s start. I’m not sure if everybody's going to
speak or just a couple, how you're going to do this. Let’s let you
begin and a short comment. Then we'll open it up to questions.

STATEMENTS OF MARK BRONSTEIN, STUDENT, METUCHAN
HIGH SCHOOL, METUCHAN, NJ; ANDREW LARRIS, BRIAN
BAUM, MITCH POLLOCK, JORDAN LIPPMAN, VANESSA
CLOUDEN, SAMANTHA PANNONE, AND RUTHIE
STUDENTS, METUCHAN HIGH SCHOOL, METUCHAN, NJ

Mr. BRONSTEIN. I wanted to comment on the increasing drug
trafficking, especially marijuana, between other countries and the
United States. I just wondered what the Federal Government is
doing to keep this under confines.

Mr. Larris. I was commenting on Mr. Kaye and Chief Paquette’s
commenting about how we should increase education in the schools
about drug use. I know—I’m not going to mention names, but peo-

le who use drugs, have used drugs. And a lot of people who use

igs aren't going to listen to the educators’ views on whether
drugs are bad or not. They’re going to do it due to peer pressure
and other people who are doing it and increasing elementary kids
who are doing this are doing it because they have older siblings or
they have older people who are doing it and they really don’t think
that the education system is going to solve that problem.

Mr. Baum. I think I differ with his opinion because, basically, I
was listening to the same guy. I mean, they have enforcement in
our school also. I mean, we have a security guard. We have one se-
curity guard. And we have this place outside the school known as
smokers’ corner. And he basically goes out there and finds people
who are doing whatever sort of and gives them like a couple
of detentions or suspension if they’re repeat offenders or whatever.

I mean, that really doesn’t stop them from doing it because then,
I mean, they come back from their detention or their suspension.
They do it again.

So, you really have to, like, get education at an earlier age to
stop the drug problem and stop the desire to do it in the first place.

ir. POLLOCK. I with Mr. Larris in that this issue is like
smoking, where we have had assemblies beginning as early as like


34

combat this growing threat through joint investigations and efforts that will yield
positive results. At this point, we will be happy to answer any questions you may
have on the topic.


115

October 20, 1997

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Chairman, Subcommittee on National
Security, International Affairs, and
Criminal Justice

Mr. Chairman, and Subcommittee Members:

My name is Elliot A. White. | am the Director of the Division of Alcoholism
and Drug Abuse Services for Middlesex County. | have served in this capacity
for the past eight years.

1 wish to thank you for the opportunity to speak this morning concerning
the ongoing battle with drugs and alcohol in the communities of Central New
Jersey. | doubt whether | will tell you anything that is surprising or that other
speakers will not say in their statements to you. That in itself should be
troublesome, because it shows how deeply rooted this epidemic is in America,
and in New Jersey.

It is interesting that you named this session “Central New Jersey's Battle
Against Drugs", because that is in deed the case. This is a war like any other war
this country has fought. And it's a war we are losing. If! had to describe our
status, | would call us POW’s. For whatever the reason we seem to not have the
resolve to fight this war to win. Look at the facts:

FACT: Most of the crime and cases of violence
reported in New Jersey are drug or alcohol related

FACT: Junior High and High School students report
an increase in the first use of alcohol, marijuana,
tobacco products and controlled drugs.

FACT: The funding for addiction treatment has
decreased during the past five years, yet the number
of persons seeking assistance for addictions has
risen during that period.

FACT: Persons presenting themselves for treatment
assistance tend to be younger, and with a greater
level of addiction severity.


136

the person who was our counselor, was in recovery also. I’m the
type of person I like to hear it from somebody who’s been there.

One of the things that I had to have was an open mind. I was
told this when I was attending AA meetings, and I heard what the
Lord wanted me to hear. I identified, and I did not compare. One
suggestion was getting and using a sponsor. A sponsor is a person
who has at least 2 more years than yourself to help guide you
through the program.

One of the suggestions that the sponsor told me to do was getting
and staying active in AA, which involves setting up for meetings,
making coffee, chairing meetings, and going on commitments,
which is speaking to people and telling them how you were staying
clean and sober.

Some of the things I do today is, I continue to work in the com-
munity, whether it’s in church or fovernment or just in the regular
community. I go to prisons and I speak. I talk to youths. I give
back what I have freely received through the program. I need to
do this to be reminded, and I need to see where I have come from.

Some of the different things that I do, I also go help peaple— ve
been down in Georgia. I’ve been down in Washington, , feeding
the homeless because this is somewhere that I could be today be-
cause of my drug and alcohol addiction.

One of the last things that has helped me is the money that I
spend. I spent between $10,000 and $12,000 in fines and sur-

es, and I don’t want to spend any more money with the insur-

ance companies and State. Actually, can’t afford it. I'm working

- two jobs now. I’ve got a baby on the way. So, I don’t want to get

another DWI. I want to stay clean and sober. My life has changed
because of it.

Some of the things that I believe may help others get sober is
educating the children early on alcohol and drug abuse, not just in
junior and senior high school but earlier age, and to teach classes
on self-esteem because that was one of my biggest problems. I had
a very low self-esteem. And I drank to accept what I saw in the
mirror, and I did drugs to accept what I saw in the mirror because
of that low self-esteem.

Another thing is to educate teachers, doctors, nurses, cle: en,
anyone who deals with the public on how to spot signs and to see
when a problem is cecurring in a child or in the parents, and to
have them seek some type of counseling.

One of the thii I have liked that I've seen in the past is the
Scared Straight that some of the kids were talking about or
D.A.R.E. at a higher Frade level. I heard D.A.R.E. is only at the
lower grade levels and may continue into the higher levels
and to get kids from these D.A.R.E. things to help out and get ac-
tive in them.

One of the things I believe that maybe DWI offenders need to do
is a lot of community service, to in and serve in these soup
kitchens and see where they could be, to volunteer in wet-brain
wards, say, at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, to see where the drugs
and alcohol took these people.

A mandatory 90 meetings in 90 days. A mandatory Al-Anon
meeting for the family or friends of these people and Al-Ateen for
the kids. And, I believe maybe, to help make them account for what


58

this will increase over time because South Brunswick is a growth community. The 1997
graduating class from our high school had about 300 students, the incoming kindergarten
class for this year is 600 students. Many of these children are from families who have
moved from more urban environments to South Brunswick because of quality of life
concerns. However, it has resulted in an increase in calls for service, more narcotic
investigations, more arrests and we believe this trend will continue to increase.

‘Narcotic investigations in suburban environments are difficult to initiate because of
the method of conducting business. In jurisdictions similar to South Brunswick, law
enforcement does not deal with the typical street sale(s) of narcotics. Over time, we have
found that most dealers buy their product from one of the nearby cities: New York,
Philadelphia, Trenton or New Brunswick. This product is then sold clandestinely to users
who are known to the dealer and the transaction takes place out of public view. This
allows a perception to develop that particular municipalities do not have “drug problems”
South Brunswick is not unlike any other town in New Jersey or the United States:
‘Narcotics are present and the battle is far from over.

Middlesex County is located centrally within the State of New Jersey and has an
approximate resident population of 700,000 citizens. As stated previously, the close
location to major East Coast cities and various highways makes this area a conduit for
individuals distributing various types of controlled dangerous substances. It has been
established in recent years that both cities figure prominently in the importation of large
shipments of cocaine, heroin and marijuana. This county has a varied demographic make-
up. The northern through the central areas of the county are comprised of urban and

suburban type housing and business tracts. This area includes three cities: New

Page 3


112

STATEMENTS OF ELLIOT WHITE, DIRECTOR, LOCAL ADVISORY
COMMITTEE ON ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE; MARY PAT
ANGELINI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SUBSTANCE ABUSE RE-
SOURCES; ERNESTINE WINFREY, DIRECTOR, GOOD NEWS
HOME FOR WOMEN; SCOTT SECHRIST, EXECUTIVE DIREC-
TOR, MERCER COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM & DRUG ADDIC-
ao AND RANDY STEWART, ALCOHOLIC AND DRUG AD-

Mr. WuiTE. As the other speakers have mentioned, I, too, appre-
ciate the opportunity to address you both this morning concerning
a problem that is growing in alarming proportions in New Jersey
and in the country. And it’s good that our Federal legislators take
time to hear from the local community as to what their perception
of the problem is and how best to deal with it.

Before I begin my remarks, if I may, just a comment and a rec-
ommendation to you for the next time you do this. Your first panel
was made up primarily of persons dealing with the law enforce-
ment aspect of this issue. I would respectfully submit that, while
they are a part of the front line, they don’t necessarily represent
the whole front line of this issue.

You may want to address in your next panel a mother, for exam-
ple, who has had frustration in getting her child into treatment
and being turned away because there’s no available bed or a social
worker who is dealing with domestic violence which is drug or alco-
hol-related or a clergyman who is dealing with a congregation that
has that as an issue and have that kind of first. That may give you
a better perception from the public as to what this problem is. Just
a recommendation.

Mr. HasTERT. Well, we’ve done that, for the record, yes.

Mr. WuirTe. OK. I have four basic areas that I want to comment
on. I'll comment briefly on each. First, I think that it’s important
for there to be a national consensus that we are dealing here with
an issue that is a disease. Looking at addiction at a disease may
help us begin to solve this problem.

I was fascinated by the questions and comments that came from
the students about what needed to be done. I would like to chal-
lenge some of them with a question of my own. How many of them
would in walking down the hall one day seeing someone lean
across the locker with red blotches on their face and sweating pro-
fusely run to the nurse and get aid for that person? Probably every-
body would say yes because they would perceive this as being a
very serious issue.

‘et, how many of those students would raise their hand and say,
“Yes” if they were asked to turn in a friend who was on drugs or
doing something illegal? Probably you’d get less response.

And therein lies a problem, not that the kids are a problem in
that reaction, but it’s a problem nationally that we don’t see this
as a serious enough issue because it takes so long to develop.

It’s not like meningitis, which can kill you very quickly. It’s an
issue that develops over the years. And people feel, “Well, eventu-
ally it will either take care of itself or something will happen that
that person will deal with it on their own.” And by then it’s usually
too late. And either law enforcement or we get these people, we
meaning people in treatment.


76

Marijuana also remains a readily available controlled dangerous
substance in New Jersey. While the majority of the marijuana con-
sumed in New Jersey originates from outside sources, domestic cul-
tivation, by indoor and outdoor clandestine growers, continues to be
a significant problem for New Jersey’s law enforcement.

(ethamphetamine is readily available in most areas of New Jer-
sey. Production and distribution are dominated by individuals with
strong links to Philadelphia-based organized crime families and
outlaw motorcycle gangs. Mexican cartels are also gaining a foot-
hold in the northeast meth market.

Other controlled substances which remain a concern for law en-
forcement, health officials, and educators in New Jersey include:
prescription drugs; LSD; PCP; designer drugs, such as MA, cur-
rently referred to as Ecstasy; Ketamine, a veterinary tranquilizer
referred to in drug circles as Special K; and inhalants. While less
frequently abused than cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, these sub-
stances are popular among youthful substance abusers and are
widely used at rave parties.

The New Jersey State Police remain committed to leading New
Jersey's war on drugs. We are actively engaged in the campaign
against substance abuse on all fronts. Uniformed State troopers,
who patrol New Jersey’s super highways and rural back roads, are
on constant vigil against traffickers and couriers who continuously
replenish the State’s drug supplies.

The State Police Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau in its
commitment to the Statewide Narcotics Task Force has formulated
and implemented strategic initiatives which target all levels of nar-
cotics trafficking in the Garden State.

A narcotics trafficking unit was established to target individuals
and organizations engaged in the wholesale importation and dis-
tribution of narcotics. The unit focuses primarily on the trafficking
activities of such large-scale organizations as the Colombian co-
caine cartels, Mexican trafficking federations, and Caribbean drug
syndicates.

A narcotics enforcement unit, with members stationed through-
out northern, central, and southern New Jersey, targets mid-level
and street-level narcotics distributors in urban, suburban, and
rural areas of the State.

The most recent undertaking of the unit has been the implemen-
tation of a Quality of Life Task Force, which is designed to take
back the streets in communities under siege by drug dealers and
drug gangs. Open air drug markets and notorious drug hot spots,
where stranger-to-stranger drug transactions are commonplace, are
the primary targets of these details. All details conducted have
been cooperative efforts between local, county, and State enforce-
ment resources.

special operations unit coordinates highly successful projects
which target methamphetamine manufacturing and distribution
statewide. In cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administra-
tion, the unit coordinates special ijuana eradication efforts
through the federally funded Domestic Cannabis Eradication and
Suppression. Program. This project includes members of the New
Jersey National Guard, who provide logistical and tactical support.


28

Zorro {and II, demonstrated that law enforcement can strike major blows against
these foreign drug syndicates who control the drug trade in our country. However,
we will only be able to do so if we maintain the technological ability to target
their command and control communications.

These organized criminal groups, whether they are headquartered in Cali or
Sonora or the homegrown versions that are predators in Newark, New York, and
other cities and communities, significantly effect the American way of life. The
interests and concerns of these heinous criminals lie in the advancement of their
criminal enterprises, and wealth that they can derive from plying their trade. They
will resort to violence, intimidation, kidnaping, and murder to accomplish their
goals.

These international traffickers have acted with impunity for many years and
believe that they are beyond the reach of law enforcement. This arrogance extends
into their drug enterprises in the United States. As we have seen with the
Arrellano-Felix brothers, these violent traffickers send assassins from Mexico into
San Diego to exact their revenge on those who do not pay their drug debts or who
cooperate with our efforts to put an end to their reign of terror. The brazen attacks
on American law enforcement along our Southwest border and in our cities and
towns must not be tolerated and must continue to be met with coordinated
investigative strategies that will ultimately lead to the demise of international
organized crime and its destructive influence on our streets.

Applying a multi-agency approach to attack these organized trafficking
groups will continue to be our strongest asset in dismantling the organized
criminal syndicates that control the drug trade in the U.S. We must continue
working with foreign counterparts to target the upper echelon criminal leaders, as

well as their surrogates who bring violence to our communities as they poison our
children.

My colleague, Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Division John
Coleman, will now discuss local trends and the steps DEA is taking to address the
drug trafficking situation in New Jersey.


94

COMPARATIVE DRUG ARRESTS BY COUNTY

1995/1996
‘SALE/MANUFACTURE ARRESTS | POSSESSION/USE ARRESTS: GRAND TOTAL
1995 1996 hance 1995 1996 coe 1995 1996 Gane
ATLANTIC 280 385 38 2215. 2.243 1 2.495 2,628) 5
BERGEN 654 609) 7 3,013 2,785 38 3,667 3,394 7
BURLINGTON 295 322 9 1,907 1,987 4 2.202, 2.309) 5
CAMDEN 1,393 V7 23 2,826 3,326, 18 4,219) 5.037 9
CAPE MAY 187 176 4 987 4,124 14 1174 1300 W
|CUMBERLAND 200. 24) 21 1,020 14139 12 1,220 1,380: 43
|ESSEX 5,396 6,073 3 5.255) 6,355, ral 10,651] 12,428) 7
GLOUCESTER 259 215 A7 1,153 1,358 Ww 1412 1573 W
| HUDSON 2,921 2,853 | 2 3,486 3,293, 6 6,407
HUNTERDON 87 73) 3 229) 264) 15 316|
MERCER 1,133) 691 39 3,165, 2,604) -18 4,298
| MIDDLESEX 803 884 10 2,603) 2,485, 5 3,406,
| MONMOUTH 662 386) 42 3,170 3,486 10 3,832,
MORRIS: 1,305 1,263) 3 1,617
{OCEAN 1,877) 2,045! i 2214
|PASSAIC 2,394) 2,698 3,753]
SALEM 367] 435 508
SOMERSET 579 687 19 639
SUSSEX 254 274 & 320
jumoN 3,254 3,208 4,031
WARREN 267} 28a. 365



Hon. Michael Pappas
Opening Statement
October 20, 1997
Government Reform & Oversight Committee
Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs and Criminal Justice
Field Hearing
“Report from the Front Line: Central New Jersey’s Battle against Drugs”
Freehold Borough High School

Freehold, New Jersey

Mr. Chairman,

‘I want to think the committee for holding this hearing in the twelfth congressional district to
address the very serious problem of drug use that is plaguing our youth and our nation. ~~
Furthermore, I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman for your continued effort to reach out into
‘communities all over our country to gain a greater understanding of our nation’s drug problem
and to seek out solutions that make sense and will have a real impact.

Its very fitting that we are holding this hearing here in the wrestling room of the Freehold High
School. This room is the site where students try, through training, perseverance and strength, to
triumph over their opponent. In the process, they lear a great deal about themselves.

Likewise, today, those on the front lines of this nationwide battle will try to help us meet the
challenge of drug abuse head on and emerge victoriously.

I believe that what has been termed as our nation’s “War on drugs,” is truly just that. We are
fighting for the survival our nation’s children — their future and the future of our nation.

In my capacity as this district’s Congressman, I often have the opportunity to meet with school
groups, teachers and parents, I have also formed focus groups on crime, education and health
care, Hands down the number one issue all of these groups talk about is drugs.

During meetings of my 12 District Crime Task Force, I have heard first hand from those in law
enforcement including many police chiefs, sheriffs and prosecutors of the struggles that they face
on the front line of our collective war on drugs.

I know we are probably going to hear many statistics today but I have just a few that I would like
to share with you:

A report from a Columbia University study states that 41% of high school students say they can
get drugs easier in their schools than on the street.

By the time the average teenager reaches 17:
68% can buy marijuana within one day
62% have friends who use marijuana

58% have personally been solicited to buy marijuana
43% personally know someone with a serious drug problem

Page -1-


17

An organized crime unit conducts investigations of traditional or-
ganized crime families and emerging ethnic syndicates which are
engaged not only in narcotics trafficking but in a wide spectrum of
criminal activities. As organized crime becomes a global concern
and as more ethnic-based criminal groups gain a foothold in New
Jersey, the organized crime unit is developing an expertise in meet-
ing head on the unique challenges presented to law enforcement by
these groups.

The New Jersey State Police, in cooperation with the Division of
Criminal Justice, has expanded its role in addressing the problems
of gang-related crime and violence in New Jersey.

e of the primary focuses of our street g: unit is the identi-
fication of gang hierarchies and their relationship
ficking organizations. The State Police serve as a liaison to county
task forces and assist municipal and county agencies in formulat-
ing and implementing effective strategies aimed at reducing the in-
fluence of gangs in our communities.

This portrait of drug abuse in New Jersey, as detailed in my re-
port, dramatically illustrates how this cancer is impacting upon the
quality of life in our cities and towns. For our benefit, and for the
benefit of future generations, New Jersey's law enforcement com-
munity must remain united with educators, community organiza-
tions, and social services to set a steady course toward reducing
gubstance abuse in central New Jersey and the entire Garden

ate.

Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Butt follows:]



83

municipal law enforcement agencies, the most common drug activities which occur throughout the
State include: open-air drug markets, major narcotics networks and courier routes, marijuana
cultivation, drug-profit money laundering, narcotics trafficking in public housing and narcotics
trafficking on public transportation. Each of these narcotics-related activities can be found
throughout the central New Jersey region. In urban settings, such as Trenton and Asbury Park, open-
air drug markets exist where stranger-to-stranger drug transactions are commonplace.
Neighborhoods exist within these communities where school age children are recruited into gangs
to sell drugs on street comers and in schools, and to provide a watchful eye against encroachment
by rival gangs and law enforcement.

AVAILABILITY OF DRUGS IN NEW JERSEY

According to law enforcement agencies in New Jersey, all traditional forms of narcotics are
available throughout the State. A survey of county task forces completed in the fall of 1996
indicated that the most often encountered drugs include cocaine (including crack), marijuana, heroin,
methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy and LSD. Cocaine, heroin and marijuana are available in all
of New Jersey’s 21 counties.

Cocaine

The New Jersey/New York metropolitan area has become a major importation and
distribution center for Colombian, and more recently Mexican, cocaine cartels. In close proximity
to Queens, New York, the northern counties of Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex and Union are the hub
of the cartels’ illicit activities in the northeast United States, Along the boulevards of these
communities, cottage industries which support the drug trade, including money remitters, currency
exchanges, international calling centers and multi-service agencies cater to Colombian traffickers
who orchestrate the movement of large cocaine shipments. Interspersed among legitimate
commercial businesses in industrial areas, cartel operatives have established shipping firms,
import/export concerns and industrial supply companies which serve as ‘front’ companies to receive
shipments of drugs from abroad and retum profits to South America. Nestled on quiet streets in the
surrounding suburbs, drug shipments are stored and profits are amassed and meticulously accounted
for in cartel ‘stash houses’.

Cocaine appears to be available in unlimited supply, and arrives weekly in massive
quantities. The northern counties of Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Union comprise a thriving retail
and wholesale cocaine market which, coupled with the close proximity to New York City, can easily
supply the needs of the New Jersey’s cocaine users. The majority of the cocaine brought to the east
coast appears to be controlled by the Colombian Cartels. While the Cali Cartel dominates the
Colombian drug market in New Jersey, there are no ethnic barriers in cocaine distribution.

Marijuana

Marijuana continues to be a readily available drug of choice throughout New Jersey. In
1996, 24,447 individuals were arrested for possession and/or sale of marijuana. These arrests
accounted for 40% of the total number of drug arrests in New Jersey. Both domestic and


‘One only needs to read the recent news stories to realize how
predominant drug use is in this area. A local study sponsored by the Commission
‘on Substance Abuse Among America's Adolescents found that 23% of 12 year-
‘olds know someone who had used drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and acid,
Similarly, in Tom's River school district, they estimate that 1 in 4 sixth graders
reported to know a friend or classmate who has used drugs. Last years New
Jersey survey of high schoo! students concluded that marijuana use among 10%,
11%, and 12” graders had nearly doubled since 1992 and that heroin use had
nearly tripled.

Reports show that our young people today do not realize the dangers of
‘drug use. What has happened to the concept that using drugs, in any form or
forum, regardless of when you do s0, is the single most irresponsible and
dangerous thing you could possibly do to damage your health, your future, and
your life? The recent surge in teen drug use is a sad commentary on how much
ground we have lost over the past several years in the War on Drugs. And these
kids aren't someone eise’s kids, in someone else's city; they are our kids, in our
communities.

‘On a positive note, communities and law enforcement all around the
country are joining hands to close the gap in the drug effort. Here, in Freehold,
you have some excellent examples of these community efforts, including
‘community based anti-drug groups such as LACADA, Substance Abuse
Resources, Good News Home for Women, and the Mercer Council on
Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, all of which we will hear from today. At the same
time, the combined local law enforcement efforts of the sheriff's department,
state police, jocal police, and county prosecutors, who's battles are often fought
quietly, have borne even more results.

In the months ahead, | hope that the bipartisan cooperation will continue
in the War on Drugs as Congress moves forward to develop a jh
approach to fighting and winning the Drug War. | ook forward to hearing
testimony today that we can bring back to Washington and will assist us in
legislative initiatives to improve coordination, cooperation, and help us fight
drugs on all fronts.


111

people like you all over our country, your perspective, which is very
valuable to us.

And we know the family is crucially important. So many of you
have said that. And we all know that sometimes there are young
people who, through no fault of their own, do not have supportive
families. And I’m sure people like you are ones that try to inter-
vene wherever you can.

You certainly want to continue. We would encourage you and the
other young people who are here that it’s important for each of us
to try to do whatever we can I’m sure because you're here and be-
cause you volunteered. I hope you volunteered to come up and
speak. You're probably people that do that.

I'm very pleased that you’re here and glad that the chairman
gave you a chance to add your comments.

Mr. Hastert. OK. I just want to thank you, certainly thank your
teacher. I taught myself for a long time. It takes a lot of hassle to
take kids out of school, to get into a place like this, and to listen.

So I think you should appreciate what your teacher is doing for
you and giving you this type of exposure. That’s enough of a break
for you. But, anyway, it’s very important. We appreciate your input
and ability to give some input today. Believe me, it will be well-

n.

Thank you very much.

At this time I'd like to ask our second panel to come forward. As
you come forward, I’m going to introduce you. First of all, we have
Elliot White, who is the director of LACADA, which is the Local
Advisory Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. I’d also like to in-
troduce Ms. Mary Pat Angelini, who is the executive director of
Substance Abuse Resources. I'd like to introduce Ms. Ernestine
Winfrey, director of Good News Home for Women. I'd like to intro-
duce Scott Sechrist, executive director of the Mercer Council on Al-
coholism and Drug Addiction. And he is joined by Randy Stewart.
Mr. Stewart was recently enrolled in the Mercer County Program.

At this time, I want to welcome all of you. Would you please
stand and raise your right hand? Do you solemnly swear that the
testimony that you are about to receive will be the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth?

Mr. WHITE. Yes.

Ms. ANGELINI. Yes.

Ms. WINFREY. Yes.

Mr. SEcHRIST. I do.

Mr. Srewarr. Yes.

Mr. Hastert. Let the record show that the witnesses answered
in the affirmative. Mr. White, would you please proceed with your
opening statement? Again, if you could hold it to about 5 minutes?
And then we'll come back for questions.

Mr. WuiTE. Thank you, Congressman.


81

how this cancer is impacting upon the quality of life in our cities and towns. For our benefit, and for
the benefit of future generations, New Jersey's law enforcement community must unite with
educators, community organizations and social services to set a steady course toward reducing
substance abuse in the Garden State.



107

the amount of drugs that are coming in. But the fact is no matter
how many times you talk about regulating drugs, drugs are going
to be in the high schools. We really have to talk about how we can
keep them out of the high schools.

ere are a lot of drugs like marijuana and stuff like that that
lead to other things. I think we need to stop. We need to show the
students that drugs are not tolerated in schools, which means that
if somebody comes into the classroom smelling of cigarette smoke,
the teachers don’t laugh it off and say, “If you do it again, you're
going to get detention.” They need to show that things, even like
cigarettes, are not tolerated. And we need to keep it out of the
schools.

We have smokeless facilities, like restaurants. You have specific
areas for smoking and nonsmoking. And I think you need to show
everybody that it has to be a nonsmoking facility and enforce that
by going into the bathrooms, getting the kids that are smoking in
there out of there and telling them that it’s not right.

Detentions don’t work. We need to show them thi: like suspen-
sion, I think expulsion from school for drug offenses. You need to
show them really to not do it and you really need stricter rules.

Ms. KuLLaR. I believe adolescents in this stage usually ignore
authority. So it’s up to their peers sometimes to the adult they
might listen to. So their peers are actually the ones who may aid
in ending or abusing drug abuse in the school.

And harsher consequences must be enforced in order—I mean,
-T've seen people after a Saturday detention for smoking come out
of that detention and be lighting a cigarette. The point isn’t getting
across.

Mr. HaSTERT. Let me take an active summary. We just want to
ask a couple of questions and let Mr. Pappas ask a couple of ques-
tions.

I appreciate you coming forward. We try to do a lot, Federal Gov-
ernment. We spend probably close to $35 billion a year in all types
of drug prevention; law enforcement; interdiction; killing cocaine as
it grows in places like Peru and Bolivia; and crop substitution; and
stopping people on the borders; and x-ray machines for trucks; and
police agencies, as we have had here; and programs in schools.

We have heard testimony that 65 percent of all violent crime has
some nexus to drugs. And if it’s not pharmacological crime, other-
wise People are doing things, beating up on their wives and their
children because they’re addicted and they don’t know what they're
doing or they're stealing to get money to buy drugs or committing
murders or actually selling drugs themselves. That’s a lot of our
crime. That’s a lot of the capacity of our prisons.

Some 20,000 people die in this country every year, most of them
kids, a lot of them in our emergency rooms use of OD, a lot
of them on our street corners for gang violence. So it does affect
all of us. It affects you.

And what I’m trying to understand and what you're trying to say
is probably “Just say ‘No’” and all of these things that we do in
schools probably aren’t as effective. We’ve heard that. We've said
here maybe community, people getting together and saying, “We're
not going to tolerate this anymore.”


Heroin (White)

Heroin (Brown)

Heroin (Black Tar)

Methamphetamine

92

Bag/Deck/Fold/Glassine Bag
(Average Weight: .10 gram)
Quarter (1/4 teaspoon/,25 gram)
Bundle (10 decks)

Brick (5 bundies)

Gram

Ounce

Unit (700 grams)

Kilogram

Gram
Ounce
Pound
Kilogram

Gram
Ounce
Pound
Kilogram

Tabs or Caps (Black Beauty)
Gram
Ounce
Pound

Kilogram

P2P (Methamphetamine Precursor)

ICE

PCP (Phencyclidine)

Gallon

Vial
Ounce

Blotter/Stamp/Hit
100 Dosage Sheet

Gram
Liquid Ounce
Ounce

$ 20.00

$ 50.00
$ 110.00
$ 350.00
$ 200.00
$ 4,000.00
$ 90,000.00
$175,000.00

S$ 300.00
$ 8,000.00
$ 80,000.00
$150,000.00

$ 300.00
$ 5,000.00
$ 80,000.00
$150,000.00

$ 5.00
$ 80.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 10,000.00
$ 21,000.00

$ 27,500.00

$ 25.00
$7,000.00

$s 3.00
$ 200.00

$ 25.00
$ 400.00
S$ 1,200.00


60

the controlled dangerous substances between New York City and Middlesex County.

Middlesex County is also located very close to City of Newark. In recent years,
there has been growing indications that some individuals elect to travel to this city rather
than to New York City to make their purchases. The northern most portion of our county
is only ten miles from the City of Newark. In addition, the Port Newark/Port Elizabeth
container shipping terminals is one of the largest and busiest in this country.

There are four international airports all in close proximity to Middlesex County:
Newark International, Philadelphia, LaGuardia and Kennedy airports. Major portions of
the county can be directly accessed by the Atlantic Ocean. The towns of Sayreville, South
River and the City of New Brunswick lie along the Raritan River. The cities of Perth
Amboy, South Amboy as well as the towns of Cartaret and Woodbridge are accessed by

the Arthur Kill which is a deep water channel.

TRENDS AND TYPES OF NARCOTICS

The types of narcotics that are most prevalent in Central New Jersey are varied
and, unfortunately, easy to acquire. Intelligence reveals that pricing is dictated not only by
supply and demand but also the location of the transaction. The low end of the price
range occurs at wholesale price locations such as New York City and the City of Newark.
The middie of the range takes place in the urban areas of Middlesex County such as New
Brunswick and Perth Amboy while suburban transactions are the most expensive such as
in East Brunswick, South Brunswick and Cranbury.

The number one illicit drug of choice throughout Middlesex County is cocaine/

“crack” cocaine. The most common purchase at street level is a gram and the price ranges

Page 5


56

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the SubCommittee
on National Security, International Affairs and Criminal Justice of the Government
Reform and Oversight Committee and Representative Michael Pappas for allowing me to
testify before you to discuss this very important and critical issue. Narcotics is a problem
that every police chief and police department has to deal with, because it doesn’t
recognize borders or social class. Middlesex County does not exist in a vacuum, and as a
result we are no different than any other jurisdiction in our dealings with narcotics. In
preparing this testimony, I have taken the liberty of not only relating problems and
successes relevant to South Brunswick, but have also included research and data relevant
to Middlesex County. It is my position that this makes my report and testimony more
comprehensive and demonstrates the problems associated with narcotics on a wider scale
and specific to Central New Jersey.

Preparation for this testimony would not have been possible without the assistance
of many people and agencies from Middlesex County. I am proud to state that our law
enforcement agencies have risen to the challenge and supplied me with vast amounts of
current information concerning this issue. I would like to thank the following people for
their unselfish involvement in this testimony: Middlesex County Prosecutor Robert Gluck,
Chief Thomas D. Rizzo of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Captain Jeffrey A.
Greczyn and Sgt. Ronald Kushner of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics
Task Force; Director Thomas Maltese of the North Brunswick Police Department; and the

members of my Command Staff.

Page 1


18

the turn of the century. But the influence of American organized crime pales in
comparison to the violence, corruption and power that is exhibited by today’s
criminal syndicate leaders.

In the 20th Century, “Traditional Organized Crime” in America rose to what
was then considered unparalleled heights. These organizations were built around
a hierarchy of leaders and members of immigrant background rooted on American
soil. From our earliest exposure to “Traditional Organized Crime,” a common
thread has been, and continues to be, the violence with which these organizations
are operated, expanded, and controlled. But these traditional organized criminal
groups pale in comparison to the organized crime groups operating today from
Mexico and Colombia. The “new mobsters” are far more wealthy, powerful, and
violent than their predecessors.

Since the early 1970s, drug traffickers from Colombia have been smuggling
hundreds of tons of cocaine and marijuana into the United States mostly through
the Caribbean Corridor and south Florida. As a result of their growing notoriety
and brazen actions throughout this region, law enforcement attention to the
activities of the Colombians intensified. With increased law enforcement presence
and enforcement in the Caribbean and South Florida, the Colombians turned to
experienced Mexican drug smugglers to move their products to American markets
through Mexico.

Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, his brother Gilberto along with Jose Santa Cruz
Londono created, in Cali Colombia, what was undeniably the most wealthy,
sophisticated and powerful organized crime syndicate in history. Orejuela and his
confederates built an enormous monolithic organization that orchestrated the
manufacture of hundreds of tons of cocaine in Colombia, which were then moved
through the Caribbean and later Mexico, to U.S. markets. The leadership of the
Cali Cartel ruled this seven billion dollar per year business, while safely
ensconced on foreign soil. In short, they became the prominent “mob leaders of
the 1990's.” However, they were wealthier, more influential and far more
dangerous, having a more devastating impact on the day-to-day lives of the
citizens of our country than either their domestic predecessors that flourished in

New York and New Jersey during the first two-thirds of this century or the crime
families from Medellin.


47

The federal government needs to keep abreast of new developing
abusive substances.

1. Federal leadership here is crucial, as states will follow,
categorizing for their own laws the substances that the federal
government classifies as controlled dangerous substances.

2. The example of ketamine, rophynol (date rape drug), and
ecstasy highlight this point.

3. The federal government needs to be able to respond quickly to
the changes in patterns and uses of substances.

Continued encouragement of cooperative investigations between
federal enforcement agencies and state and local law enforcement.

1, Our County Narcotic Strike Force and Tactical Narcotic Teams
over recent years have worked actively and constructively with
the DEA, FBI, ATF, Postal authorities and Customs.

2. Drug trafficking can present jurisdictional problems in this
a County, but different counties and, indeed, different states.

a. Federal jurisdiction is a great asset, enabling law
enforcement To put an entire operation within one
prosecuting authority.

3. In this area, Congress needs to look at the threshold levels for
prosecution by the United States Attomey General’s Office.

a Often, federal thresholds are so high in terms of the
nature of the substance, i.e. powdered cocaine versus
crack cocaine, or sheer weight of the substance, as in
marijuana, that cooperative investigations that could best

te handled by the federal authorities come back to the

7


51

alcohol industry, especially as to beer.

qa

Q)

@)

@

Our children are bombarded by beer ads in the
print media and especially by the commercials on
television. All major sports are heavily sponsored
on television by beer companies. The
commercials they produce are the best; they are
the funniest; and it is clear that they target our
children. Ads feature talking frogs, lizards,
‘jiving crocodiles” and all ads associate
consumption of the product with good times. We
can no longer afford to encourage the use of a
substance that has such an immediate and
devastating impact upon our society as alcohol.

Well over 50% of the crimes we prosecute day in
and day out are committed when the offender was
under the influence of a substance and, most
frequently, that substance is alcohol.

One need think only of the area of domestic
violence and the impact that that offense has on
our nation, and realize how often alcohol abuse is
a major factor underlying the commission of
crime.

Think again of the toil on our highways in terms
of loss of life and medical expenses generated by
alcohol-involved accidents.

‘We must target the gateway drugs because the steps are
clear that from alcohol and tobacco use our children go
to marijuana, cocaine and then to all other substances.
Drug abusers indicate that every time they use a
substance, they did not get into trouble, but every time
they got into trouble, they were using or trying to get a
substance to use.

it


80

cartels, Mexican trafficking federations and Caribbean drug syndicates, Members of the Unit
participate in the Northem New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) project which
targets heroin trafficking and its corresponding money laundering industries in Bergen, Essex,
Hudson, Passaic and Union Counties.

‘The Narcotics Enforcement Unit, with members stationed throughout northern, central and
southem New Jersey, target mid-level and street-level narcotics distributors in urban, suburban and
rural areas of the State, The most recent undertaking of the Narcotics Enforcement Unit has been
the implementation of a ‘Quality of Life’ Task Force which is designed to take back the streets in
communities under siege by drug dealers and drug gangs. Open-air drug markets and notorious drug
“hot spots’, where stranger-to-stranger drug transactions are commonplace, are the primary targets
of these details. Since October 1996, this highly successful project has conducted over seventy
“Quality of Life’ details throughout New Jersey which have resulted in nearly seven hundred arrests
for various drug violations. All details have been cooperative efforts between local, county and state
enforcement resources.

The Special Operations Unit coordinates several highly successful projects which target
methamphetamine manufacturing and distribution and marijuana cultivation statewide. The New
Jersey State Police Active Laboratory Emergency Response Team (ALERT) investigates
methamphetamine trafficking by organized crime figures and outlaw motorcycle gangs, with an
emphasis on locating and dismantling clandestine production laboratories. ALERT members
coordinate the specialized training of state, county and municipal law enforcement personnel who
investigate and respond to these highly toxic facilities. In cooperation with the Drug Enforcement
Administration, the Special Operations Unit coordinates New Jersey's marijuana eradication efforts
through the federally funded Domestic Cannabis Eradication and Suppression Program. This project
includes members of the New Jersey National Guard who provide logistical and tactical support.

The Organized Crime Unit conducts investigations of traditional organized crime families
and emerging ethnic syndicates which are engaged not only in narcotics trafficking, but in a wide
spectrum of criminal activities, including banking and credit card fraud, high technology and cellular
telecommunications theft, loansharking, gambling and extortion. As organized crime becomes a
global concem, and as more ethnic-based criminal groups gain a foothold in New Jersey, the
Organized Crime Unit is developing an expertise in meeting head on the unique challenges presented
to law enforcement by these groups.

The New Jersey State Police, in cooperation with the New Jersey Division of Criminal
Justice, has expanded its role in addressing the problem of gang-related crime and violence in New
Jersey. Given that violent gangs control much of the street-level drug trafficking in many of New
Jersey's urban areas, one of the primary focuses of the Street Gang Unit is the identification of gang
hierarchies and their relationship with large trafficking organizations. The New Jersey State Police
serve as a liaison to county task forces, and assist municipal and county agencies in formulating and
ing effective strategies aimed at reducing the influence of gangs in New Jersey

‘This portrait of drug abuse in New Jersey, as detailed in this report, dramatically illustrates


142

Mr. Hastert. Could I just interrupt you for a minute? We just
passed a couple of months ago—and I was chief sponsor—the com-
munity-based prevention in trying to coordinate faith-based organi-
zations in those. And I’m sure Congressman Pappas would help
you in trying to pull together that area.

Mr. SECHRIST. Thank you.

Mr. STEwaRT. Just I myself—these are professional folks, but
this is an answer to your question. I know with the job that I have,
with the insurance benefits, the way things are being cut down
now and stuff like that, if companies can realize that they. need
better insurance for people to be set for care. Just everything is
being cut, cut, cut, cut.

If they can just, like, have an awareness, that they can be aware
that if this person is going out to lunch and coming back drunk,
they’re not producing, the bottom line.

e place that I used to work at, I used to have a boss who at
lunchtime would go out and get drunk. And the only thing they
would do about it was if he tot his hands and unfolded them or
something, then they could do something. I don’t know if that’s a
law or just their policy, but I thought it was pretty stupid. He
would come back and be very verbally abusive to people, but that
was OK.

Thank you.

Mr. Pappas. Mr. Chairman, I have two other questions, but I
know we have to conclude this because you have to catch a train.
And I’m going to hold these and correspond with these witnesses.
And I was wondering if I could incorporate that into the record.

Mr. Hastert. Absolutely. I would like to stay a couple of min-
utes. I don’t know how long it takes to catch a train around here
anyway.

just want to say I really appreciate it. I wish we had another
hour because I think we coul we this interrogatory go on and
on and on. There’s valuable stuff out there.

Ms. Winfrey, I want to say that I was sobered by those kids. And
I taught for 16 years. And I never know what to expect to come
out. But the attitude that you just were young and you can’t teach
us anything and we're indestructible, I think that probably per-
meates a lot of these young people.

Td like to ask you a lot of questions, but one of the things quick-
ly, we talked about Mr. Stewart, Mr. Sechrist’s faith-b: organi-
zations. One of the we found in doing this is that sometimes
that is the best way. re’s no best way, but that’s one of the
most successful ways of getting to people and caring through a
long-term process. Do you agree with that?

. WINFREY. I totally agree. Our facility is long term.

Mr. Hastert. Mr. Stewart, do you agree with that or is that
something that’s helpful to you?

Mr. STEwarT. Well, I started—I always believed there was some-
thing up there protecting me or whatever. I started getting active
in church. I belong to a church that’s very, very recovery ori-
ented. We have approximately eight to nine recovery-type meetings
at our church weekly.

Mr. HASTERT. One of the things the kids said was that we're
probably wasting our time, given the message of the kids. I prob-


135

Mr. Hastert. Would you please introduce Mr. Stewart?

Mr. Securist. Mr. Stewart is a member of one of our local con-
gregational assistance program teams, a concept where we train

ups of 5 to 10 parishioners in local communities to be the first
line of defense in education and prevention in Mercer County.

Mr. Stewart has made himself known to me as a recovering alco-
holic and drug addict, has been through one of our programs by
mandate some time back. So Randy has been a great benefit not
only to the council Personally but to the recovering community in
Mercer County and has been willing to provide testimony here

y.

Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Stewart.

f Mr. Stewart. Chairman and Congressman Pappas, I thank you
for—

Mr. HASTERT. Pull that mic up a little closer, too.

Mr. Stewart. And I'd also Mr. Sechrist for inviting me.
I feel very privileged to be able to sit here with officers of the law.
If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn't be sitting here today. And I ap-
plaud you.

My name is Randy Stewart. I’m an alcoholic and a drug addict.
And yes, I’ve been in hell. I have a little over 8 years clean and
sober. This is what has worked for me. In 1987, I was arrested for
possession with intent to distribute, and I got pre-trial intervention
which sent me through a couple of things for evaluation. And my
drinking was questioned, but I was in denial. I didn’t have a prob-
lem. My grandfather had a problem.

Six months later, I was arrested for drunk driving, and I lost my
license for 6 months. And what I did, I had to have—the State of
New Jersey has a mandatory—it’s like going to jail for 2 days. It’s
what they call IDRC, which is the Intoxicated Driver Resource
Center. I had to go through this if I planned to get my license back.

What I like or should I say what I liked about this was the re-
sources. They had some literature, films. The people who were run-
ning it were very knowledgeable. One of my favorite films was
called “Father Martin’s C! Talk,” which had about all of the dif-
ferent things: I had seen it about five or six times. It really stuck
in my head. I ended up buying it. I have it in my video collection.

There was a questionnaire that IDRC gave me that had approxi-
mately, I think, 209 questions on it, if I’m not mistaken. It was all
about questions about my drinking. The majority of it I lied on.

The next day I was evaluated °y the gentleman who sat there
and looked me dead in the eye and told me that I had a drinking
problem and I was in denial about it.

I cursed him out. And he told me that I had to do a mandato
followup counseling, which was at the Mercer Council on Alcohol-
ism and Drug Addiction, which lasted 16 weeks.

When I started this, I was told that I had to go to two mandato:
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week while I was going through
this counseling and I would need signatures to prove that I was

ere.

Also, while I was doing this counseling, there were other gentle-
men there, and there was, I think, one lady or two ladies. And we
had these roundtable talks every week when we met. And we used
to talk about our lives and different things. Our counselor, I believe


13

United States, mostly through the Caribbean Basin and south Flor-
ida.
Just as traditional organized crime was addressed over time in
the United States by exposing its leaders and systematically strip-
ping away the pretense that they were legitimate businessmen, the
organized criminal Broups of Colombia have been eviscerated and
are now a fragment of what they once were.

Td like to talk about the emergence of the new trafficking threats
in the Western Hemisphere. As a result of law enforcement atten-
tion, the Colombians turned to the Mexican crime families well
versed in the smuggling of contraband, who received shipments of
cocaine from the Cali syndicate and then smuggled them across the
United States-Mexican border, where they were turned over to Co-
lombian distribution cells.

Amado Carrillo-Fuentes and the other major traffickers quickly
amassed fortunes and changed the face of the drug trade in the
United States. Without question, the organized crime families of
Mexico have eclipsed the Colombian traffickers as the most domi-
nant figures in the cocaine trade today.

The criminal groups from Mexico now control virtually all co-
caine sold in the western half of the United States and for the first
time we are seeing a concerted effort on their part to expand into
the lucrative east coast market.

The following major trafficking organizations represent the high-
est echelons of organized crime in Mexico. Amado Carrillo-Fuentes
until his death on July 4, 1997, in Mexico City from medical com-
plications following plastic surgery to hide his true identity was
considered the most powerful trafficker in Mexico.

Carrillo-Fuentes allegedly had ties to the former Commissioner
of the INCD in Mexico, Gutierrez-Rebollo, and was supplied by the
Rodriguez-Orejuela syndicate in Colombia. The Carrillo-Fuentes or-
ganization generated billions of dollars a year in illegal profits and
was reportedly forwarding $20 to $30 million to Colombia for each
major cocaine smuggling operation.

The Arellano-Felix brothers, headed by Benjamin Arellano-Felix,
are the leaders of a trafficking organization which operates in Ti-
juana, Baja, California, and parts of the States of Sinaba, Sonora,
and Jalisco, and most recently Tamaulipas. Ramon Arellano-Felix
is now one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted.

They are arguably the most violent of the Mexican trafficking or-
ganizations and were involved in the murder of Cardinal Posadas-
Ocampo at the Guadelajara Airport in 1993.

Miguel Caro-Quintero’s organization focuses on trafficking in co-
caine and marijuana. His brother is currently jailed for his role in
the murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena in 1985. De-
spite the organization’s specialization in marijuana trafficking, like
many of the other trafficking organizations in Mexico, they are also
involved in the trafficking of cocaine and methamphetamine.

Jesus Amezcua heads the Amezcua-Contreras brothers o: iza-
tion, based in Guadelajara. They currently are the world’s st
smugglers of ephedrine and clandestine producers of methamphet-
amine, which they supply to methamphetamine labs in Mexico and
in the United States.


137

the people are doing for them is to have mandatory drug and alco-
hol tests and interventions where necessary.

I believe today’s parents were from that age in Woodstock. And
they believe as long as the kid is doing it at home it’s OK. It’s not
OK. We've got to make kids realize that they can get through life
without it and to get ple like me just to share what they had,
what they’ve done, and what they don’t have to do.

Tma youth group leader of my church. And I have some kids
that really love me today because of that. I get emotional on some-
thing like this. I’m glad I can show it because before I used to
numb it. I have kids in my youth group because of things that I
share with them, they won’t go through all that. And that’s a bless-

"hank you.

yor
[The prepared statement of Mr. Stewart follows:]


55

a of additional police officers have been the impetus of hiring of
lice officers at the local level and allow towns to take the initia-
Hive in addressing areas of concern that they may not be in a posi-
tion to do otherwise.

Continued concentration on source reduction and narcotic eradi-
cation at an international level with a continued emphasis on inter-
diction at points of entry.

And, third—this is echoed both from the Federal level and from
the county level with Mr. Kaye—a recognition that technology has
changed the ability of law cnforeement to have all the tool
need to be successful. There must be constant evaluation of techno-

logical advances and their impact on law enforcement.

result must be timely s in the laws to allow law en-
forcement to do our job. In parti , what we're talking at about is
the encryption and the ability to conduct successful wire

I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to be here Toda 1 hope
I have given yu some insight from a local law enforcement per-
ares and I appreciate it.

pared statement of Mr. Paquette follows:]


2
erally think of urban areas being victimized by crack dealers and

gangs.

Just 2 or 3 days ago, I was in some of the tougher neighborhoods
of Buffalo and looking at the crack houses and tough areas and
how neighborhoods were depleted by that. That’s not the case here.

id is usually not thought of as a place where drug abuse is
a problem for teenagers.
infortunately, times have changed. It is a sad fact, but today’s
teenagers in Americ& certainly are not out of the reach of cocaine,
heroin, LSD, marijuana or methamphetamines, nor is any commu-
nity immune from the violence, the street ‘s, or traffic! as-
sociated with illegal narcotics. No longer are these areas insulated
from the pro roblems that we used to think were confined to the big
cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

One only needs to read the recent news stories to realize how

predominant drug use is in this country. A local study sponsored
yy the Commission on Substance Abuse Among America’s Adoles-
cents found that 23 percent of 12-year-olds know someone who had
used drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and acid.

Similarly, close by, in Tom’s River school district, they estimate
that one in four sixth graders reported to know a friend or class-
mate who has used drugs. Last year’s New Jersey survey of high
school ‘students concluded that marijuana use among 10th, 111
and 12th graders had nearly doubled since 1992 and that ‘heroin
use had nearly tripled since 1992.

Reports show that our young p people today do not realize the dan-

rs of drug use. What has happened to the concept that using
drugs is the single most irresponsible and dangerous thing that you

ld possibly do to damage your health, your future, and your life?

The recent surge in teen drug use is a sad commentary on how
much ground we have lost over the past several years in the war
on drugs. And these kids aren’t someone else’s kids in someone
else’s cities. They are our kids and in our communities.

On a positive note, communities and law enforcement all around
the country are joining hands to close the gap in the drug effort.
Here in Freehold, you have some excellent examy examples of these com-
munity efforts, including community-based antidrug groups, such
as the Local Advisory Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Sub-
stance Abuse Resources, Good News Home for Women, and the
Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction, all of which we
will hear from today.

At the same time, the combined local law enforcement efforts of
the sheriffs department, State police, local police, and county pros-
ecutors, whose battles are often fought quietly, have borne even
more positive results.

In the months ahead, I hope that bipartisan cooperation will con-
tinue in the war on drugs as Congress moves forward to develop
a more comprehensive ai approach to fighting and winning the drug
war. I look forward to hearing testimony today that we can bring
back to Washington and will assist us in legislative initiatives to
improve coordination, cooperation, and help us fight the drug fight
on all fronts.

I would also say it’s kind of reminiscence to some folks that it’s
odd that you’re having a drug hearing in a wrestling room. Well,


12

Criminal Justice System, as a whole, must work together.

Neither I or my colleagues place blame or point fingers, but I think everyone will
agree that no matter how good a job we do in dealing with narcotics, we can always do
better. If we move forward with that work ethic and credo, I don’t believe there is
anything we can’t overcome. In that vein, I submit the following recommendations
concerning narcotic enforcement:

Law En citi

1. Police departments should adopt the philosophy of community policing because
it brings the community into the process and makes them a part of not apart from the
needed solutions.

2. Aggressive enforcement of all drug laws by all levels of law enforcement. This
sounds too simple and in most peoples mind is taken for granted. The use and abuse of
drugs in this country has developed a mentality of “casual use” which no longer brings
with it social disapproval. There must be a rebirth of the belief that drugs are illegal and
possession of any amount will result in arrest and prosecution.

3. Aggressive prosecution coupled with uniform guidelines would greatly enhance
law enforcement’s capability and ability to make a difference. Plea bargaining must

be reviewed and assessed because of the perception that probation, suspended
sentences or alternatives to incarceration make its use and sale worth the risk. Narcotics
knows no bounds and doesn’t recognize borders which means we all must work together.
Uniform guidelines would allow law enforcement to be more effective and successful.

4. Strengthen drug laws by assessing current penalties and making possession of
specified amounts of narcotics, types of narcotics and selected methods of transactions
subject to stronger sentencing.

5. Expansion and aggressive utilization of the Task Force concept for narcotic

6. Better communication between law enforcement agencies and the need to
constantly evaluate and recognize that at times investigations grow beyond our

Page 17


27

have been able to harness the investigative, intelligence and operational functions
of all of the members, to coordinate joint investigations against the major drug
trafficking organizations. The effectiveness of this strategy is only hampered by
the difficulty of incarcerating the leadership of these trafficking empires who hide
in foreign safe havens like Colombia and Mexico. By continuing to target the
leadership and the infrastructure of these groups, we will steadily degrade their
abilities to conduct their business in the United States.

Recently two such investigations, Operation Reciprocity and Operation
Limelight, demonstrated the importance of DEA’s ability to successfully target
the communications of the upper echelon of international criminal organizations.
In these two operations, DEA, with the cooperation of other federal and state law
enforcement agencies, targeted cocaine distribution cells commanded by the
Amado Carrillo-Fuentes organization. The organizations that were taken apart in
these two operations show that the traffickers from Mexico are expanding their
reach across the United States, as far as New York City.

We started Operation Reciprocity, nearly a year ago, in October 1996, by
identifying the command elements of the Amado Carrillo-Fuentes organization
dealing drugs in New York and Los Angeles. Working through the multi-agency
investigative approach and attacking their communication systems, we identified
how the traffickers transported cocaine across the country in tractor trailer loads,
and returned the illicit profits to Mexico in the form of bulk cash in the same
tractor trailers, using drivers hired largely from the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.
Reciprocity resulted in 40 arrests, over $ 11 Million in cash, 7.4 tons of cocaine,
and 2,700 pounds of marijuana.

Operation Limelight began in August 1996, in Imperial County, California,
and focused on the Alberto Beltran transportation and distribution cell of the
Amado Carrillo-Fuentes organization. Again by targeting the command and
control communications systems of this group, we identified cross-country
smuggling routes that employed tractor trailers that hauled tons of cocaine to
California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York. Limelight resulted in the
seizure of 4,012 kilograms of cocaine, 10,846 pounds of marijuana, over $7
Million in cash, and the arrest of 48 persons.

Operations Limelight and Reciprocity, like their predecessor operations

iW


10

The third area of enforcement that is critical to narcotics enforcement are drug
interdiction programs. It is particularly relevant to this county to have such types of
directed patrol because of the number of highways in the county, the access to major cities
and the need for a coordinated effort to be successful. Large seizures have resulted from
this type of enforcement and have been very successful in diminishing the amount of
narcotics that reach our streets for distribution. Over time, law enforcement agencies in
this county have found this type of enforcement to be most successful when there is a
coordinated effort between multiple police departments. This coordinated effort utilizes
saturation patrol techniques on particular roadways at specified times in order to curtail
narcotic transportation through Middlesex County.

DI ILVEMENT

The Federal Government is an intregal part of the total enforcement precess in
relation the narcotics. Their involvement is critical in certain areas because of their
equipment, personnel, jurisdiction and expertise. From a local standpoint, one of Federal
Government’s greatest successes has been their ability to tackle source interdiction on an
international level. Without the federal agencies taking the lead in this measure, the
narcotic problem in this country would be far greater than it is now. Local law
enforcement which includes state agencies, do not have the ability, resources or authority
to leave this country and take measures to halt the growing and shipment of the narcotics

‘The transportation of narcotics into the United States comes from many sources.

‘Some of these originating areas are Mexico, South America and South East Asia. Law

Page 15


146

2
Whereas 76 percent of high school students and 46 percent

of middle schoo! students claim drugs are kept, used, or
sold on their school grounds;

Wkerees studies show that 66 percent of high school students
claim they can buy drugs within 1 day and 44 percent
claim they can buy drugs within 1 hour or less;

Whereas it is reported that the use of heroin is increasing

and that 90 percent of new heroin users are under 26
years old;

Whereas the use of drugs at a young age dramatically in-
creases the risk of failure to complete high school, in-
ereases the likelihood of committing crimes, and reduces
future prospects in education, athletics, and careers;

Whereas it is known that safe, drug-free,-and orderly class-
rooms are key to an effective learning environment;

Whereas parental involvement in education is critical to a
healthy learning environment;

Whereas violent crime rates across the United States have
declined duc to strong parental involvement and coopera-
tion among Iccal, State, and Federal law enforcement °
agencies;

Whereas the same unified effort and commitment are needed
to fight drugs in our schools, playgrounds, and commu-
nities; and

Whereas Congress has the unique ability to provide leader-
ship on this issue by raising awareness of the dangers of
drugs in schools in every community across this greet
Nation: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Congress that—

2 (1) all schools should be drug-free;

*HRES 267 I


63

our country as a whole, I don’t believe any are more disturbing than the studies that reveal
adolescents are using drugs at a earlier age. The National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse shows that substance abuse among adults has not changed significantly in recent
years, However, drug use among our young people, age 12-17 years old rose 105% from
1992 to 1995. In 1992, only 5.3% of young adolescents who were surveyed reported
drug use, compared to 10.9% in 1995. If this current increase in the users of narcotics at
a young age goes on unchecked, America will reach the peak level of recorded drug use,
which occurred in 1979, in only four more years. It appears that today’s youth do not
view drug use as risky or harmful, and believe it’s use is widespread.

‘One of the most disturbing revelations of the study is that marijuana is indeed a
“gateway drug”. Studies conducted in 1994 by the Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University have shown that 60 percent of children who smoke pot
before the age of 15 move on to cocaine, whereas only 20 percent who first smoke pot
after age 17 report using cocaine. In New Jersey this trend of acceptance was shown to
be true in 1995 by a study conducted by the Division of Criminal Justice which revealed
that 69.9% of the high school students surveyed had some negative view about marijuana
use, down from 85.9% who had a negative view of marijuana use in 1989. These results
are further verified when additional results show that high school students in New Jersey
who have tried marijuana at some time in their lives was 27% in 1992 and rose to 42.1%
in 1995. However, the most disturbing aspect of all the studies was identified by the
Department of Health and Senior Services when results showed substance abuse is
unacceptably high among 7th and 8th graders. This study reveals that well over half of all

Page 8


20

ultimately began receiving between 40% to 50% of each shipment as payment.
Amado Carrillo-Fuentes and the other major traffickers quickly amassed fortunes
from the profits of the sale of thousands of kilograms of cocaine and
systematically expanded their distribution networks. This changed the face of the
drug trade in the United States and the organized criminal groups from Colombia
lost their stranglehold on the U.S. wholesale market.

The ascension to power by the groups from Mexico has garnered them
enormous wealth and a demonstrative expansion in their spheres of influence.
Despite accurate reports indicating the Orejuelas have ready access to both pay
and cellular phones in their cells, they are unable to control their once vast empire
from jail. Consequently, their ability to function as the first among all others has
been seriously degraded. There are many groups in Colombia and Mexico trying
to fill the void left by the incarceration of the Cali leadership. Without question,
the organized crime families in Mexico, most notably the Arrellano-Felix brothers,
Miguel Caro-Quintero and Jesus Amezcua-Contreras, and, until his death in July,
Amado Carrillo-Fuentes, have eclipsed the Colombian traffickers as the most
dominant figures in the cocaine trade today. The criminal groups from Mexico
now control virtually all cocaine sold in the Western half of the United States and,
for the first time, we are seeing a concerted effort on their part to expand into the
lucrative East Coast market. These traffickers from Mexico emulate the methods
of operation the Colombians have used so successfully for the last decade and a
half. They have become more structured in their organizations by adopting the
Colombian “Cell System,” which compartmentalized and insulated each function
of the organization.

The majority of the cocaine entering the United States continues to come
from Colombia through Mexico and across the U.S.-Mexico border. In addition to
the inexhaustible supply of cocaine entering the U.S., trafficking organizations
from Mexico are responsible for producing and trafficking thousands of pounds of
methamphetamine annually.

A number of major trafficking organizations represent the highest echelons
of organized crime in Mexico. The leaders of these organizations are under
indictment in the United States on numerous charges. In order to fully expose

these individuals, it is convenient to refer to them by name rather than by
organization affiliation.


37

and Tesqurces to work with the local authorities to, dismantle the
most violent groups operating as drug traffickers and g: 5.

The teams aggressively target and build cases against these indi-
viduals. And r the MET deployments have been completed,
local authorities generally report decreased crime rates and meas-
urable improvement in quality of life in the communities affected.

During August 1997, for example, there was a 3-week intensive
MET deployment requested by the Atlantic City Police Director.
This deployment ended with the arrest of 29 out of a total of 71
suspects. To date, followup investigations have arrested additional
suspects, for a total of 58 of the 71 suspects arrested.

A MET team was deployed to Paterson in March 1996, and con-
cluded its operation there in February 1997. The MET and
Paterson Police Dey ent targeted several violent Dominican
crack cocaine trafficking groups w! leaders were previous felons
and responsible for most of the retail drug sales in the city.

Overall, the deployment resulted in 37 arrests on Federal
charges with 4 defendants facing homicide charges. Four and a hal
pounds of crack cocaine, an ounce of heroin, and numerous weap-
ons were seized during this particular investigation.

Finally, a MET deployment in Camden, NJ, from January 1995
to February 1996 focused on open air drug markets and resulted
in 196 arrests and the seizure of 637 grams of crack, 74 grams of
heroin, 85 grams of cocaine, and numerous weapons.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee,

current situation in Newark division, throughout New Jersey
and other areas of the United States is serious and must continue
to be addressed vigorously.

Newark Division investigations show that the drug threat is not
confined to border regions or even to major cities like New York.
It is reaching even into small communities, such as Freehold.

Applying a multiagency approach to attack these trafficking
groups will continue to be our strongest asset and principal strat-
egy in dismantling the organized criminal syndicates that control

e drug trade throughout the United States and throughout the
State of New Jersey.

We would like to thank you once again for the opportunity to tes-
tify at this hearing and hope that we have left you with a clear un-
derstanding of the drug trade here in the State of New Jersey. In
particular, with your continued interest and support, we at-
tempt to combat this Growing threat through joint investigations
and efforts that will yi id positive results.

At this point, I will conclude my statements.

Mr. HastTerT. Thank you, Mr. Coleman.

At this time, Mr. Kaye. Here’s a little different point of view as

a Prosecutor.

. Kaye. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Pappas, I also have given an out-
line of testimony, but I'd just like to highlight a few things. The
first one is we are greatly honored that you came here to this com-
munity to listen to us, rather than us trying to take the train to
Washington when an Amtrak strike was threatening for Wednes-

day.
This is the suburbs. You can’t miss that on your way in. Your
earlier comment showed about the houses. They are single-family


57

DEMOGRAPHICS

South Brunswick Township is located in the southern portion of Middlesex
County in the State of New Jersey. The Township encompasses an area of approximately
43 square miles which categorizes it as one of the largest incorporated townships in the
state. Due to the proximity of South Brunswick to both New York City and the City of
Philadelphia, it has become a conduit for the transportation of narcotics. This problem is
exacerbated because two major highways afford direct connection between the previously
mentioned cities: Route 1 and the New Jersey Tumpike. Our location in Central New
Jersey, coupled with easy access to major roadways makes this community a prime region
for all types of development, including commercial, industrial, office, residential and
warehousing.

In 1964, South Brunswick was a rural farming community with a population of
approximately 13,000 residents and a compliment of approximately ten police officers.
Today, South Brunswick is a suburban community with an estimated population of 35,000
residents and a police force comprised of sixty eight officers. In 1960, South Brunswick
was the sixteenth largest of twenty five municipalities in Middlesex County, and by 1990,
it had become the tenth largest. Today it is the second fastest growing community in
Middlesex County.

‘The crime rate in South Brunswick is relatively low, (the latest UCR report lists
this jurisdiction’s crime rate at approximately 6%). However, our community experiences
ail types of problems and this agency has investigated all types of crimes. Juvenile
problems account for approximately 40% of our total workload and it is our prediction

Page 2


New Colombian Groups

While the Mexican groups are beginning to make their presence felt in drug,
trafficking on the U.S. East Coast, Colombian traffickers still dominate the
movement of cocaine from the jungles of Bolivia and Peru to the large cocaine
hydrochloride (HCL) conversion factories in Southern Colombia. Their
fingerprints are on the vast majority of cocaine sold in the United States today. It
is likely that the remnants of the Cali group, still directed by the Orejeulas, as well
some Cali splinter groups, such as the Grajales-Urdinolas, are still using their
established connections with the criminal groups in Mexico to smuggle cocaine to
distribution groups in the United States. The splinter groups, as well as some of

the new Colombian groups, are beginning to return to traditional smuggling routes
through the Caribbean corridor.

The following traffickers are among the most wealthy and powerful
criminals operating in Colombia today:

Jairo Ivan Urdinola Grajales and his brother Julio Fabio Urdinola
Grajales head a major drug trafficking organization associated with the so-called
Northern Valle del Cauca drug mafias. The Urdinolas are related by marriage
to the Henao Montoya family. The CNP arrested Ivan in April 1992, while
Fabio later surrendered to Colombian authorities in March 1994. The
incarceration of the Urdinola Grajales brothers notwithstanding, their
organization reportedly remains active in the drug trade.

The Henao Montoya brothers, Arcangel de Jesus and Jose Orlando, run
trafficking operations out of the Northern Valle del Cauca region. The Henao
Montoyas run the most powerful of the various independent trafficking groups
that comprise the North Valle drug mafia. The major North Valle drug mafia
organizations are poised to become among the most powerful drug trafficking
groups in Colombia. The Henao Montoya organization has been closely linked to

the paramilitary group run by Carlos Castano, a major cocaine trafficker in his
own tight.

Diego Montoya Sanchez heads a North Valle trafficking organization that
transports cocaine base from Peru to Colombia and produces multi-ton quantities

7


144

cause he’s going to be one of our top people in carrying out this
fight. We have a long way to go. I hope we can come back here in
the year 2001 and say that we succeeded with your help. Thank
you very much for being with us today.

Mr. Pappas, I'll let you have the last word.

Mr. Pappas. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for coming here
and thank both your staff and my staff for helping to make this
possible. Dr. M and those back in the room, thank you very
much for hosting it, thank all of the panelists.

I just want to make one more plug. I have sponsored a resolu-
tion. There are copies of it, House Joint Resolution 267. It’s basi-
cally a sense of the Congress resolution just stating the Co. 7
recognition that this is a very important issue, especially for our
young People. T encourage you to get a copy of it and write to any-
one that’s maybe not on this if he’s an original cosponsor to encour-
age them to support it.

{H. Res. 267 follows:]


90

syndicates. Nigerian and Dominican narcotics traffickers have expanded their criminal operations
to include banking and credit card fraud, as well as high technology and telecommunications thett.
The investigative expertise of members of the Organized Crime Unit ensures the prompt and
appropriate enforcement of violations of New Jersey's Criminal Code, especially violations
pertaining to the Racketeering statute. In addition, Unit members provide assistance to other federal,
state, county and local law enforcement authorities who are engaged in similar investigations.
Noteworthy is the assignment of a Unit member to a federal task force currently targeting Nigerian
organized crime and narcotics trafficking.

The New Jersey State Police formulates and implements training initiatives for narcotics
officers statewide to ensure that New Jersey law enforcement remains on the cutting edge of
narcotics enforcement. Narcotics Trafficking Trends is one such training initiative that provides
law enforcement officers with the most up to date information regarding narcotics trafficking in New
Jersey, as well as in other areas of the country which impact upon this State. The Foreign Language
Initiative “Spanish for Law Enforcement” is a training program conducted in cooperation with
the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center. The training provides law enforcement
officers with a basic knowledge and understanding of the Spanish language and cultural mores, with
an emphasis on standard police command and communication skills utilized by patrol and
investigative officers during their daily course of activities.

On October 30, 1996, New Jersey Attorney General Peter Verniero issued an Executive
Directive announcing the allocation of federal grant monies to enhance and expand a Street Gang
Unit within the New Jersey State Police, The responsibility of the Street Gang Unit is to respond
to the emerging gang problem, and to assist local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in
identifying and prosecuting drug-related crimes committed by gang members. The Street Gang Task
Force Program added State Investigators from the Division of Criminal Justice to the State Police
Street Gang Unit, effectively doubling its investigative staff. Furthermore, the program entailed the
creation of a county task force system which combined resources from state, county and local
agencies to form dedicated, coordinated, trained and well-supported investigative entities to respond
to gang-related problems throughout the state. Each county prosecutor identified a lead person
within the county to serve as a liaison with the State Police Street Gang Unit. The Divisions of State
Police and Criminal Justice assist the county task forces in assessing gang activity, developing and
implementing individually suited operational plans which target the most violent gangs for weapons
removal and prosecution, and provide training to law enforcement personnel.



44

‘Substantial assets, in terms of money and manpower,
have been devoted by law enforcement in this County to
this location, but the problems continue. (See Schedule
D, attached).

Asbury Park is within a thirty-minute car drive from any
area in Monmouth County and, also as a coastal
community, has mass transit ~ rail and bus —
accessibility.

Users go to Asbury Park and quickly retum to their own
communities -homes — where the CDS is consumed and
shared behind closed doors.

This requires time and manpower intensive
investigations to develop provable cases.
Investigations almost exclusively depend upon

ing informants to provide a basis for the
obtaining of search warrants.

E. Trends in Use.

AILCDS is present and available in Monmouth County to
include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamine,
ecstasy, ketamine, etc.

a

The most prevalent CDS is cocaine, followed closely by
marijuana.

Users are becoming younger (see Schedule C, attached).

Heroin has taken an uptum in popularity (See Schedule
D, attached).

(1) Purity - 80%-90% pure.


Methamphetamine

Souther New Jersey and the Philadelphia area have a long history of methamphetamine
laboratories and trafficking networks. Traditionally, this highly lucrative trade has been controlled
by organized crime families and outlaw motorcycle gangs. In recent years, the law enforcement
community has cited repeated instances of an alliance between Philadelphia-based LCN families and
outlaw motorcycle clubs, such as the Pagans and Warlocks, to dominate not only the production of
methamphetamine, but the importation of large quantities of precursor chemicals from Europe and
the Far East. Recent multi-jurisdictional investigations spearheaded by the New Jersey State Police
have documented the close association between clandestine methamphetamine production facilities
operated by outlaw motorcycle gang members in the Pocono Mountains region and in the southern
New Jersey counties of Gloucester and Camden, and distribution networks with direct ties to
Philadelphia organized crime figures.

Methamphetamine is predominant in the southem areas of New Jersey, particularly in Ocean,
Atlantic, Burlington Counties. It is available on a more limited basis in the other southern regions
of the state.

Other Drugs

Several New Jersey counties are reporting an increased incidence of LSD abuse, with the
majority of the abuse occurring among the younger generati
schools, causing great concer to both law enforcement offi
Based upon seizures, the majority of LSD being trafficked is blotter-type and in stamp form.

The abuse of anabolic steroids remains a growing concem in New Jersey. In most instances,
the sale and distribution seem to originate in fitness centers, gyms and other athletic facilities. It
should be noted that the abuse of inhalants is becoming quite popular among junior and senior high
school students in the more rural sections of the state.

Ketamine

Ketamine, an anesthetic for human and veterinary use, is a legitimately manufactured product
that is being abused with increasing frequency. On the street, the drug is often called “K” or
“Special K.” It produces effects similar to those produced by picncyclidine (PCP), and the visual
effects of LSD. Drug users say “Special “K” produces a better high than PCP or LSD because its
effects last an hour or less. The drug, however, can affect the senses, judgement, and coordination
for 18 to 24 hours. Ketamine abuse has been reported at teen “rave” parties. Law enforcement
agencies are encountering ketamine abuse when stopping drivers for what appears to be driving
while intoxicated.

Rohypnol

Flunitrazepam - marketed under the trade name Rohypnol - is manufactured worldwide,
particularly in Europe and Latin American, in 1-and 2-milligram tablets. Of particular concer is


62

“hit” and may be purchased for between $3 and $5.

Other narcotics that are found in this county are methamphetamine, PCP, steroids,
ecstasy and Ketamine. Methamphetamine sells for approximately $100 per gram. PCP is
found in some of our urban areas and can purchased for between $200 and $600 per liquid
ounce. Steroids are available in this county and appear to be increasing in popularity
especially among high school aged males. This drug has been seized in injectable form as
well as in oral form. The drug ecstasy has been recently encountered in various towns
throughout the county as well as Ketamine which is referred to as Special K, which is an
animal tranquilizer.

Narcotic enforcement throughout Middlesex County has witnessed all levels of the
distribution chain from street level to importer. It has also become evident over the last
couple of years that some individuals are intent on setting up distribution cells within the
Middlesex County area to eliminate the need for travel to and from New York City and/or
Philadelphia. This has become particularly true in the heroin trade. Recent trends of note
in the area of narcotics enforcement in Middlesex County are:

1, The resurgence in the use and distribution of methamphetamines and their
derivatives throughout the county.

2. A rise in the amount of heroin seized and individuals arrested for heroin related
offenses.

3. Increased intelligence concerning a rise in the use of marijuana, L.S.D., and
ecstasy among younger adults,

4. The age of experimentation has decreased and younger children are trying
narcotics for the first time at an earlier age. Studies conducted by the Governor's Office
in 1995 and 1996 indicate that it is not unusual for Sth or 6th graders to try these
substances.

Although all the trends represent problems for the law enforcement community and

Page 7


86

the drug’s low cost, usually below $5 per tablet, and its growing popularity among young people.
It has physiological effects similar to diazepan (commonly known by its trade name, Valium),
although flunitrazepam is approximately 10 time more potent. Flunitrazepam neither is
manufactured nor sold legally in the United States. It is produced and sold legally by prescription
in Europe and Latin America, The drug usually is smuggled into and transported within the United
States through the mail or delivery services.

THE ROLE OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE

‘The New Jersey State Police is spearheading New Jersey’s war on drugs with strategic and
innovative initiatives which target all levels of narcotics trafficking and organized crime activity in
the Garden State.

Uniformed State Troopers are responsible for patrolling New Jersey’s highways and are
charged with interdicting the flow of narcotics into, through, and throughout the State. Additionally,
in more than 70 municipalities not serviced by municipal police departments, the State Police serve
as the local police agency and exercise primary narcotics enforcement responsibility within those
jurisdictions. In addition, the State Police play a major narcotics enforcement role with respect to
the Forensic Laboratory System. State, county and municipal law enforcement agencies
throughout New Jersey rely on State Police forensic chemists to analyze and identify a wide
spectrum of controlled dangerous substances.

The Statewide Narcotics Task Force was established by the Attorney General in 1986 by
combining resources from the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Division of Criminal
Justice. The Statewide Narcotics Task Force is responsible for the investigation and prosecution
of major narcotics distribution networks and for specialized drug enforcement. The New Jersey
State Police Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau comprises the bulk of the investigative
resources of the Task Force. From the targeting of street-level narcotics distribution networks which
errode the ‘quality of life’ in many cities and towns, to the dismantling of wholesale narcotics
importation and transportation operations controlled by foreign drug lords.

The Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau is comprised of a Bureau Command, which
asserts primary control over all of the Bureau's operational functions and which performs all of the
administrative functions of the Bureau, and four specialized operational units, including the
Narcotics Trafficking Unit, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit, the Special Operations Unit and the
Organized Crime Unit.

The Narcotics Trafficking Unit conducts investigations of individuals and organizations
engaged in the wholesale importation and distribution of narcotics in the northem New Jersey
metropolitan area. The focus of the Narcotics Trafficking Unit’s efforts is the identification,
disruption and dismantling of wholesale importation and transportation networks which supply large
quantities of narcotics to local distribution markets. These investigations target not only the
narcotics traffickers, but those cottage industries which facilitate the laundering of drug proceeds as
well. The Narcotics and Organized Crime Bureau receives supplemental funding for two of these
initiatives in the form of a Byme Memorial Grant and a HIDTA Grant from the Office of National


121

Mary PAT ANGELIN!
‘54 Cold indian Springs Road
‘Ocean, New Jersey 07712

(732) 922-6307
Email: neadd@monmouth.com

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

‘Substance Abuse Resources, inc. (formerly NCADD of Monmouth) 1992 to Present
‘Oakhurst, New Jersey 07755

Executive DIRECTOR

Responsible for the management and direction of major substance abuse prevention agency
Establishes current and long-range objectives, strategic plan and intemal policies
Develop and implement fiscal procedures.

Develop and implement personnel policies

‘Oversee adequacy and soundness of agency financial structure

Negotiate contracts with funding sources

Research grant availability; develop grant programs and proposals

Develop and implement agency marketing and fundraising activities

Develop and monitor agency programs

Manage and supervise professional and consulting staff

Establish and maintain effective system of communications throughout the agency
‘Actively promote the agency and its mission to the public as well as to business,
‘community, govemimental, and educational organizations

eee w eee ene

‘County of Monmouth 1987 to 1992
Board of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services
Freehold, New Jersey 07728

COORDINATOR OF MONMOUTH COUNTY ALLIANCES.

Coordinated all 22 Monmouth County Alliances, including programmatic and fiscal issues
Reviewed and evaluated drug and alcohol program funding proposals

Designed and prepared Request for Proposals and funding applications

Negotiated and developed annual contracts with funded agencies and municipalities

Provided technical assistance to funded agencies regarding program /fiscal issues

Provided community organization assistance to coalitions (Alliances)
Responsible for developing monitoring system for the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Services Plan
Developed and monitored the County Alliance Pian to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Developed and monitored management information system for requests for help

eee e rere

Monmouth Medical Center
Pollak Clinic - Vocational Services 1983 to 1987
Long Branch, New Jersey 07740

COORDINATOR OF VOCATIONAL SERVICES

‘Worked with seriously mentally il cients in developing vocational skills
* Performed and interpreted a variety of vocational tests.
‘¢ Placed clients in community jobs and provided case management services


124

Mr. Hastert. Ms. Winfrey.

Ms. WINFREY. Good morning, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. HasTERT. Do you want to use the mic? We want to hear
what you have to say.

Ms. WINFREY. OK. Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Congress-
man Pappas. Also, thank you for inviting me here.

I don’t represent prevention. I represent the far end of the prob-
lem. And that’s after it’s become a problem in society and has cost
a lot of money. What do we do to help the people, the victims?

m the executive director of the Good News Home for Women.
It’s a long-term Christian rehab facility.

Mr. Hastert. If you could s; a little closer to the mic? People
are holding their hands behind their ears. Thank you.

Ms. WINFREY. I am the executive director of the Good News
Home for Women, which is a long-term Christian residential drug
and alcohol treatment center located in Flemington.

My view of the substance abuse problem, that it is serious in
Hunterdon, is supported by friends living in the community, police
reports, community agencies, and the newspapers. However, my ex-
perience exposure in listening to the panelists on the first phase of
this testimony allowed me to speak from that broader community
to say that it is, in fact, a problem throughout our Nation.

We all know the facts, and I’m not going to bore you and spend
time repeating them again. It is staggering, the statistics that have
been cited by other members, even the elist to my right, and
people who are involved in this problem. However, I have not heard
anyone who directs a population that I think is really lost. And
that is the abuse of Prescription medication by the adult popu-
lation. And their use of it in conjunction with alcohol.

Even as br education and prevention programs are devel-
oped to address the substance abuse problem, little is being done
to address the needs of the adult user/abuser and chronic drug-de-
pendent population.

This was spoken of earlier, and I’m going to reiterate, by the chil-
dren that it does start at home. Unfortunately, the media and par-
ents model behaviors that would support drug use at an early age,
taking and abusing prescription medicine, leading to media per-
sonification that drinking is just the coolest thing to do. That high
has been looked for at an even increasing intensity as children get
older. If you start at 6 or 7 drinking beer, I assure you at 12 it’s
not going to be the thing to do. It’s not going to produce the same
effects.

Many parents still have that “It’s not_my child” attitude. I’ve
talked to nts of children in Somerset County, where I live. And
it’s Oh, it’s not my child. My child is not involved in drugs. They
don’t use . And it’s their kids who are in the office being de-
tained. Also, the adult community still tries to hide their heads and
pretend like it just doesn’t exist.

We also need to look at those who are making the decisions
about the length of time and type of treatment. The old method of
bandaging the problem has put such a drain on the health care
providers that they have reduced or limited access to reimbursable
treatment. This type of thinking penalizes those in need; that is,
the victim. Instead of giving them the assistance they require, they


31

traffickers as a conduit for heroin destined for the lucrative East Coast heroin
market. Unfortunately, this is bringing high quality heroin, offered at a cheap
price, to the streets of America at a time when many in the fashion and
entertainment industries are seeking to glamorize heroin use. Tragically,
teenagers who are ravaged by heroin abuse learn quickly that there is nothing
glamorous about heroin. Many begin the abuse process by administering heroin
through smoking or ingestion, which they find chic and far more palatable, but
they quickly find themselves drawn to injection to satisfy what is frequently called
“the hook”; the onset of addiction that happens so rapidly with heroin.

Heroin of Southeast Asian, Southwest Asian, and South American origin is
readily available in the urban areas of New Jersey. Of the 21 counties, Ocean,
Cape May, Atlantic, Essex, and Union have reported the ready availability of
heroin. Heroin purity levels in the first and second quarters of FY97 averaged
between 60 and 70%. Heroin in the Newark Division, mostly from South
American sources, still ranks well above the national average in purity.
Approximately 38 kilograms of heroin was seized in 39 separate incidents in New
Jersey during the last half of FY97. The majority of these seizures were of heroin
manufactured in Colombia and occurred at the Newark International Airport from
flights originating in Colombia, Panama, and Aruba. South American heroin
continues to remain in the forefront of desirability, due to both price and purity.

Dominican Traffickers Role in the Heroin and Cocaine Trade

Mr. Williams discussed the rise of Dominican groups and their growing role
in drug trafficking along the U.S. East Coast. Heretofore in New Jersey,
Dominicans have primarily been involved in lower level wholesale and retail drug
trafficking. Recently, we have seen Dominican groups increasingly assuming a
more dominate role in wholesale trafficking of both cocaine and heroin, which
they receive from Colombian trafficking groups while maintaining their role in the
manufacture and distribution of crack cocaine, both in New York and New Jersey.

MET Initiatives

DEA has addressed the relationship between drug trafficking and violent
crime through our Mobile Enforcement Team Program (MET). When invited by
local police departments, the MET program sends in a team of investigators,

1S


7

pate in this competition. The theme is, “What I can say yes to in-
stead of drugs.” We've gotten already about 65 posters, I’m told.
The deadline is not until the end of this month. So those of our
friends in the media who are here may want to take one of the fy-
ers that are on just about every seat. I enco e you to include
that as part of a story that you may be writing about this particu-
lar initiative.

A couple of statistics that I just want to mention which I think
are telling about what our young people are facing. By the time the
average teenager reaches the age of 17, 68 percent can buy mari-
juana within 1 day, 62 percent have friends who use marijuana, 58
percent have personally been solicited to buy marijuana, 43 percent
personally know someone with a serious drug problem, 42 percent
say that they can buy marijuana easier than beer or cigarettes.
That means our youngsters can purchase banned, illegal, and dan-

erous substances easier than they can purchase something that is
freely sold in many of our markets and stores throughout central
New Jersey.

As I also hear from these young folks, they expressed frustration
with, at times, parents of friends who may want to ignore this
issue, may want to turn their head, may not want to be, “embar-
rassed” by the recognition that maybe their kids are involved and
may not want to or feel that they can cope with that.

ach of us, whether we’re in government, whether we’re in law
enforcement, education, or people that are just interested in the fu-
ture of our country and our communities, need to play a role. I cer-
tainly hope that this effort and this hearing will encourage those
in central New Jersey who may not have considered that they do
have a responsibility and at the same time to encourage those that
are fighting a good fight.

Congressman Hastert referred to a piece of legislation that we’re
going to be dealing with. Well, he had an awful lot to do with for-
warding this and offering it. I commend him for his leadership in
trying to set a goal which, I believe as well, is an achievable goal,
reducing significantly drug use among teenagers in our country by
the year 2001.

fe need to, as a nation, take that as a challenge and do what-
ever we can and to ask a question of young people, Where do you
see yourself in 5 years, in 10 years, in 15 years? The choices that
you make now as young people and the choices that adults make
and what we choose to do, or not do, can certainly have a great im-
pact upon that.

In concluding, I also want to thank the gentleman, whom I’m
glad is here, from, I believe he’s from Eatontown, Mr. Lindenman.

ir. Lindenman is a constituent of mine who had written to me
early in the year and had suggested that someone like myself and
the Congress take as a goal designating a particular month to stop
using drugs.

Mr. Lindenman, your letter to me helped prompt my interest in
having this hearing. And it helped precipitate the drug and essay
contest that has been undertaken in the district.

So, for those adults, especially the young people, in the audience
to think that your idea that you may have writing to your Member
of Congress doesn’t get to them and doesn’t necessarily prompt a


139

Congressional Testimony by
Randy Stewart
October 20, 1997

These are just some of things that I believe that might help others get sober. One, I believe in
educating the children on alcohol and drug abuse at any early age, not just in junior and senior
highs, but earlier age. And to teach classes on self-esteem because that was one of the problems I
had when I was little. I had a very low self-esteem of myself. Another thing is the educate
teachers, doctors, nurses, clergy - anyone who deals with the public on how to spot signs and to
see when a problem is occurring in a child or in the parents, and to have them seek some type of
counseling. One of the things I liked is the Scared Straight Program, or DARE, at a higher grade
level. I hear DARE only does it at lower grade levels but they continue it. One of the things I
believe that maybe the DWI offenders do community service, in soup kitchens, or homeless
shelters, or wet-brain wards at say like Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, to see where alcohol and
drug addiction can take you. A mandatory 90 AA meetings in 90 days. Mandatory Al-Anon
meetings for the family or friends of these people, and Al-Ateen for the kids. And I believe maybe
to help make them accountable for what the people are doing for them is to have drug and alcohol
testing, and interventions, if necessary.

It’s very weird for me to have to write this down or tape it to present it to you. The reason being
is I usually speak from my heart and I'm sure more things will come up while I am speaking to
you in person. I hope in any other way that I may help you to help others. I thank you for your

time.

Respectfully submitted,

Randy Stewart


147

3

(2) the distribution, sale, and use of illegai
drugs in the Nation’s schools is unacceptable;

(8) all Federal, State, and local drug fighting
agencies should work together with schools and par-
ents to ensure that a renewed effort is made to fight
the distribution, sale, and use of illegal drugs in our
schools and to America’s youth: _-

(4) all governmental leaders and parents share
a role in raising the awareness of this issue and of-
fering constructive alternatives to illegal drug use;
and

(5) Congress and the President should set a
goal to end the distribution, sale, and use of illegal
drugs in the Nation's schools by the year 2000 and,
work with local communities and parents to imple-

ment meaningful policies to achieve this goal.
°


46

(d) _ Ecstasy - a methamphetamine derivative -
and Ketamine - a cat tranquilizer - are being
used by young people ages 13 through mid-
20's, especially at “RAVE” parties held at
teen clubs.

1) The popularity of these two
substances necessitated the adding of
them to the list of controlled
dangerous substances. This was done
first by the FDA and New Jersey
followed the lead and added them
to the State CDS schedules, making
their possession an indictable offense,
where it had been only a disorderly
persons violation for Possession of a
Prescription Legend Drug without a
Prescription.

(e) The mainstay and gateway substances,
however, are constant.

1) Alcohol and tobacco are the dominant
gateway substances of abuse (see
Schedule C, attached).

2) Our approach to these substances
as society determines our
effectiveness in dealing with the drug
problem. (See IID).

Il STEPS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN AND CAN
TAKE TO MAKE THE TASK OF SUBURBAN LAW
ENFORCEMENT MORE EFFECTIVE


6

Mr. HasTeRT. Now I’d like to turn it over to somebody who I
think has made a great impact in Congress over the last year,
somebody who represents this area well and has been very instru-
mental in bringing this hearing to this place so it also can make
its mark on national legislation.

At this time I’d like to introduce Co: ssman Mike Pappas.

Mr. Pappas. Thank you very much. I want to as well you,
Congressman Hastert, for coming to central New Jersey and par-
ticipating in something here and hearing from people that I rep-
resent and people who are on the front lines of the battle against
drugs in our country.

You know, an awful lot of people were involved in making this
take place. Certainly our panelists who are sitting before us and
those that will follow but also a number of people from the Free-
hold Regional school district and from Freehold Borough High
School. I certainly want to acknowledge them: Dr. Carolyn
Mulhare, the principal; John Tague—and I’m probably mis-
pronouncing that—the vice principal; Donna Evangelista super:
visor of the social studies department; Charles Jamison; Don
Todaro; Ann Falva; and certainly everyone else who may have been
a participant in this. We certainl ly appreciate your participation.

en I heard that Congressman Hastert was making himself
available to go just about anywhere in the country to conduct a
hearing such as this, I jum; at the opportunity. And I did so for
a number of reasons.

One is I’m trying to use the small bully pulpit that I have as a
Member of Congress to draw attention to issues that are important
to the people that I represent, not just important to me but impor-
tant to the future of our country.

And as I visit schools, as I do very frequently, while ’'m in New
Jersey or while I'm in Washington and get quite a number of stu-
dents from my district that visit, I have an opportunity not just to
speak to them but to have a dialog with them and ask them what’s
on their minds and ask them what’s important to them. Nine out
of ten when asked the question, What do you think is the most im-
portant issue facing you and your peers? The subject of drugs is
what they say.

So, when the Congressman indicated that he was willing to visit
other districts to conduct hearings such as this, I jumped at the op-
portunity, not just to draw the public’s attention to it but also to

able to have him benefit from hearing from people in central
New Jersey that are dealing with this issue on a day-to-day basis
on the front lines.

And I would like to say that providing local solutions to national
problems is a focus that I am trying to bring to the Congress. I

iow that Congressman Hastert believes in the same thing or he
wouldn’t be doing this and he wouldn’t be here today.

A number of the initiatives that I have been undertaking can be
illustrated by not just this hearing and this group of people that’s
here but also by the posters that you may see on the wall.

This is just a representative sampling of the response to a poster
in an essay contest that I’m sponsoring. I’ve written to all of the
principals in all of the schools in the 67 municipalities in my dis-
trict and have asked them to challenge the young people to partici-


40

more beneficial to not only law enforcement but to the people in
treatment and socially.

One last line to echo Special nt Coleman. Encryption is a
very, very important thing for us. If we lose the battle which you
gentlemen will be voting on soon for encryption, the communication
information between drug dealers and terrorists will be totally out
of our realm, we will have no ability to do anything about it.

you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Kaye follows:]


120

bombarded with talking frogs and smoking camels - to sell a beer - to make a dollar. The children
are the innocent victims of this war - because they are being recruited subliminally. In my opinion,
glamorization of drug usage is hideous and unethical in any medium.

‘We have learned to isolate risk factors that put certain children at a higher risk of using
alcohol and drugs and develop programs that address those factors. We have learned that in order
to make a lasting difference with our children and our communities, we must change knowledge,
attitudes and behaviors surrounding drug and alcohol use.

We have also learned that parents and caregivers play an invaluable role in preventing drug
use among their children - study after study has pointed out that those parents and/or caregivers,
who talk to their children about the dangers of drugs make a lasting impact on their children’s
decision to use or not to use. Parents need to be re-assured that they hold a very important
place in their child’s life and that a simple thing like talking to their children on a regular basis
makes a big difference.

We have also learned that appropriately applied prevention strategies work to reduce illicit
drug and alcohol use -- just as immunizations work to reduce the spread of other diseases,
However, much of the progress we have made against illicit drugs and excessive alcohol use in
the last decade is at risk if we do not continue existing prevention efforts. And in order for
prevention to be more effective, all sectors of a community must work together. New Jersey is
lucky to have a grassroot system called the Alliances, in other states, they are called coalitions.
But the idea is the same - pulling together local stake holders - those that care about their
community - police officers, school teachers and administrators, prevention professionals, parents,
faith communities, legislators, etc. and have them sit at the same table with the same goal in mind
- to reduce substance abuse in their community.

‘We must act today, because the population of 12- to 20-year-olds is projected to increase
by 21% over the next 13 years. There will be over 6 million more youths to be reached and
benefited by prevention policies and programs in 2010 than there are in 1997

‘We as a prevention field, as a community, as a country have learned that progress is most
humane and cost effective when we apply our efforts to preventing problems rather then seeking
solutions to fix them, after the fact. I implore you to continue and expand prevention initiatives at
the federal level.

Earlier I quoted a figure that reflects the impact of alcohol and drug use, I would like to
end with another figure - according to the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention - for every
$1.00 spent on prevention, $11.00 is saved in future societal costs. Investing in prevention is
good business for our selves, our communities and our country if we indeed want to win the war
on drugs.

Thank you.

‘Mary Pat Angelini - Testimony
732-663-1800


19

Orejuela set up an extremely well-disciplined system of
compartmentalization that insulated every facet of his drug business. The
organization's tentacles reached into the cities and towns of the United States,
either through their U.S.-based wholesale distribution infrastructure, or their
surrogates who sold crack cocaine on the streets of locations as varied as Newark,
New Jersey, and Rocky Mount, North Carolina. At the height of his power,
Orejuela was reportedly using as much as one-half of his seven billion dollar
annual income from drug sales to bribe government officials, judges, and police
officers in Colombia. Although Orejuela and his associates freely used their

enormous wealth to bribe, they were just as prone to violence as the thugs from
Medellin.

Just as “traditional” organized crime was addressed over time in the United
States by exposing its leaders and systematically stripping away the pretense that
they were legitimate businessmen, the organized criminal groups from Colombia
have been eviscerated, and are now a fragment of what they once were. The
Colombian National Police (CNP), through tenacity, courage and bravery that has
seldom, if ever, been seen in law enforcement, faced down the most powerful
organized criminal syndicates in history. Through the fearless leadership of
General Rosso Serrano and Colonel Leonardo Gallego of the Colombian National
Police, as well as that of General Harold Bedoya of the Colombian military, cases
were built on the entire upper echelon of the Cali and Medellin drug trafficking
organizations. They methodically tracked each leader down until the entire
infrastructure of both mafia’s was either incarcerated or dead. There is no tribute

too great for the brave men and women of the CNP, who gave their lives in this
effort

The Emergence of New Trafficking Threats in the Western Hemisphere

When the Cali group turned to established smuggling organizations in
Mexico to move cocaine to the United States in the late 80's and early 90's, these
Mexican crime families, already well versed in the smuggling of contraband,
received shipments of cocaine from the Cali syndicate and then smuggled them
across the U.S.- Mexico border, where they were tured over to Colombian
distribution cells. First paid $1,000 to $2,000 per kilo for their services, they

3


14

Joaquin Guzman-Loera began to make a name for himself in his
drug trafficking career as an air and logistics expert for Miguel
Felix-Gallardo. Although he is presently incarcerated in Mexico,
Guzman-Loera’s brother Arturo assumed the leadership role.
The organization remains active in Mexico, along the Southwest
border, in the western and midwestern regions of the United
States, as well as in Central America. The o: ization also has in-
volvements in the smuggling, storage, and distribution of Colom-
bian cocaine, Mexican marijuana, and Mexican and Southeast
Asian heroin.

Td like to talk about the new Colombian groups that are surfac-
ing. While the Mexican groups are beginning to make their pres-
ence felt in drug trafficking on the United States east coast, Colom-
bian traffickers, whether splinters of the Cali organization or new

ups, dominate the movement of cocaine from the jungles of Bo-
ivia and Peru to the large cocaine hydrochloride conversion fac-
tories in southern Colombia.

The following traffickers are among the most wealthy and power-
ful criminals operating in Colombia today.

The Henao Montoya brothers, Arcangel de Jesus, and Jose Or-
lando, run trafficking operations out of the northern Valle del
Cauca region. The Henao Montoyas run the most powerful of the
various independent trafficking groups that comprise the North
ven on mafia. sanche heads a North Valley trafficking i

iego Montoya Sanchez a No ley it organi-
zation that transports cocaine base from Peru to Colombia and pro-
duces multiton quantities of cocaine hydrochloride for export to the
United States and Europe. DEA considers Montoya Sanchez to be
one of the most significant cocaine traffickers in Colombia today.

In March 1996, Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, aka Chupeta, sur-
rendered to Colombian authorities. Chupeta is believed to have
surrendered, in part, due to his fear for his personal safety and to
be eligible for a more lenient prison sentence. In 1996, Chupeta
was sentenced to 24 years in prison but may actually serve as little
as 7¥2 years due to Colombia’s lenient sentencing laws.

Alberto Orlando Gamboa, also known as Caracol, runs the most

wwerful drug trafficking o1 ization on the north coast of Colom-

ia, loiting maritime and air routes to the Dominican Republic,
Haiti, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean islands to smuggle multi-
ton quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the United States.

Most of these new groups as well as the splinter groups from
Cali o! ization have turned to the traditional smuggling routes
in the Caribbean to transport their cocaine and heroin to markets
on the United States populous east coast.

We also now speak to the Dominican trafficking groups. These
new 01 ized criminal groups from Colombia have enlisted the aid
of traffickers and smugglers from the Dominican Republic to de-
liver their products to market. The leaders of these new Colom-
bian groups are adopting a less monolithic approach in their oper-
ations, effectively amputating one to two levels of the Colombian
cell system and forcing the Colombians to relinquish some profits
and control.

The 20- to 30-percent fee charged by Dominican and Puerto
Rican transportation groups gives them a competitive edge over the


3

it’s places like the wrestling rooms and the choir rooms and the
band rooms of high schools like this that we can best stop drug use
in this country, where kids have given positive reinforcement, do
the right things, give positive reinforcement to help other kids. And
so, I think this is very fitting and very important.

Plus, I have an affection for wrestling rooms. I coached the sport
in a local high school for 16 years and took our teams to several
State championships in Illinois, which was certainly one of the
most rewarding things that I’ve ever done. '

Tve also taught economics, -afovernment, and history. And that
would be something that I would not trade in my experience for all
of the other things that I have been able to do. So, I again appre-
ciate the time that the education sector has contributed to this
today and to be with us.

(The prepared statement of Hon. J. Dennis Hastert follows:]


132

MCADA Marcer Council on Alcoholism & Drug Addiction

souar
1o'eoo amare Testimony for Congressional Hearings
Ceara relating to substance abuse

cer October 20, 1997
iat
ows oF rusrees
a

Good morning. I would like to thank this committee for taking the time to gather

weecumur together to discuss the national health problem of alcoholism and drug abus

SESSHE— Perhaps no other issue should command as much time from your schedules as this
one,

Ec

over 1 doubt that anything you hear today will be unique, but rather testimony that could

eaercinewen +B. be heard in other schools, in other towns, and other states.

entrances I can only hope that what you hear here today will make an immediate and lasting
ee impact, not only on you personally, but on how you relate to, and view, substance
same wi ‘abuse throughout your life and political career.

ma Recently, Ihad the opportunity to moderate a round table discussion for the Mercer
oo County's Prosecutor's Office consisting of 11 high school students, representing 9
Pete <ifferent private and public school districts

a
cemen £oes Even though I have been working in the field of addiction for a number of years,
wessseenicnm was sill shocked to hear that 10 of these 11 young people said that fully 90% of all
=e their friends consume alcohol (keep in mind this is also an illegal activity) on a regular
= basis.
emcee
omtaoD
eewinse In New Jersey, 57% of all,7th and 8th graders state they have already used alcohol,
— and the age of first use in the state is 10-11, even younger than the first use of
fetemens —_tnbteco products (1213)

pr

Just as shocking to me was the description of their drinking - it mimics the binge

Peeled drinking. mn we see on our college campus” that resulted in the recent death
a ofa student at MIT, and LSU - both underage, both caught up in the binge drinking
— frenzy of today.

=

Sysisrems Normally, when we speak of binge drinking, we mean 4-5 drinks at a time; however,
~— both the testimony of these young people, as well asthe stories of these two deaths,
SEAS” relate drinking in quantities large enough to stam the body past euphoria, to

fy numbness, respiratory failure and death.

aie

= wwe see ER
ee a ES —" pannel
er a sr
= Se aadnel


110

to be involved. You need to talk to them. And you need to notice
their behaviors. And if those behaviors are changing, you need to
think of maybe why they're changing because they may be using

igs.

In the schools, again I think that that needs to be taken to dif-
ferent responsibilities. Yes, that’s true. We only have one security
guard. But everybody knows if you go to the bathroom, you can
smoke. You can do whatever you want in there. And I think that
there should be more restrictions in the bathrooms, in fact, and in
the places where people are known to do drugs and smoke because
people really take drugs because they want some form of escape or
because they want to fit in with their peers. Basically they need
to know.

They need to talk to more people that are in that situation, in-
stead of having old people or older people educate you about the
effect of drugs, maybe having somebody who is in Alcoholics Anony-
mous or somebody who is in that situation, talk to them about it.
They might actually feel that there are people like them that sup-
port their decision.

Ms. KuL.ar. I believe that since the family is very important, in
fact, it should be stressed that further communication inside the
family about drugs and others such as that, therefore, you can
avoid drug abuse.

Also, people who use drugs they see all the education and see
what could happen to them, there would be no—they think they're
immortal. And if you show them that, Yes, this is going to happen
to you. Otherwise, they would just continue doing it.

Mr. BRONSTEIN. I just wanted to comment if you were in my
class, we’d go to take a field trip to the county jail. And I thi
that having a meeting with the jailer speaking to the students
about what goes on at the prisons, shows what will happen if you
mess with drugs and illegal things like that.

Ms. CLOUDEN. Yes. In my junior high school, they used to take
us to jail. Some children were sentenced to jails far away. The par-
ents have to go through traveling hours and miles to get to see
their children.

And we have had things where the children would come, and
they would be crying when they were at jail because of what was
going on. And the inmates would do a good job of explaining how

it is in jail. It really had a significant effect on the children.

Mr. Pappas. I just want to ask a quick question, one that you
don’t necessarily have to respond to now, and then make a couple
of comments. One is that I had written to all of the principals at
the schools in our district, areas such as yours, and asked for prin-
cipals to nominate some kids to serve on a youth council that we’re
establishing to do some of what we're doing right here, to allow
people like me to hear from you as to how you think we can make
our communities a better place. So that’s something that maybe
your teacher could provide you more information on.

The other is I Reese just a comment. So much of what you have
said are things that Mr. Hastert and I believe are important for
more than just two of us to hear. And you have our word that we’re
going to convey directly to our colleagues, people that represent


69
4, Reduction in the number of duplicative investigations between concerned
agencies through cooperation with those agencies.

5. Recovery of criminally attained assets in cases involving controlled dangerous
substances.

6. Improvement of training in the area of narcotic investigation for municipal

police officers.

7, Incorporation of the Statewide Narcotics Action Plan (SNAP) into the
enforcement philosophy of the Task Force.

The Task Force investigates primarily those individuals involved in the
crimes of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession with intent to
distribute. This is done through cooperation with municipal, county, state and federal law
enforcement agencies at all levels of the distribution chain. The Task Force identifies
sources for the various controlled dangerous substances, infiltrates when possible by
undercover investigations, conducts electronic surveillance’s, identifies trends in
trafficking, gathers intelligence and makes arrests and pursues convictions of offenders.

This approach is unique in that it offers the ability to gain legal advice immediately
because an Assistant Prosecutor is assigned to the Task Force. In addition, there are other
Assistant Prosecutors available should the need arise to review the case and give legal
advice. This type of enforcement option is particularly important in our county because of
the diverse make-up of the local police agencies. In Middlesex County we have police
departments with as few as three police officers and departments with as many as two
hundred police officers. The Task Force allows for a coordinated effort, expertise in this
area of law enforcement and a larger geographical area that is not hindered by local
borders.

Page 14


24

of cocaine HCL for export to the United States and Europe. DEA considers
Montoya Sanchez to be one of the most significant cocaine traffickers in
Colombia today.

In March 1996, Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia (aka “Chupeta”),
surrendered to Colombian authorities. Chupeta is believed to have surrendered,
in part. due to his fear for his personal safety and to be eligible for a more lenient
prison sentence. In December 1996, Chupeta was sentenced to 24 years in prison,
but may actually serve as little as seven and a half years due to Colombia’s lenient
sentencing laws. DEA and CNP reports indicate that Chupeta continues to direct
his drug operations from prison.

Alberto Orlando Gamboa (aka “Caracol”) runs the most powerful drug
trafficking organization on the North Coast of Colombia. Gamboa exploits
maritime and air routes to the Dominican Republic, Haiti. Puerto Rico, and other
Caribbean islands, to smuggle multi-ton quantities of cocaine and marijuana into
the United States.

These new independent traffickers from the Norther Valle del Cauca have
risen to prominence and are responsible for huge volumes of cocaine and heroin
being shipped to the United States. Most of these new groups have turned to the
traditional smuggling routes in the Caribbean to transport their cocaine and heroin
to markets on the United States’ populous East Coast.

Dominican Trafficking Groups

These new organized criminal groups from Colombia have enlisted the aid
of traffickers and smugglers from the Dominican Republic to deliver their product
to market and have placed an entire command and control infrastructure in the
Caribbean, predominantly in Puerto Rico, to manage the movement of cocaine
throughout the Caribbean Corridor. There has been a concerted effort on the part
of these Colombian groups to franchise their smuggling and transportation
operations to Puerto Rican and Dominican groups in order to minimize their
presence on the island. This is an example of the recent decentralization of the
cocaine trade in Colombia. The leaders of these new Colombian groups are
adopting a less monolithic approach in their operations, even demonstrating a
willingness to franchise distribution operations in the United States.

8


143

ably dis: with them. I don’t think we waste our time doing
that. We have to do more of it and try to do a better job of it.

But also one of the things that came, the kids who don’t use
drugs talk about the family-based organizations, the strength of
the family. Very briefly because there’s not much time, how do you
get the message to parents in your opinion?

Ms. ANGELINI. If I might, we have to empower parents to know
that: No. 1, they can make a difference with their children. As I
mentioned in my remarks, study after study has shown that those
children—if you interview kids that don’t use and you ask them
why, one of the reasons will be, Because I don’t want to disappoint
my parents.

Mr. HASTERT. We heard that today.

Ms. ANGELINI. And that’s true. We need to get that message out.
It’s such a simple thing, such as talking to your kids about using
drugs. It’s a simple thing. It doesn’t cost a lot of money.

I mean, certainly there is literature out there that we could get
to the parents if they’re interested but giving them the empower-
ment to know that they can make a difference and that just talking
to their kids does make a difference.

Ms. WInFREY. I'd like to add only one thing to that, and that is
parenting skill classes. Some parents don’t know how to commu-
nicate with their child and they're afraid they’re going to drive
them away if they try talking to them. So parenting skill classes

think

Ms. ANGELINI. If I could just briefly add, I say parents. I mean
parents and care-givers because many children live in homes where
there aren’t parents per se. But those adults that do interact with
children, they can make a difference.

Mr. HasTERT. I want to conclude. I just want to say again we
could carry on this discussion I think easily for another hour. And
we'd all learn something, especially me.

T’ve taken on this task. I’m kind of the point man for di in
the U.S. House of Representatives. I’ve gotten the support of the
Speaker. We've tried to do for the first time, to coordinate budgets,
the money’s there for the things that we need. We also try to co-
ordinate all the law enforcement in the other agencies.

The message is out there. For the first time, we have appro-
priated almost $200 million to get messages out through TV. I
don’t know if that’s a Bood thing or a bad thing or if it’s wasted
or not wasted, but we'll find out. The problem is there’s no way to
measure where success is.

One of the things that this Congress has made a commitment
and I have made a commitment and the Speaker has made a com-
mitment and the leadership in this Congress has made a commit-
ment is to try to reduce drugs across the board from 6 percent to
2 percent by the year 2001 and to put the facilities and the re-
sources into place to make that happen.

Now, that’s a tough commitment for Congress to make, for a
party to make, for an individual to make. And we run the risk of

failing. But we all run a risk of failing. And if we don’t try, we'll
never succeed.

I appreciate the efforts that you people are putting forward. I
hope you can carry on that dialog with Congressman Pappas be-


10

42% say that they can buy marijuana easier than beer and cigarettes — That means that our
youngsters can purchase banned, illegal and dangerous substances easier than they can purchase
something that is freely sold in our local stores and markets.

And the number of teenagers using drugs is not decreasing:

39% percent of teens now say that they know someone who uses acid, cocaine, or heroin — (that
number was 17% in 1995).

In 1995, 86% of teenagers said that they would never use illegal drugs — (last year that number
dropped to 51%).

‘And by the time teens reach 15 to 17 years of age, the percent who Say tht legal drug are.
prevalent in their schools, climbs to 72%!

These statistics are staggering to me,
But there is ight at the end of the tunnel.

On the bright side, more than 80% of teens say that if their classmates agreed, they too would
make a pledge promising not to smoke, drink, or use illegal drugs at school.

‘The question then becomes what can we do — and by we I mean, me, you, parents, elected
officials, law enforcement, school officials and children to work together to change the current
attitudes associated with drugs. We need to make it uncool to do it.

Beyond any other program or initiative — parents play the largest role in deterring teenage drug
use. Government sponsored and supported initiatives needs to be supportive of parents, Parents
need to make drugs a discussion topic in their homes; they need to give their children clear
directives, and strong messages saying they want to expect their children to be drug free.

This problem is not going to be (and should not be solved in Washington) — it is going to be
solved in the homes, schools, churches, synagogues and neighborhoods right here in New Jersey.
This is not a one size fits all problem that Washington can solve — we all need to play a role.

‘The safest teens are those who have parents who take responsibility for drug free schools
Parents more than anyone have the largest influence on the behavior of their children.

Whenever I ask students why they do not use drugs, they reply that the consequences of doing
them is too great. When I further ask what consequence they are speaking of they usually reply
that letting down their parents or their parent’s reaction is the underlying factor. These teens also
speak about their hopes and dreams for a successful future,

By linking it to our children’s future, not only is it socially, legally and morally deplorable to use
drugs, it will destroy our youngster’s future, T have sponsored a poster and essay contest forall
students in the district titled “What can I say yes to instead of drugs”. This contest has created a
great deal of excitement and dialog in the schools as students think about what they will be
submitting to my office they are writing and drawing about hobbies, sports, families and careers.
‘All wonderful dreams that can be snuffed out by drugs.

Page -2-


141

in looking at Federal initiatives is that many times the right hand
doesn’t know what the left hand is doing as far as what’s in the
different departments.

Many times we deal with the Juvenile Justice Commission at the
State level, but it’s Federal funding that comes through them. And
many times—not many times. They are very, very good about
micromanaging the grants. So, if you ask, I'll give you that if I
could change one thing.

Giving the local communities the funds to do the task that we
said we were going to do is one thing. Micromanaging it is another
thing. But I think, as I mentioned before, getting ese different
departments to know what initiatives they are doing because in
many of the departments across Federal Government as well as the
State government, there are many types of substance abuse efforts,
workp! efforts maybe under the Department of Labor, juvenile
justice efforts under the juvenile corrections, criminal justice area.

So, I think getting those folks to talk to each other as far as what
initiatives they are doing out in the community I think would go
a long way to local providers.

Ms. WINFREY. What’s not needed is a short 10-day program,
which is just a glorified detox. What does work is long-term, com-
prehensive programs that are directed at those in need and the un-

lerlying cause of the addiction: disease.

We are not receiving Federal funding to either support or expand
existing facilities. And I think you’ve heard throughout all of the
attendants that there are not enough facilities within this State to
correct the problem.

I agree with Mr. White that prevention and education are the
key, but we still have to address the people who have it.

Mr. Securist. I think on a Federal level what is certainly work-
ing is that we have tremendous, at least I feel we have tremen-
dous, resources in the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and
also its partner agency, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment,
and through them something called the National Clearinghouse on
Alcoholism and Drug Information. It provides probably the most re-
cent, up-to-date information that anyone can have anywhere in the
world. And we have access to it. My fear would be that those pro-
grams would somehow be defunded or lose the ability to provide
that information to those of us who distribute it.

Last year, for example, the last 18 months, my particular agen
distributed over 100,000 pieces of material just out of my little of-
fice in Trenton. And most of that came through NCADI, the na-
tional clearinghouse. That has been a tremendous benefit to the
local community.

If I had a wish list, I would like to be able to set up a program
in a township which would provide a full continuum of prevention,
care, and education, the whole way from kindergarten through
12th grade that would incorporate the local church, would also in-
corporate the local businesses—through employee, assistance pro-
grams—to really do prevention as it should be done in an area
where we have unlimited resources. And let’s really see if it works.
And out of that, let’s learn and let’s do it.

We may have to do that community to community to really im-
pact the problem.


29

Although the Mexican drug trafficking organizations are considered the
greatest law enforcement threat facing the United States today, and pose the
greatest challenge to DEA operations, New Jersey has been, until recently, only
peripherally affected by the Mexican threat. New Jersey has one of the largest
Colombian populations in the United States, and continues to be a stronghold of
Colombian trafficking groups. The Newark Field Division concentrates its
resources on the Colombian organized crime networks and the wholesale
organizations who function as surrogates for the Colombian syndicates. West
Africans, in particular Nigerians, are also of great concern as they bring large

quantities of high quality Southeast Asian heroin to the region for sale to our
burgeoning addict population.

Even though New Jersey remains a Colombian stronghold, we are seeing
the impact of the expansion of Mexican trafficking groups to the East Coast. As
part of Operation Reciprocity, which Mr. Williams mentioned earlier, in June of
1997, approximately 614 kilograms of cocaine was seized in a Jersey City
warehouse. This warehouse was being used by Mexican traffickers as part of their
transportation network running through Chicago to New Jersey, with a final
destination being the drug markets of New York City. In another recent case
conducted with the U.S. Customs Service, in July of this year, more than 945
kilograms of cocaine was seized from a warehouse in Ridgefield Park, New
Jersey, which was rented by a Mexican national who has been linked to several
other significant cocaine seizures, including a 304 kilogram seizure of cocaine in
Barcelona, Spain, in June 1997. In yet another example of the expansion of drug
markets by groups from Mexico. as a part of Operation Pipeline, the Newark
Division in conjunction with the Phelps County, Missouri Sheriff's Department,
the Middlesex County New Jersey Prosecutor’s Office, and the East Brunswick,
New Jersey Police this month seized more than 750 pounds of marijuana from a
Mexican organization based in El Paso Texas, and Juarez, Mexico. The marijuana

was destined for a traditional Organized Crime syndicate in the New Jersey/New
York area.

A recent investigation conducted by the Newark Division in conjunction
with the FBI, U.S. Customs, the Costa Mesa Police, the IRS, the Hudson County,
New Jersey Prosecutor's Office, and the Los Angeles HIDTA, dubbed Operation
MERY-GO-ROUND clearly demonstrated that Colombian based trafficking
groups remain a dominant force in the cocaine trade in this area. MERY-GO-

13


98

Mr. Kaye. I’m ing about users, too, Congressman. I’m not
tal about the Medellin Cartel here. I’m not interested in treat-
ment for those people.

Mr. Hastert. Right. I understand.

Mr. Kaye. I have a different treatment in mind.

Mr. Hastert. I understand. So Zoure trying to move a lot of
your folks into treatment, the people that you're involved with. Of
those people who are the dealers—I mean, treatment of the poor
kids and human beings that they’ve hooked on this stuff, they're
the consumers. What do y you see as the best lever that you have
against these people who are coming into your community an
bringing this stuff over and actually the dealers?

Mr. Kaye. Well, if they're dealers, they're not really interested in
treatment, quite frankly. They’re not interested in treatment at all.
I was talking exclusively about——

Mr. HASTERT. Are tough penalties effective with these people or
not’

Mr. Kaye. Well, they’re pretty tough. Interestingly, Mr. Williams
mentioned that Colombia has a very liberal law in that a major
criminal down there was sentenced to 24 years and he got out in

7.

Tronically, in New Jersey, he would have been out in 5 because
we have had always a one-fifth le. Now Governor Whitman
within the last month signed a bill which mandates 85 percent
time of service, which dovetails with the Federal requirement. So
that’s going to—

Mr. TERT. So, it takes people out of circulation?

Mr. Kaye. That’s exactly right. Now, that creates another prob-
lem insofar as prisons.

Mr. Hast=rt. Right.

Mr. Kaye. We're about to open a new prison in the South. It will
have, I'm told, 600 beds in it prison which are devoted just to
treatment, which, I think, might be one of the largest in the coun-
try. But that means they’re still serving time.

Mr. HASTERT. Sad commentary in my 6 years in the Illinois Leg-
islature is that during that time, we built six prisons and no uni-
versities, which is not a very good commentary on society but nec-
essary in many cases. So, I appreciate that.

Mr, Hastert 1 to pass the quest to C

rr. RT. I’m going to pass the questions over ongress-
man Pappas. But before I do that, T just want to make an an-
nouncement. We're going to do something that’s highly irregular in
these hearings. As long as I’ve been here, we haven’t ever done it
ore.

We're going to take the next el and bring a couple of volun-
teers up from our student body here. We're not going to put them
under oath because they haven’t prepared testimony and haven't
done the checking for the statistics and stuff. But in their best
words, kind of their comment and ask for a few questions so we'll
know. I think that’s a good check and balance of what we're doing

ere.

Mike Pappas.

Mr. Pappas. Thank you. And thank you, gentlemen, for bei:
here. I have a couple of specific questions for some of you individ-


140

Mr. HasTERT. Thank you, Mr. Stewart. That’s pretty tough testi-
mony, pretty tough things we have to do, too.

m Mr. Pappas, I’m going to ask you to do the first round of ques-
ions.

Mr. Pappas. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ladies and gentlemen,
thank you very much. I want to thank you very much for coming
and for your participation today and what you do every day.

Before I was elected to Congress last year, I was over in Somer-
set County and was in charge of our Human Services Program. So
Tm very familiar with the LACADA and the Alliances and stuff. I
had served in Somerset as the first cochair of the Alliances several
years ago. In those roles and just as the liaison, I, for more than
10 years, interacted with community-based organizations that do so
much to provide services for so many clients.

So much of what you do in the programs that you’re involved in
are connected with State government, much more than the Federal
Government. But I’m wondering if each of you could Rrovide any
comments that you might have as to what Federal Government
program or regulation or mandate works and what doesn’t in your
current capacity, any observation that you would have, and also
what—if you had one thing that you could change, you had the
ability to make some change—and it may not—obviously we want
to focus on the Federal Government.

It may not just be focuses on that. I don’t view these hearings
as opportunities just to gather information. If it can be passed on
to another governmental entity, I’d certainly be happy to do that.

Mr. White, I’m wondering if you would begin.

Mr. WuiTE. Addressing your first concern, what works and what
doesn’t work, at the Federal level, I believe that the results of the
kinds of initiatives that the gentlemen from DEA were discussing
are beginning to work.

Early on, it did not appear that they were as aggressive as they
needed to be to begin to close the borders of the United States to
these particular problems. I think they’ve reached epidemic propor-
tions now and that they are addressing it in the manner which will
ultimately prove to be more successful. If you’re going to fight, fight
to win or don’t fight at all.

In terms of what I would do if I had one thing that I could
change, coming back to what Mrs. Angelini said, I think ultimately
our solution here has to do with prevention. I would start preven-
tion efforts in the home, in the schools, everywhere you could at
as early an age as possible because, we as adults, have failed the
society that we are raising our children in.

We give them bad examples. We tell them not to do things that
we continue to do. And we don’t give them viable solutions to prob-
lems that they’re going to be confronted with. Yet, we expect them
to be successful.

So, I think if we’re going to do anything that’s going to be mean-
ingful in our society, at least make education and prevention top
flight and give our kids a chance to grow up in a community that’s
going to be drug free ultimately some day with our help and their

elp.

Ms. ANGELINI. As far as efforts of the Federal Government, my
agency actually does receive one Federal grant. What I have found


NARCOTIC

Cocaine (Powder)

Cocaine (Crack)

Marijuana

91

WEIGHT - SIZE - PACKAGE

Bag/Druggist fold (.10 gram)
Gram

Ounce

Pound

Kilogram

Ziplock or Glassine Bag (.10 gram)
Ziplock or Glassine Bag (.20 gram)
Gram

Ounce

Pound

Kilogram

Blunts

I Marijuana Cigarette (1 gram)
Laced with P2P

1" X 1" Plastic Bag

Ounce

Pound

Kilogram

Sinsemilla (High grade seedless marijuana)

Hashish

Ounce
Pound

Gram

Ounce

Pound

Hash Oil (gram)
Hash Oil (ounce)

(COMMON DRUG VALUES IN NEW JERSEY - 1997

AMOUNT

$ 20.00
$ 90.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 13,000.00
$ 23,000.00

Ss 10.00
$20.00
$ 100.00
$ 1,000.00
$ 12,000.00
$ 22,000.00

$ 400.00
$ 2,500.00

$ 25.00
$ 400.00
$ 2,000.00
$ 50.00
$ 900.00


n

Before I conclude I want to ask you to think for just a mimute sbout what this country would look
like, if on the first a day of the new century, we were truly drug free. Let’s us set a goal that by
the year 2001, we will have a 50% drop in drug use.

We need to ask just one question to our state’s and nation’s youth:
“Where do you see yourself?” — tomorrow, next week, in ten years? Truly think about how their
actions will color the answer to that question.

truly believe that with the commitment of our nation’s parents, the dedication of our teachers,
the work of law enforcement and the flexibility of government to allow for programs to work —
that this war will be won.

If-we all work together, parents, public officials, and kids — we can ensure that the lives of our
children are safer, more productive, and free of the drugs that cripple the mind and destroy the
soul,

Again, thank you Mr. Chairman for your work in highlighting this very important issue and I look
forward to hearing from the very knowledgeable people of the 12* district here today.


97

We meet regularly. In fact, I was at a meeting just a week ago
Friday of commanders, along with Captain Butt. We exchange at
those meetings updates on what’s happening in each county
throughout New Jersey.

I bring some of the Federal perspectives in, such as the
encryption materials that we discussed earlier, et cetera. And Cap-
tain Butt brings in the statewide perspective from the entire State
of New Jersey.

These are frequent opportunities to associate, to develop cases, to
provide assistance, develop intelligence, and to profit from that
interchange.

Mr. HasTERT. Chief Paquette, from your perspective on a daily
basis, is that intelligence being shared from your perspective?

Mr. PAQUETTE. Yes.

Mr. HASTERT. Are you getting the information you need?

Mr. PaQuETTE. I think it’s gotten better over time, particularly
when we look at the varying levels of where the intelligence comes
from. We have a great cooperative effort, not only with DEA but
with the FBI, the State police.

I think at some point or some times where law enforcement could
do better is particularly at the local level, when we talk about
interagency cooperation at times.

One of the points I made in my recommendations was a recogni-
tion at the local level that this investigation may be beyond our ca-
pabilities. I think at times we see a following through without get-
ting needed help going on too long. And it really hinders things in
the long run.

Mr. Hastert. Captain Butt, you’re kind of in the middle here be-
tween the Federal and the local. What’s your opinion?

Mr. Butt. I agree completely with the statements that have been
made. And Id also like to add that to share intelligence has to be
more than just a voice on the phone.

One thing that we do in New Jersey that’s unique is we almost
demand a collocation of our personnel so that on an intimate, per-
sonal basis people can get to know one another and share their in-
telligence more readily.

It’s commonplace that information that you generate you want to
try and keep close to the vest. But that information is useless un-
less it’s utilized properly. And the best utilization is between the
local, county, State, and Federal agencies working together.

We have several examples in New Jersey of collocated task forces
where all personnel from all of the varying agencies report to the
same building together and start their day together. And that’s
where the success is being generated.

Mr. HasTERT. Mr. Kaye, you talk about treatment as being most
effective and that only people are getting the treatment after you
have the process and give them the option of doing that or probably
something else that’s less desirable.

I think treatment’s important, too. We’ve had some problems
with treatment. It’s very expensive. There’s a lot of recidivism. And
the sad part is after the fact. It’s after somebody’s been hooked on

igs.


102

Again, as Greg says, right now we have little more than anec-
dotal stories on some individuals that there is a therapeutic pur-
pose or use for drugs such as marijuana.

The public policy on this, I believe, should be driven by empirical
evidence, not anecdotal evidence. And I think this research will go
a long way toward resolving the question.

The bottom line on legislation in general is the issue, which I be-
lieve is ay to, even by proponents of legalization, that if drugs
were legalized, we would have more users. That’s simply a logical
logistic response, not debatable.

Mr. HASTERT. My experience in Switzerland is that since their le-
galization, they have—for instance, in Needle Park, Zurich, they
give away 15,000 needles a day. Streets and highways and side-
walks are literally littered with used needles. And that’s a sharp,
sharp increase from whatever they had before.

Mr. COLEMAN. Yes. It almost destroyed the tourist industry in
Switzerland, and it became a magnet for drug addicts from all
around Europe to flock to those parks.

So their current legalization of heroin is to be dispensed by gov-
ernment offices in an attempt to keep the parks clean. But, again,
that’s the bottom line, that legalization would lead to more users.

More users would lead to more consequences from use. And I
think those are involved, not just the nexus between crime and
drugs but the nexus with poverty, unemployment, and the degrada-
tion of our social environment.

Mr. KAYE. My bottom line on the legalization argument is that
the 3 actually do work. We ignore the pharmacology, which is
much of the experience they've had in Zurich.

I was robbed for the very first time in my life about a month ago
in Amsterdam, where they have hashish and marijuana legal. The
thief who robbed my wallet was the desk clerk at the hotel I was
staying in after I placed it in his safekeeping to put in the safe be-
cause the sign in the room said, “Drug addicts are about. You
should put your money in the safe.” The thief was an addict, hash-
ish addict. And he needed whatever he could find in my wallet,
which wasn’t much, to help his habit.

It’s a serious problem. The stuff works.

Mr. Pappas. Chief.

Mr. PaQquETTE. I think anything I could say would more or less
mirror what my colleagues have said. I think when we talk about

and narcotics use, it’s been a battle. And it will continue to
be a battle. And it’s a battle that needs our total commitment.

To do anything other than that really means that we, as a soci-
ety, capitulate that we don’t feel that we can be successful in trying
to diminish this. And I don’t think that this country should ever
be in a position of legalizing anything that the negatives vastly out-
weigh anything positive that you could mention.

And there is no evidence to indicate that there are any positives
associated with it.

Mr. Pappas. OK.

Mr. Butt. I’d like to make a comment about marijuana. Very few
people start out as full-blown heroin or cocaine addicts. They start
out experimenting with a lesser degree drug. Marijuana is one of


118

In my opinion, glamorization of drug usage is hideous and unethi-
cal in any medium.

We have learned to isolate risk factors that put certain children
at a higher risk of using alcohol and drugs and develop programs
that address those factors. We have learned that in order to make
a lasting difference with our children and our communities, we
must first change knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding
drug and alcohol use.

We have also learned that parents and care-givers play an in-
valuable role in preventing drug use among their children. Study
after study has pointed out that those parents and/or care-givers,
who talk to their children about the dangers of drugs make a last-
ing impact on their children’s decision to use or not to use. Parents
need to be reassured that they hold a very important place in their
child’s life and that a simple thing like talking to their children on
a regular basis does make a difference.

We have also learned that appropriately applied prevention
strategies work to reduce illicit drug and alcohol use, just as immu-
nizations work to reduce the spread of other diseases. However,
much of the progress we have made against illicit drugs and exces-
sive alcohol use in the last decade is at risk if we do not continue
existing prevention efforts. And in order for prevention to become
more effective, all sectors of a community must work together.

New Jersey is lucky enough to have a grass root system called
the Alliances. In other States, they are called coalitions. But the
idea is the same: pulling together local stakeholders, those that
care about their community, police officers, school teachers and ad-
ministrators, prevention professionals, parents, faith communities,
legislators, et cetera, and have them sit at the same table with the
same goal in mind: to reduce substance abuse in their community.

We must act today, because the population of 12- to 20-year-olds
is projected to increase by 21 percent over the next 13 years. There

ill be 6 million more youths to be reached and benefited by pre-
vention policies and programs in 2010 than there are in 1997.

We as a prevention field, as a community, as a country have
learned that progress is most humane and cost-effective when we
apply our efforts to preventing problems, rather than seeking solu-
tions to fix them after the fact.

I implore you to continue prevention efforts at a Federal level.
Government can serve as a catalyst and a partner in establishing
healthy communities. It can direct resources to support positive de-
velopment. Perhaps its ultimate role is to help a community of peo-
ple define the common good of the shared responsibilities for the
well-being of their youngest generation.

Earlier I quoted a figure that reflects the impact of alcohol and
drug use. I would like to end with another figure. According to the
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, for every $1 spent on pre-
vention, $11 is saved in future societal costs. Investing in preven-
tion is good business for ourselves, our communities, and our coun-
try if we indeed want to win the war on drugs.

Thank you.
{The prepared statement of Ms. Angelini follows:]


65

is unfortunate that a high percentage of citizens still view the police with some suspicion
and question our motives. As a result, some citizens do not view themselves as partners
in our struggle to improve everyone’s quality of life. Although not a new concept in
‘American Law Enforcement, it is one that is gaining ground and becoming the preferred
method to deliver police services to our citizens. The days are long gone when law
enforcement agencies can claim they are solely responsible for the quality of life in a given
jurisdiction. For many reasons, the police can not operate in a vacuum and need the
support and assistance of our residents. The philosophy of community policing allows us
to work together in a true partnership, develop mutually agreeable strategies for
identifiable problems and adopt a recognition that the community are the police and the
police are the community. Community policing is not a panacea, nor will it result in every
problem being solved. However, in South Brunswick, we have seen quite a change in
how citizens view the police department and how the police department views itself, As a
result, it is not uncommon for residents to take an active role in identifying problem areas
or individuals relating to narcotics. A feeling of trust has developed not only with our
residents but with our Board of Education, Municipal Government and other municipal
agencies.

The second prevention strategy available to local law enforcement is the
DARE, (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. This is conducted in conjunction
with the local school district and is incorporated into the school curriculum at the fifth or
sixth grade level. This program deals with many issues such as peer pressure, the ability to

‘say no, evaluating consequences, assertiveness, understanding the effects of narcotics and

Page 10


a

enforcement officials in this county believe that a critical element to assist in the
eradication of narcotics is source reduction. Without a continuing emphasis on this tactic,
more narcotics will enter this country and the problem becomes a vicious cycle between
users, dealers and police without much chance of curtailing the products availability.

The biggest area of federal involvement has been in the development and
implementation of block grants for local law enforcement. These grants have allowed
municipalities to apply directly to the federal government in the form of COPS FAST,
COPS MORE and the COPS UNIVERSAL grants. Without these grants supplied
directly to local police agencies, most would not be in a position to hire officers or
civilians to help combat the drug problem. In South Brunswick, we have been able to
utilize all of these grants and as a result are now an active participant in the Middlesex
‘County Narcotics Task Force. Additionally, because of the hiring we have civilianized
some positions and have been able to put more officers in assignments where their law
enforcement expertise can be utilized doing police work

NDATI

In conducting the necessary research to prepare this testimony, it became evident,
that law enforcement is doing the best job they can in dealing with narcotics in this
country. However, it is not fair to assume that law enforcement should be viewed as the
only component of the Criminal Justice System that can make a difference. Barriers must
be removed, trust must be earned, long term commitment must be our hue and cry, all

levels of government must be involved, citizens must become active participants and the

Page 16


16

strike major blows against these foreign drug syndicates who con-
trol the drug trade in our country. However, we will only be able
to do so if we maintain the technological ability to target their com-
mand and control communications and continue to have access to
these communications, even if they are ineffective.

These international traffickers have acted with impunity for
many years and believe that they are beyond the reach of law en-
forcement. The brazen attacks on American law enforcement along
our Southwest border and in our cities and towns must not be tol-
erated and must continue to be met with coordinated investigative
strategies that will ultimately lead to the demise of the inter-
national organized crime and its destructive influence on our
st ets.

Applying a multiagency approach to attack these organized traf-
ding groups will continue to be our strongest asset in disman-

e organized criminal syndicates that control the drug trade

1 the United States. We must continue working with foreign coun-
terparts to target the criminal leaders as well as their surrogat ates
who bring violence to our communities as they poison our chil

My col ear ie, Special nt John Coleman from the New York
Division, will now discuss local trends and the steps DEA is taking
to address the drug frafficking situation i in New Jersey.

(The prepared statement of Mr. Williams follows:]


99

ually but a few that I’d like comments from as many of you as
would care to respond.

The first for Mr. Williams since you have the bigger picture of
this on a nationwide basis, do we as a Federal Government have
a similar strategy or different strategies for dealing with this in
urban settings in comparison to settings such as this?

And the second part of that question, either directly related to
that or maybe even a more general question: What do you think
the Congress can do to enable you to have the tools that you need
to do to try to combat this?

Mr. WILLIAMS. The first of that, I think when you look at the
strategy for an urban setting like this, it’s up to our special agent
in charge, John Coleman, to work with the State and locals in his
community, establish what they believe is the local impact, what
does this community need for us to service the drug problem?
Through working jointly in these task forces, we do address those
problems.

In situations where they have violence and need more assistance,
as Mr. Coleman mentioned, we have the mobile enforcement teams
that will come in and work on a one-to-one basis with the local de-
partments, make assessments with those departments to really go
out and surgically try to remove a violent group or organization
from that community.

What can the Federal Government do, the second part of the

juestion, is looking to the communities, assist DEA in increasing

e manpower to establish more task forces, the intelligence shar-
ing, something that we’re working on, and making sure that we
can identify the local groups or drug traffickers that are working
with the major drug distributors from foreign countries.

You heard about command and control. I mean, that’s the thing.
If we can actually go from the street dealer and follow it back
through some of the techniques that use, back to the source coun-
tries, we can actually just take out the whole group of organiza-
tions. And that’s really the most important thing that we could do.

Mr. Pappas. Thank you.

Mr. Coleman, you're probably pretty familiar with our State and
the diversity that we have here. There are a number of points of
entry that we have with the best transportation network and a
rather extensive shoreline.

As areas such as this part of the State have changed demo-
graphically quite a bit in the last 10 or 20 years and certain areas
have grown, people moving in from other parts of the country,
other parts of the world, and the business infrastructure is changed
as well but has seen the employment options change pretty dra-
matically, could you just kind of summarize your perspective as to
the changes that we have seen in New Jersey, central New Jersey?

Have there been changes with regard to drug usage? And com-
pare that with any changes in pertinent areas.

Mr. COLEMAN. Yes, sir. As you noted, the growth in New Jersey
and the density of the population in the State as well as the fact
that we are ranked as having the largest amount of immigrants,
I believe, in the United States or if not up on top, we're close to
it, these conditions produce what the people in criminological the-


21

Amado Carrillo-Fuentes, until his death on July 4, 1997 in Mexico City
from medical complications following plastic surgery to hide his true identity,
was considered the most powerful trafficker in Mexico. Carrillo-Fuentes allegedly
had ties to the former Commissioner of the INCD in Mexico, Gutierrez-Rebollo
and was supplied by the Rodriguez-Orejuela syndicate in Colombia. The Carillo-
Fuentes organization, based in Juarez, is involved in the trafficking of cocaine,
heroin and marijuana, and operates in Guadalajara, Hermosillo, and Torreon,
where drugs are stored in staging areas in and around El Paso, for eventual
shipment into the United States. Carrillo-Fuentes’ organization generates billions
of dollars a year in illegal profits and was reportedly forwarding $20-30 million
dollars to Colombia for each major cocaine smuggling operation. At the time of
Carillo-Fuentes’s death, his organization had become so powerful that he was
seeking expansion into the traditional Colombian strongholds on the East Coast of
the United States. From his base in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso,
his organizational infrastructure developed roots deep into the state of Texas as
well as many other Midwestern and Wester states.

Amado Carrillo-Fuer.tes was a pioneer in the use of “727" aircraft to
transport cocaine from Colombia to Mexico. He became known as “Lord of the
Skies” and reportedly owned a fleet of aircraft and had major real estate holdings.
Carrillo-Fuentes was the subject of more than 25 separate Mexican and U.S.
investigations and had been indicted twice in Miami and once in Dallas, Texas, on
charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.

At the present time, there appears to be no heir apparent within the
organization to replace Amado, but his death has created chaos in his organization
as former underlings battle for control. In a recent spate of violence, more than 18
people have been slain in Juarez since July, with most of the killings directly or
indirectly tied to the drug trade.

The Areilano-Felix Brothers, headed by Benjamin Arellano-Felix, are the
leaders of a trafficking organization which operates in Tijuana, Baja California,
and parts of the States of Sinaloa, Sonora, Jalisco, and most recently, Tamaulipas.
Benjamin coordinates the activities of the organization through his brothers;
Ramon, Javier and Francisco. Ramon is now one of the FBI’s “Ten Most
Wanted.” They are arguably the most violent of the Mexican trafficking
organizations and were involved in the murder of Cardinal Posadas-Ocampo at the

5


50

‘There are four elements for a “four corners offense” to achieve

this goal.

a.

‘Law enforcement needs to maintain its efforts and
priorities, as indicated above.

(1) Law enforcement does work, it provides deterrents
encourages treatment, protects the public by
removing offenders from society and provides
punishment to the individual offender.

Education efforts must be supported in our schools -
kindergarten through college.

Treatment must be available to end the cycle of
dependency by addressing the reason for individual
abuse in the first place.

Public awareness must be kept at the forefront. This
drum must be beat as continuously as the person in
Cleveland beats the drum for that ball team.

The children of this nation are our most precious resource. We
can not allow them to turn to substance abuse.

a.

Contact with our children and schools shows clearly that
the gateway drugs of abuse are alcohol and tobacco (see
Schedule C).

The ages of first exposure are getting younger and
younger as New Jersey’s Middle School Survey on
‘Substance Use disclosed.

The federal government has recently dealt effectively
with the tobacco industry and the message of the danger
of tobacco use must be continued.

The same approach now needs to be directed at the

10


95

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
FIVE YEAR RECAPITULATION OF POSSESSION/USE-
SALE/MANUFACTURE DRUG ARRESTS

1992 through 1996

| 1992 [1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996

Sale/Manufacture Arrests
‘Opium or Cocaine and their Derivatives v4262 [| 13075 | 13506 | 13206 | 13972
Marjuana and Hastish 2075 2484 | 2857 3718 3339
Syrthetc Narcotics (Demerol, Methadones) 165 183 181 20 7
Other Dangerous Non-Narcobc Drugs 191 Es 295 33 Ed
TOTAL SALE/MAMUFACTURE ARRESTS 16,693 | 16023 | 16930 | 17,438 | 17.491

Possession/Use Arrests
Opium or Cocaine and their Derivatives 13366 | 17845 | 19.706 | 20001 | 20,805
Marijuana and Hashish 1354 [ 12639 | 16057 | 20112 | 21.108
Synthetic Narcotics (Demerol, Methadones) 318 304 338 384 423
Other Dangerous Non-Narcotic Drugs 769 929 994 TAB 1,249
TOTAL POSSESSION/USE ARRESTS 29,807 | 31,717 | 37,095 | 41,615 | 43,585

Combined Drug Arrests

Opium or Cocaine and their Derivatives 32,628 30,920 33,212 33,207 34777
‘Marijuana and Hashish 12,429 15,123, 18,914 23,830 24,447
‘Synthetic Narcotics (Demerol, Methadones) 483 87 585 600
960 1,210 1,431 1,592
see | ao T meer | ae



the course of this investigation,

A MET a deployment in Camden, New Jersey, from January 1995 to
February 1996 focused on open-air drug markets, and resulted in 196 arrests and
the seizure of 637 grams of crack, 74 grams of heroin, 85 grams of cocaine, and
numerous weapons. According to Camden police statistics, there was a resulting
decrease in the number of violent criminal acts in the Camden community.

Conclusion

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: the current situation in
the Newark Division and other areas of the United States is serious and must
continue to be addressed vigorously. Drug traffickers from Mexico and Colombia,
and, increasingly, other ethnic groups, pose a major threat to the United States.
Newark Division investigations show that the drug threat is not confined to border
regions, or even to major cities like New York, but it is reaching even into
communities such as Freehold.

Applying a multi-agency approach to attack these trafficking groups will
continue to be our strongest asset in dismantling the organized criminal syndicates
that control the drug trade in the U.S. We must continue working other federal
Jaw enforcement agencies, and with our state and local counterparts, just as we are
working with foreign counterparts to target the upper echelon criminal leaders,
and their surrogates who bring violence to our communities as they sell poison to
our children.

We would like to thank you again for the opportunity to testify at this
hearing, and hope that we have left you with a clearer understanding of the drug
trade in the United States and how it is impacted by the organized criminals in
Mexico and Colombia who control the vast majority of the trafficking networks
that extend their tentacles throughout the U.S. In particular, we hope we have left
you with an understanding of the drug situation in the New Jersey.

I want to emphasize that drug trafficking lies along a seamless continuum--
from the source countries of Bolivia and Peru to the streets of Freehold. To be
successful against these international organizations, we have to apply all of our
resources to attack these groups. With your continued interest and support we will

17


133

‘Testimony for Congressional Hearings
relating to substance abuse

October 20, 1997

Page 2

‘Aasingly ny students said theyll attended partis where diking occured nd they all ad
‘been passengers in cars driven by other young people who were drinking and impaired. Are they
scared? Yes. But they do it all the same - tragedy waiting to happen

With regard to substances other than alcohol - from 40-60% of their friends use drugs of one sort
‘or another - most often marijuana. These discussions mirrored the results of the New Jersey
Middle School Survey, in that there isa lessening of fear associated with the use of alcohol and
marijuana - they are seen as co-equals, not dangerous substances to be feared and avoided.

By their own admission, these students reported we weren't doing enough, or starting early
‘enough, in preventing this tremendous problem of alcohol and drug use.

‘New Jersey clearly has a major health problem on its hands. Addiction costs New Jersey $10.4
billion dollars annually, and the State estimated a population of 674,630 in need of alcohol and
drug treatment in 1993. State-wide, 43% of New Jerseyans drink daily, 3-4 days per week, or 1-2
days per week; 65% of the current prison population are there due to alcohol or other drug use,
that precipitated their crime, and 46% ofall parolees have a drug offense as their base crime.

Just imagine, at a cost to benefit ratio of 11 dollars retuned to society by every dollar spent on
prevention, what spending only a tenth of the cost of addiction ($10.4 billion) could mean, just for
New Jersey, not to mention the rest of the country.

Finally, I urge you to do more. We are only beginning to see the benefits of prevention programs,
itis anew field, a new science, and in need of an increase of, and continued funding

1 Make health care companies responsible for health - since prevention saves care dollars,
legislation mandating health care companies to route even one-half of one percent of profits
into local/national prevention programs would result in substantial cost reduction in health
care, Also this initiative should help fulfill their supposed mission of using preventive
‘measures to help cut health care cost - why not use this rationale inthe area of alcoholism and
substance abuse?

2. Mandate that all companies who do business with the government have employee assistance

programs in place - a proven prevention and early intervention tool, and a cost saver to the
work force, at a nominal cost.

Mercer Council on Alcoholism & Drug Addiction


Ww

Statement of
Gregory K. Wiliams,
Chief of Domestic Operations
and
John Coleman,
Special Agent in Charge,
Newark Divisional Office
Drug Enforcement Administration
before the Subcommittee on National Security,
International Affairs, and Criminal Justice
October 20, 1997

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Subcommittee: I appreciate the opportunity
to appear before you today to address the issue of drug trafficking in the Western
Hemisphere and specifically New Jersey’s efforts in the War on Drugs. As the
DEA Chief of Domestic Operations, my comments today will entail an objective
assessment of the threat that we face in the United States from the organized
criminal drug syndicates from Mexico and Colombia who control the drug trade in
the Western Hemisphere and the effect they have on our day-to-day lives in the
United States. I will provide an overview of these criminal trafficking
organizations which control the manufacture, smuggling and distribution of much
of the cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in the Western Hemisphere. [ am.
accompanied by Mr. John Coleman, the Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s
Newark Field Division, who will discuss the impact these organized criminal
groups have had on this region and the steps DEA is taking to address the drug
trafficking situation in New Jersey.

Although Colombian traffickers still control and facilitate significant
portions of the cocaine trade in the Western Hemisphere, the sophisticated,
organized criminal groups from Mexico have eclipsed the drug trafficking
criminals from Cali and Medellin, Colombia, as the greatest law enforcement
threat facing the United States today. The leaders of these Mexican groups--the
Amezcua’s, Miguel Caro-Quintero, the Arrellano-Felix brothers, and until this
summer, Amado Carrillo-Fuentes simply the 1990s versions of the traditional
organized crime leaders that U.S. law enforcement has fought to dismantle since


61

form $20 to $120 for cocaine. The purchase of “crack” ranges from $40 to $100 per
gram. Heroin continues to increase in popularity rivaling cocaine as the drug of choice
throughout Middlesex County. Seizures of this narcotic are taking place in urban as well
as suburban municipalities in this area. The most significant factor affecting the use of this
narcotic is it’s purity. Not too many years ago, the purity level of heroin in this area was
about 5% to 10%. Today the purity continues to rise with the average being 55% to 60%
pure with a high near 97%. Part of this is attributable to the method of ingestion. Many
users no longer inject the heroin, rather they snort it. In order to achieve the “high” they
expect, the drug was made more pure. The increase in it’s purity has not resulted in a
Price increase and this has certainly had an impact on it’s growing popularity. In the last
five years, this growth in popularity, has resulted in a 33% increase in confiscature and a
25% increase in arrests. A deck of heroin can be purchased for between $10 and $20.

Marijuana continues to be available throughout the entire Middlesex County area
with usage and distribution on the rise. One gram is sold for between $10 and $20. This
particular narcotic is also grown throughout the county, one does not have to go to the
urban areas to purchase it. We have discovered people growing it in their homes as well
as in fields where the growers believe they and their product are safe because most people
will not recognize it.

L.S.D. is available in various Middlesex County jurisdictions tending to be
particularly prominent in the high school and college communities. Most L.S.D. in this
county is on perforated blotter type paper usually printed with some sort of design,
(cartoon characters, geometric designs, etc.). A single dose of L.S.D. is referred to as a

Page 6


130

Mr. HaSTERT. Mr. Sechrist.

Mr. SECHRIST. Good morning. I would like to thank this commit-
tee for taking the time to gather together to discuss the national
health problem of alcoholism and abuse. Perhaps no other
issue could command as much time or should command as much
time from your schedules as this one.

I doubt that anything that you hear today will be unique but,
rather, testimony that could be heard in other schools, in other
towns, and the other States. I can only hope that what you hear
today will make an immediate and lasting impact, not only on you
personally, but on how you relate to and view substance abuse
throughout your life and political career.

Recently, I had the opportunity to moderate a roundtable discus-
sion for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office consisting of 11 high
school students, representing 9 different private and public school
districts. Even though I have been working in the field of addiction
for a number of years, I was still shocked to hear that 10 of 11 of
these young people said that fully 90 percent of all their friends
consume alcohol. Keep in mind this is also an illegal activity. And
they consume it on a regular basis.

In New Jersey, 57 percent of all 7th and 8th Fraders state that
they have already used alcohol, and the age of first use of alcohol
in the State is 10 to 11, even younger than the first use of tobacco
products, which is 12 to 13.

Just as shocking to me was the description of their drinking. It
mimics the binge drinking phenomenon we have seen in our college
campuses that resulted in the recent death of a student at MIT and
us both under age, both caught up in the binge drinking frenzy
of today.

Normally, when we speak of binge drinking, we mean four to five
drinks at a time. However, both the testimony of these young
ple, as well as the stories related to these two recent deaths relate
drinking in quantities e enough to slam the body past euphoria,
to numbness, respiratory failure, and death.

Amazingly, my students said that they all attended parties
where drinking occurred, they all had been passengers in cars driv-
en by other young people who were drinking and impaired. Were
they scared? Yes. But they do it all the same: A tragedy waiting
to happen.

With regard to substances other than alcohol, from 60 to 70 per-
cent of their friends use drugs of one sort or another, most o!
marijuana. These discussions again mirrored the results of the
New Jersey middle school survey in that there is a lessening of fear
associated with the use of alcohol and marijuana. They are seen as
co-equals, not dangerous substances to be feared and avoided. By
their own admissions, these students reported we aren’t doing
enough or starting early enough in preventing this tremendous
problem of alcohol and drug abuse.

New Jersey clearly has a major health problem on its hands. Ad-
diction costs New Jersey $10.4 billion annually, and the State esti-
mated a population of 674,630 in need of alcohol and drug treat-
ment in 1993.

Statewide, 43 percent of all New Jerseyans drink daily 3 to 4
days per week or 1 to 2 days per week. And, as you heard earlier,


114

You also spoke earlier of the fact that treatment was very expen-
sive. Well, here in Monmouth County, there’s a rehabilitation cen-
ter that we use on a regular basis that charges $122 a day for
treatment. The hospital-based stays for the same kind of treatment
would probably be three to five times more expensive.

So we see treatment at the nonprofit, freestanding facilities as
being very cost-effective and in the long term most effective in
terms of facilities where useful and long-lasting rehabilitation can
take place.

States tend not to support these kinds of efforts across the Na-
tion and federally. It costs the States money that was to be shifted
to other areas or dwindle, whatever the reason. I’m not saying that
those reasons are unjustified, but the bottom line is the kinds of
clients that we see on a regular basis number-wise tend to in-
crease. And the dollars are decreasing. Our dollars are most impor-
tant because a facility can’t operate and be there to help people if
it doesn’t have the funds to do what it needs to do.

So I'll end my remarks because my colleagues I’m sure they have
other things they wish to address to you. But, again, thank you
very much for the opportunity to come. And I hope to be able to
answer any questions you have.

[The prepared statement of Mr. White follows:]


116

FACT: The number of programs providing addictions
services is decreasing, making it virtually impossible
to ever “catch up’.

FACT: More and more persons are coming to clinics
for help with multiple addictions and mental health
issues.

Several key issues are present here that must be resolved before this
“Battle” can show significant progress. First, we all must agree that addiction is a
disease, like any other abnormal medical condition. There is a wealth of data
supporting this, yet to date there is no national consensus. Addiction still is
thought of as “That person's problem, let them deal with it”. As a result, funding
for addictions treatment is not equal to that for mental health problems, and
reimbursement for these services in non-hospital settings is not enough to
‘support quality programs. Insurance companies and plans that do provide some
level of coverage for these services do so only on a limited basis, usually ending
payments long before effective, lasting intervention has taken place.

If we are going to cail our efforts against addiction a “Battle”, let us fight it
from a realistic perspective. We need to agree that we are fighting a war. We
need to allocate our resources so that there is a chance to win. Right now we
treat roughly 10% of the addicts and people who need help. Ninety percent of
the people who could benefit from some form of treatment never make it through
the front door, because they are told there is a waiting list of three months .

We need to treat more people then we jail. You know the cost of incarceration,
did you know that for every dollar you spend on treatment, there is a seven dollar
saving to society ? People will be in treatment a shorter length of time, and will
seek help in neighborhood clinics instead of hospital emergency rooms. We
need to license treatment facilities and professionals, and stop thinking that just
anyone with good intentions can do the work that these men and women do
everyday. We also need to realize that treatment alone is not the answer,
neither is arrest or imprisonment or prevention/ education. We must emphasize
all these things in greater proportions, and with more long range planning if we
are to ever make our streets and communities truly drug free.


= Congress of the Anited States SS
Fr House of Representatives hl
Seacoe ‘COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT pote a
‘Bersoorn sme R157 Ravauew House Ornice Buia a

——__-" ‘Waseuuaon, OC 20515-6149 fooae aoe
OPENING STATEMENT OF
CHAIRMAN J. DENNIS HASTERT

Field Hearing of the Subcommittee on

“Central New Jersey's Battle Against Drugs in Our Communities”

Freehold, New Jersey
October 20, 1997

Good moming everyone, and thank you for coming. {'d like to thank my
‘Congressman Pappas for allowing us to come to Freehold to discuss
the status of drug use in your district. Congressman Pappas has worked hard on
the Committee to bring the problem of drug use to the forefront of this Congress.

Today, we will examine the dire threat of drugs to our communities. When
people think of drugs and young people, they generally think of urban areas
being victimized by crack dealers and gangs. The upper-middle ciass area of
Freehold i usualy not thought of as a place where rug abuse is a probiom fr
teenagers. Unfortunately, times have changed. It is a sad fact, but today's

teenager in America is not out of the reach of cocaine, heroin, LSD, marijuana,
tnd methamphetamine. Nor any community immune fom the violence, street
gangs, or trafficking associated with illegal narcotics. No longer are these areas
insulated from the problems that we used to think were confined to big cities
such as New York and Detroit.


93

Psilocybin (Mushrooms) Gram
Ounce
Pound

Peyote Button
Ounce
Pound

Methaqualone (Quaaludes) Tablet

Methadone 1 Ounce Bottle (50 - 70 mi)
Ketamine “Bump” - bag or fold
Gram
Rohypnol Pill
Ecstasy PilV/Capsule
Other Narcotic Drugs: Morphine, Dolophine, Demerol,
Dilaudid, Codeine (per dose)

Other Dangerous or Prescription Legend Drugs:

wan

naw

we

Barbiturates, Depressants, Tranquilizers,

(Seconal, Tuinal, Doriden, Darvon, etc.
per tablet)

METRIC EQUIVALENTS

1 Gram = 0.135

1 Ounce - 28.350

1 Pound = 453,59237
1 Kilogram = 2.2046

Ounces
Grams
Grams
Pounds

20.00
120.00
1,100.00

2.00
60.00
500.00

4.00

40.00

25.00
10.00

15.00

30.00

5.00

3.00


38

homes with lawns. They show a lot of private ownership. But the
drug problem is very little different here than it is in any other
place in the country.

The population in this county is roughly 700,000 people, just
about the same as in Middlesex County. This is one of the largest
prosecuting jurisdictions in the United States. The only things that
we don’t have in common with the cities are violent gangs and
drive-by shootings. Other than that, everything else is pretty much
the same, even the demographics of the population the same.

I was president of the National District Attorneys Association
last year. I’m now the chairman of the board. I travel all around
the country, and I see these different DAs’ offices, prosecuting of-
fices. There’s something very unique about New Jersey.

We have a law enforcement structure unlike any other State. It’s
very pyramid-shaped. Essentially the attorney general of the State
sits at the top. Then in each county, the county prosecutor sits at
the top. And we work ourselves down, so that we are very, very
unified when we approach a problem.

Everyone on this table here is a law enforcement person. Some-
thing has happened in the last 5 or 6 years in regard to what we
do. And that is we’ve changed our emphasis. Even though we have
all these programs and these law enforcement initiatives that re-
sult in arrest, the fact is that most of us have changed our empha-
sis toward prevention and prevention takes two parts.

The first part is you don’t start. The second part is if you start
and you’re already there, then you get some kind of treatment.
There are lots of different ways you can approach this. My belief
in the don’t start business is you deal with kids and you educate
them or inform them or through some manner of information, you
provide them with enough information so that they can make the
decision not to start.

Schools are doing a great job. I don’t think there’s any question
that kids get more antidrug mes: s in school than they get any-
where else in the community. As Congressman Pappas has sort of
alluded to, they don’t get very good information ut that from
their parents. The household surveys on drug use show that, in
fact, parents give them the least amount of antidrug information.

I believe personally that we need more juvenile officers than po-
lice departments. Juvenile officers fill a very, very special function
in a police de ent.

For example, in my county, I have 48 police departments, the
largest of which is perhaps 100 officers. Of those 100 officers, there
may be no more than 2 or 3 juveniles. Yet, half the population of
the community are juveniles.

Community policing is very, very important. It’s helped a lot of
places. The community police are not the same as juvenile officers,
who know every kid in town, know their habits, can actually act
like surrogate parents.

The next part on treatment is that treatment often doesn’t work.
It’s hard. You’ve got to keep going back and going back and going
back. I see that Guy Polican from the prison is in the audience
here, We're starting to open up some treatment opportunities in
our jails.


125

set them up; that is, the user, for failure. This is not the way to
control the cost of substance abuse or to provide effective treatment

ara .

Viable resolutions to the substance abuse problem can include:
education/prevention programs, which we discussed to some degree,
which must include the adult community and targeted to those who
have not yet experimented with mood-altering drugs.

The second thing that I would suggest is interventions for those
who are users but not addicted and not yet in crisis. This should
also not be limited just to young people.

Finally, more aggressive long-term treatment programs for those
who are in the late stages of addiction and chronic relapses need
to be funded, developed, and expanded.

At the Good News Home for Women, our long-term program is
a holistic, nonsectarian, comprehensive program with an emphasis
on Providing healing for the mind, spirit/soul, and the body. The
program includes bible study, addiction classes, Christian 12 steps,
NA and AA support group meetings, group and individual counsel-
ing, work therapy programs, and continual education opportunities.

e have a success rate for those women—and it is for women
only. Our measure of success is based on the number of persons
who have completed our program over the 10 years that we have
been in operation and to date still are clean. This ratio is 70 per-
cent. What I’m saying is there are 7 out of 10 women who have
completed the program who are able to return to their environment
and their family and become productive members of their society
that they were before the addiction problem became a problem. But
we only have 12 beds. And I have a waiting list.

Mr. Hastert. How long?

Ms. WINFREY. It’s about seven people. And, actually, I don’t take
them any longer than that because we refer them off to other agen-
cies if we can find them.

Our community at large needs to acknowledge that there are few
programs that meet the needs of women and none that meet the
needs of women veterans. By the way, I spent 3 years working for
the VA Hospital with women veterans and men veterans who are
addicted. There are no facilities for women veterans who are seek-
ing long-term rehabilitative processes.

jubstance abuse is so pervasive it is hard to ignore all the nega-
tive effects on family and community. If I had time, I could give
you stories of how the lives of communities, families, and the abus-
ers themselves are destroyed. This parasite drains our Nation of
both human and financial resources. We need to take our heads out
of the sand and put our resources into stopping this insidious epi-
demic once and for all.

This committee’s decision to have this meeting was great. And I
think it’s the beginning of going back to the drawing board and im-
plementing creative ways to remove drugs from our community.

It is good to have education/prevention programs, interventions,
and aggressive long-term treatment programs. But I want to and
don’t you want to live in a country where there are no drugs drain-
ing our limited resources? Yes. It would put me and other people
like ourselves out of business. But that’s not so bad if it returns


100

ory say is strain or frustration among certain groups because
they’re not moving ahead in the economic stream quickly enough.
And, consequently, criminal patterns of behavior, includi.
trafficking because it is an economic-based crime, will develop in
those kinds of areas. And so, we have seen a shift from urban to
suburban trafficking in drugs over the past number of years, 5, 10

years.

Also, the urban centers throughout New Jersey, places like
Paterson, Newark, Camden, and Atlantic City, right here in Mon-
mouth County, Asbury Park, have become minor hubs, in some
cases major hubs to fill the demand in the rest of the State for

Rural areas are not without their own problems. Again, at the
commanders’ meeting a week ago Friday, the commander in charge
of the task force in Sussex County, which is up in the northern
area of the State, mostly a rural area, reported that in a tiny town
called Newton, with a 5,000 population, there were four crack deal-
ers arrested recently. This is alarming; also reports of Ketamine
and heroin being available in the local high school.

When you begin to see these types of data emerge from the com-
manders and the other experts around the State, it tells you that
the developments over the last 10 years or so moving from, again,
the urban to the suburban areas of our State have been significant.

Frankly, as my fellow panel members have alluded, the response,
the strategy for this is greater cooperation and greater cooperative
ventures by all the different departments and jurisdictions.

Mr. Pappas. Thank you.

Mr. Prosecutor, you’ve been involved in association with your
peers, not just nationally but internationally. And I'm informed
that you’re the U.S. representative of an organization internation-
ally. I’m not sure what the name of that is. Could you tell_—

ir. KAYE. International Association of Prosecutors.

Mr. Pappas. OK. Could you tell us if you have, in that capacity,
had any discussions with your peers from other countries and what
gaps, if any, there are in the law that we have an effect on here
in the United States that could address this international problem?

Mr. Kaye. The two biggest problems that the other prosecutors
talked about—by the way, the ones that are on this association rep-
resent countries. So, I will be with the prosector for Germany or
the prosecutor for France, et cetera.

ere are two big problems. The first one is money laundering,
which no one can seem to get a handle on. Yet, the local business
people like it. The law enforcement People are very anxious to do
something about it, but the banks and other places are complacent.

The second part is extradition. There is a major division between
extradition and the entire world. America and Canada take one po-
sition. Other countries take another.

This is something that will have to be resolved by treaty. There
has been a great deal of talk about the creation of an international
criminal court, but that has run into a lot of political problems. It
may happen, but if it does, it’s unlikely that it will be involved with
international drug smuggling, which presents a problem.

As Mr. Coleman said, the product starts in Colombia. Then it
goes to Mexico. Then it goes to—


41

som xave OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR
FREEHOLD, NEW SERGEY 0772-1281 ee mr
TELEFAX) at0979 TEL .cupey
cmvortemncanina
Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Committee on Government Reform and Oversight
J. Dennis Hastert

Chairman of the Subcommitte on National Security,
International Affairs and Criminal Justice
2157 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-6143
Date: Monday, October 20, 1997
Outline by: JOHN KAYE, PROSECUTOR MONMOUTH COUNTY
Hearing entitled:

Report From the Frontline

I. NATURE OF THE PROBLEM.
A. No community or area is exempt.
B. We are a drug-oriented society.

1. Media bombardment, indicating that there is a pill or a drug to
take for any ailment or discomfort.

1

bp ws prosecute
email prosecutor pone

navas