CY 2005 

ANNUAL REPORT

APPALACHIA HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREA 

400 South Main Street, 3rd Floor 

London, Kentucky 40741 

(606) 877-2100 

Executive Board Chair William Benson 

Executive Board Vice-Chair Gregory Van Tatenhove 

Director Frank Rapier 

This document was specially prepared for the ONDCP High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program. 
APPALACHIA HIDTA 

2005 ANNUAL REPORT 

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

Established in 1998, the Appalachia HIDTA consists of 68 counties spread across 

Southeastern Kentucky, Eastern Tennessee, and Southwestern West Virginia. These counties 

comprise the predominant marijuana production and trafficking areas of this tri-state area. 

Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that the measurable reduction in the production and 

trafficking of marijuana is a primary focus of the Appalachia HIDTA. There are additional 

reasons why reducing the availability of marijuana should be important not only to Appalachia 

HIDTA, but to the nation. Consider the following: 

• Marijuana remains the most popular drug among many 14 to 16-year olds.1 

• Marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug in 2004, with a rate of 6.1% (14.6 

million users).2 

• The potency of marijuana grown in the Appalachia HIDTA in CY2004 averaged 15.4% 

with a high of 18.7%.3 The potency of B.C. Bud, a type of marijuana cultivated in British 

Columbia, Canada, ranges from 15% to 20% or higher.4 

• More teens are in treatment each year for marijuana dependence than for alcohol and all 

other illegal drugs combined.5 

• Marijuana smoke also contains 50 to 70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco 

smoke and produces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into 

malignant cells.6 

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has noted, “Epidemiology data 

from . . . traffic arrests and fatalities indicate that after alcohol, marijuana is the most 

frequently detected psychoactive substance among driving populations.”7 

• A study of motorists pulled over for reckless driving showed that, among those who were 

not impaired by alcohol, 45% tested positive for marijuana.8 

The Appalachia HIDTA is extremely successful in reducing the availability of marijuana. 

In CY2005, the Appalachia HIDTA eradication initiatives destroyed over $1.052 billion in 

marijuana plants, seized over $23 million in processed marijuana and affected 318 marijuana 

eradication arrests. 

“Powerful painkillers like OxyContin, widely known as “hillbilly heroin,” have emerged 

as a major crime problem in the United States... Abuse of OxyContin, ..., first emerged as a 

problem in the Eastern United States, particularly in the Appalachian mountains ... but is now 

spreading.” - Alan Elsner, “Powerful Pain Medicine: A Growing U.S. Crime Problem,” Reuters, 

March 10, 2005. 

2
“Areas most currently affected by OxyContin abuse are Eastern Kentucky, ... - Police 

Commanders Survey Report, National Association of Chiefs of Police, January 2005. 

Although marijuana is its primary focus, the Appalachia HIDTA responds to the threats 

posed by the illicit traffic of other drugs in the region. As in the case of marijuana, Appalachia 

HIDTA initiatives were very effective in combating other drug threats. In CY2005, Appalachia 

HIDTA task force initiatives removed over 20,000 Oxycontin/Hydrocodone dosage units, valued 

at over $372,000, from Appalachia HIDTA communities. 

The National Association of Counties Survey of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in 500 

counties in 45 states revealed that methamphetamine was viewed as the number one illegal drug 

problem by LEA’s in 58% of the counties. Additionally, LEA’s in 70% of the counties said 

methamphetamine was responsible for increases in robberies and burglaries in their areas.9 

“Moonshiners went from moonshine to marijuana, from marijuana to meth.” – Ricky 

Smith, Southeast Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force.10 

“Law enforcement officials said the number of “mom-and-pop” labs has grown tenfold 

in rural parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia, in 

the past five years.”11 

In 2005, Appalachia HIDTA initiatives targeted and dismantled 263 clandestine 

methamphetamine labs, primarily of the 2 ounce or less production capacity variety. At a local 

selling price of $1,300 per ounce, the Appalachia HIDTA prevented the production of almost $1 

million worth of raw methamphetamine. 

“We need to protect our citizens from the drug trafficking organizations who market their 

poison to our loved ones, our co-workers, and our communities. The HIDTA program is 

dismantling these organizations, and will continue to do so in an effective manner.” – Rep. Stony 

Hoyer (D-MD), June 23, 2005, Press Release on HIDTA PMP Annual Report. 

HIDTAs exist to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations (DTOs). During 2005, 

Appalachia HIDTA initiatives targeted 228 of 231 identified DTOs. By the end of year, 134 or 

59% of these targeted DTOs were disrupted and/or dismantled. 

“For far too long, drug dealers have controlled the destiny of families in Eastern 

Kentucky.” – Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), at Ribbon Cutting of new DEA Resident Office, London, 

KY, August 12, 2006.12 

Ultimately, all drug trafficking is a local issue. The Appalachia HIDTA is committed to 

impacting local drug trafficking. During 2005, Appalachia HIDTA initiatives targeted 129 local 

DTOs. By the end of the year, 78 or 60% of these targeted DTOs were disrupted and/or 

dismantled. 

Illicit drug trafficking generates inordinate amounts of profits and assets for drug trafficking 

organizations (DTOs). Without profits, DTOs cannot survive. During CY 2005, the Appalachia 

HIDTA effectively removed and prevented DTOs from acquiring an astonishing $1.088 billion 

in illicit drug profits. In terms of taxpayer money spent, the seizure of over $1.088 billion in 

illicit drug profits yielded a remarkable rate of return (ROI) of $214 for every $1.00 of taxpayer 

3
provided Appalachia HIDTA funding. Taxpayer funds are being well spent and are providing 

tangible results. 

Officer safety is job number one for all law enforcement entities and the Appalachia 

HIDTA is no different. Deconfliction of events and case/subjects is a primary factor in the 

officer safety equation. In 2005, the Appalachia HIDTA Investigative Support Center (ISC) 

conducted 4,139 deconflictions. The Appalachia HIDTA is a leader in assisting law enforcement, 

prosecution and investigative support initiatives through its information sharing and training 

needs. Information sharing and training support promotes and facilitates greater efficiency and 

effectiveness. 

II. INTRODUCTION 

HIDTA is a program within the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The 

mission of the HIDTA program is to reduce drug availability by creating intelligence-led drug 

task forces aimed at eliminating or reducing domestic drug trafficking and its harmful 

consequences. The HIDTA program enhances and helps to coordinate drug trafficking control 

efforts among Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies. 

The Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), designates regions with 

critical drug trafficking problems that adversely impact the United States as High Intensity Drug 

Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs). By design, HIDTA program offices are located in these areas. 

Currently, there are 28 individual HIDTA regions spread throughout the United States and 

Puerto Rico. In April 1998, the ONDCP designated areas within Kentucky, Tennessee, and West 

Virginia as the Appalachia HIDTA. 

For accountability and review purposes, the ONDCP requires each HIDTA to submit four 

separate stand-alone documents – Threat Assessment, Strategy, Initiative Budgets and 

Descriptions, and an Annual Report. This document, the Appalachia HIDTA 2005 Annual 

Report, serves to document and discuss the Appalachia HIDTA’s enforcement activities and 

successes in achieving the HIDTA Program’s Goals during the last calendar year. 

National HIDTA 

Program Mission Statement 

The mission of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program is to 

disrupt the market for illegal drugs in the United States by assisting Federal, State, and 

Local law enforcement entities participating in the HIDTA program to dismantle and 

disrupt drug trafficking organizations, with particular emphasis on drug trafficking 

regions that have harmful effects on other parts of the United States. 

The purpose of the HIDTA program is to help Federal, State, and Local law enforcement 

agencies work together to fight drug trafficking in HIDTA designated areas. HIDTA funding 

supports this joint effort among law enforcement agencies. Specifically, a local HIDTA provides 

a coordination umbrella for Federal, State, and Local drug law enforcement efforts; fosters a 

strategy-driven, systemic approach to integrate and synchronize efforts; and focuses on outcomes 

and impact. The Appalachia HIDTA provides the necessary support to investigative task forces 

and initiatives operating in its designated area. In all, the Appalachia HIDTA has fostered 

4
cooperative and effective working relationships among six U.S. Attorney’s Offices, eight Federal 

agencies, 16 State agencies, and 70 Local agencies to achieve the common goals of disrupting 

and dismantling drug trafficking organizations, and reducing the demand for drugs. These 

working relationships are embodied in the Appalachia HIDTA initiatives. An initiative is a set of 

planned activities and resources; a task force is a group of people working together to 

accomplish a set of specific (measurable) goals. Specifically, the Appalachia HIDTA consists of 

15 law enforcement initiatives, three prosecution initiatives, three drug demand reduction 

initiatives, two marijuana eradication initiatives, a training initiative, a management initiative, 

and an intelligence initiative. 

Law enforcement initiatives in each of the three states of the Appalachia HIDTA conduct 

joint operations within their areas to identify and eliminate drug trafficking organizations 

(DTOs) and arrest individuals participating in marijuana cultivation/trafficking as well as 

trafficking in other illicit drugs and firearms. There is a determined effort to counter drug 

movement into and through the region, and to arrest those who conceal the proceeds from illegal 

drug sales. These priorities are supported by a strong commitment from Federal and State 

prosecutors to provide timely and sound legal advice. 

Appalachia HIDTA 

Vision Statement 

“There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he 

doesn’t mind who gets the credit.” 

-- Ronald Reagan 

The drug threats in Appalachia require a multifaceted response that targets drug 

production, trafficking and distribution. The Appalachia HIDTA is uniquely suited to provide the 

multifaceted approach necessary. Central to its mission is the expansion of cooperative, multijurisdictional law enforcement efforts involving HIDTA funded and non-HIDTA funded 

resources. By balancing efforts to attack drug trafficking at every layer, and coordinating nonenforcement efforts in targeted communities, the Appalachia HIDTA will continue to facilitate 

the necessary cooperation among Federal, State and Local agencies into collaborative initiatives 

that target drug cultivation, distribution and demand. 

The success of any HIDTA is measured in part by its ability to facilitate greater 

efficiency, effectiveness and cooperation among participating agencies at the Federal, State and 

Local level. Collocation of different law enforcement agencies to facilitate and enhance resource 

sharing is vital to this endeavor. The extent of information sharing and inter-agency cooperation 

fostered by the Appalachia HIDTA proves that separate law enforcement initiatives are not only 

working together but are doing so in an effective and efficient manner. 

5
Appalachia HIDTA 

Mission Statement 

The mission of the Appalachia HIDTA is to measurably reduce, particularly as it relates to 

marijuana, the production and trafficking of illegal drugs in its immediate area, reduce drugrelated violent crime in the region, and reduce the impact that drug production and trafficking 

have on other areas of the United States. Although marijuana is its primary focus, the Appalachia 

HIDTA responds to the threat posed by the illicit traffic of other drugs as required. Central to 

this mission is the expansion of cooperative, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement efforts 

involving HIDTA funded and non-HIDTA funded resources. 

Reporting Period: This Annual Report covers the reporting period January 1, 2005 to December 

31, 2005. 

Budget Allocation: During this reporting period, ONDCP allocated a $6,022,000 budget for 

Appalachia HIDTA operations. The Appalachia HIDTA strives to minimize expenditures that do 

not directly address progress towards primary objectives. Accordingly, the Appalachia HIDTA 

allocates 83% of its allocation directly to its initiatives and their operational support costs. The 

Appalachia HIDTA is pleased to report significant success and progress toward achieving its 

mission, and the future bodes well for its continued success. The expenditure of taxpayer’s 

dollars is justified because it is yielding precisely the desired effects. 

Geographic Area of Responsibility: 

• Kentucky – Adair, Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, 

Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lee Leslie, McCreary, Magoffin, Marion, Monroe, Owsley, Perry, 

Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Taylor, Warren, Wayne, and Whitley counties. 

• Tennessee – Bledsoe, Campbell, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Cumberland, Fentress, 

Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jackson, Jefferson, 

Knox, Macon, Marion, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Rhea, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, 

Unicoi, Van Buren, and White counties. 

• West Virginia – Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Gilmer, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, 

Mason, McDowell, Mingo, and Wayne counties. 

6
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The Appalachia HIDTA region is comprised of 68 counties within the states of Kentucky, 

Tennessee, and West Virginia, and is centrally located within convenient distance of a number of 

large metropolitan areas. These counties represent the predominant domestic marijuana 

production and trafficking areas in those three states. The area’s climate, topography, and its 

isolated rural and low-lying mountainous regions, make it ideal for marijuana cultivation. 

Marijuana producers cultivate their crop on large parcels of public and/or private land common 

to the area. This tri-state area’s rural geography plays a significant role in domestic and national 

drug trafficking. Many roads in the region are often in need of repair and have little traffic, as 

well as, few law enforcement patrols. Traffickers use these isolated and sparsely traveled roads 

to transport marijuana across county and state lines undetected. The steady escalation of 

marijuana use, production and trafficking in the Appalachia region has transformed previously 

informal partnerships among the three states into a formal, combined, annual effort to suppress 

marijuana-related activities and overcome the increasing instances of violence, cultural 

acceptance and corruption associated with the marijuana industry. 

III. NATIONAL HIDTA GOALS 

The HIDTA program’s goals, listed below, guide the initiatives and activities of the 

Appalachia HIDTA and all HIDTAs throughout the United States. In following sections, the 

Appalachia HIDTA will present concise summaries of its Threat Assessment for Budget Year 

2005 and the resultant Strategy for Budget Year 2005. The Appalachia HIDTA’s strategy is 

designed to meet its local drug threats according to its individual needs, in conjunction with the 

national objectives: 

NATIONAL HIDTA GOALS 

Goal 1: Disrupt the market for illegal drugs by dismantling or 

disrupting drug trafficking and/or money laundering 

organizations; and 

Goal 2: Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of HIDTA 

initiatives. 

7
The National HIDTA Goals represent definitive targets for Appalachia HIDTA 

initiatives. They also provide the foundation upon which performance planning and outcome 

measurements are based. In developing submissions, each Appalachia HIDTA initiative must 

base its program and fiscal justifications on the Threat Assessment; must articulate how the 

initiative’s funding request will directly address the threat; must set realistic performance 

measures; and must eventually provide specific information on how the funding facilitated the 

Appalachia HIDTA in meeting its desired outcomes. Appalachia HIDTA initiatives are 

developed in accordance with clear national guidelines governing all HIDTA activities and 

expenditures. 

The Appalachia HIDTA Executive Board oversees all aspects of the Appalachia HIDTA. 

It approves the Threat Assessment, establishes policies within the framework of national HIDTA 

program guidance and provides strategic direction in the establishment of the resultant Strategy 

and its outcomes. It reviews and approves for submission all initiative proposals and their 

budgets. Finally, it reviews the performance of the individual initiatives and the Appalachia 

HIDTA as a whole in implementing the HIDTA program concept and the Appalachia HIDTA 

Strategy. Each initiative has its own mission and plan to implement the Appalachia HIDTA 

Strategy. Each state has investigative, prosecution, and drug demand reduction initiatives and 

two states (KY & WV) have formalized eradication programs. 

IV. SUMMARY OF THREAT ASSESSMENT FOR BUDGET YEAR 2005 

Recognizing how important it is to maximize operational effectiveness, and to ensure that 

our citizens get the greatest return for their tax dollars, each year the Appalachia HIDTA 

establishes a sound strategic plan and realistic resource requests based upon a comprehensive 

Threat Assessment. For details on the threats identified, please refer to The Appalachia HIDTA 

Threat Assessment for Budget Year 200513. The following summary is presented for your 

convenience. 

The Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) region continues to be 

a major source of domestically produced marijuana and a destination for foreign produced 

marijuana. Additionally, the AHIDTA region is faced with increasingly serious threats from 

methamphetamine production and abuse, trafficking and abuse of prescription drugs, and cocaine 

trafficking. 

The states of Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, comprising approximately four 

percent of the total U.S. population, produced 34.5 percent of the domestic marijuana supply in 

2003 (measured in total eradicated plants), while marijuana usage within these three states is 

generally below the national average. This indicates that the majority of marijuana cultivated in 

the Appalachia HIDTA is destined for markets in other areas of the country, and that Appalachia 

HIDTA marijuana continues to represent a major drug threat to the United States. The sixtyeight Appalachia HIDTA designated counties, with a mere 0.87 percent of the national 

population, accounted for 25.2 percent of the national total of eradicated marijuana in CY 2003. 

The Appalachia HIDTA designated area—just sixty-eight of the total 270 counties across the 

three states—significantly impacts the total marijuana plants produced at the national level. 

The combination of rich soil, favorable climatic conditions, and the regional cultural 

perception of marijuana cultivation being a legitimate occupation make the Appalachia HIDTA 

8
ideal for marijuana production. The Appalachia HIDTA has a vast amount of public land where 

marijuana is cultivated without fear of losing property to asset forfeiture. Marijuana is also 

grown on private lands, which often have absentee ownership, or owners who are afraid to report 

cultivators for fear of reprisal. 

Marijuana is the leading cash crop in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia when 

comparing eradicated marijuana to legitimate agriculture crops. The domestic marijuana 

distribution network established in Appalachia HIDTA also makes it conducive for Mexican 

suppliers to broker and distribute Mexican marijuana. The large number of Mexican nationals 

residing in the region facilitates Mexican marijuana being imported into the Appalachia HIDTA. 

Mexican marijuana is used as “cut” to supplement domestically grown marijuana. Mexican 

marijuana is also used by traffickers to sell to consumers during the “off season” in order to 

maintain their customer base. 

The three states constituting the Appalachia HIDTA are experiencing a dramatic 

escalation in the methamphetamine threat. Regional methamphetamine distributors are 

increasingly importing low-quality methamphetamine from the West Coast and the Southwest 

border area, in response to an expanding regional methamphetamine demand that sometimes 

exceeds the production capacity of local labs. Law enforcement sources in Tennessee report that 

Mexican traffickers began to saturate the eastern Tennessee drug market beginning in 2001 with 

cheap, high-quality methamphetamine from Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. As a result, 

Mexican traffickers are establishing a reliable customer base of addicts before raising the price. 

Law enforcement officials are beginning to see this same trend manifested in Kentucky. 

A 2003 survey of local law enforcement officials in the Appalachia HIDTA asked 

respondents to list changes in the drug of choice among users and distributors in their areas of 

responsibility within the past three years. The majority response from Tennessee Appalachia 

HIDTA counties revealed a sharp increase in methamphetamine manufacturing, distribution and 

use. This was also a common response to the same question in Kentucky and West Virginia 

Appalachia HIDTA counties. 

Marijuana growers and methamphetamine manufacturers in the Appalachia HIDTA 

intrude upon the following public lands: Daniel Boone National Forest, Cherokee National 

Forest, The Great Smoky Mountains, Big South Fork National Park, and lands owned and 

controlled by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The Daniel Boone National Forest has led all 

National Forests in marijuana eradication, and in 2003 had 50 percent of all the marijuana 

eradicated in Appalachia HIDTA counties in Kentucky. 

Aside from marijuana cultivation and trafficking, the trafficking and illicit usage of 

prescription drugs in the area may be the most significant current drug threat within the 

Appalachia HIDTA. A 2003 survey of local law enforcement officials in the Appalachia HIDTA 

area asked respondents to list changes in the drug choice among users and distributors in their 

area of responsibility. The second most common response, after listing an increase in the use of 

methamphetamine, was the increase in pharmaceutical drug trafficking, especially OxyContin. A 

2003 survey of substance abuse treatment facilities within Appalachia HIDTA revealed that 35 

percent of their clients are in treatment for addiction to pharmaceutical opiates. After alcohol, 

these drugs are the most common substances of abuse noted among the drug treatment clients. 

The limited competition in remote areas compared to that in large cities makes the small 

communities of the Appalachia HIDTA immensely popular and profitable for cocaine trafficking 

9
organizations from major metropolitan areas. Agencies of the Appalachia HIDTA report that 

cocaine trafficking into the region is largely controlled by Mexican or Mexican-American 

criminal organizations. Crack cocaine is especially prevalent in Appalachia HIDTA counties in 

West Virginia. In West Virginia crack and cocaine hydrochloride combined constitute the 

second greatest drug threat in that state, exceeded only by prescription drugs. 

Drug trafficking organizations (DTO’s) operating in the Appalachia HIDTA cultivate 

marijuana, manufacture methamphetamine, and traffic/distribute these two drugs, along with 

diverted pharmaceutical drugs, cocaine hydrochloride, crack cocaine, and firearms. DTO’s in 

Appalachia HIDTA are overwhelmingly “vertically integrated” organizations, which engage in 

producing, transporting, distributing, and trafficking in both domestically grown and imported 

marijuana. Many DTO’s are kin-based and include extended family partnerships stretching 

throughout Appalachia HIDTA and beyond. Often, the hierarchical organization of some 

marijuana producers and traffickers resembles a family profile, where father, mother, children 

and other relatives work in an illegal culturally-accepted enterprise. 

The rural counties of the Appalachia HIDTA are plagued by high rates of unemployment, 

poverty, adult illiteracy, fragmented families, teenage pregnancy, political and law enforcement 

corruption, and an established tradition of bootlegging moonshine. Due to these elements, illicit 

drug activities are largely accepted and even encouraged by the local population—a situation 

roughly analogous to poverty-stricken inner city areas. 

V. HIDTA STRATEGY SUMMARY 

The reader is referred to The Appalachia HIDTA 2005 Strategy14 for details on the 

Appalachia HIDTA initiatives. The following summary is presented for your convenience. 

The drug threats in the Appalachia HIDTA require a multifaceted response that targets 

drug production, trafficking, distribution, and demand. Each facet of this response will direct 

multi-agency task forces toward specific aspects of the threat. These task forces consist of 

representatives of Federal, State, and Local agencies, working together as equal partners against 

the aspects of the threat most significant in their area of operation. The vast area, seasonal and 

rural nature of much of the drug production and trafficking, and the paucity of law enforcement 

resources in the Appalachia HIDTA require creativity and flexibility in the approaches taken. 

Thus, we will ask for exceptions to certain National HIDTA Program Office policies in order to 

maximize our impact on the threat. 

All task forces will target drug trafficking organizations using the full gamut of 

investigative techniques. Though marijuana is the primary threat, the Threat Assessment also 

highlights other significant and emerging threats that cannot be overlooked. The nation’s history 

of drug law enforcement teaches us that scarce drug law enforcement resources must be applied 

across the spectrum of the problem, or emerging threats will rapidly expand out of control. 

Some task forces will target the most significant organizations regardless of their drug 

orientation. OCDETF, CPOT and RPOT targets will be emphasized as matters of course. Local 

or State agencies simply do not have adequate manpower. The Appalachia HIDTA will 

judiciously assist in funding salaries for law enforcement officers to better balance the effort. 

As noted in the Threat Assessment, much of the populace considers marijuana use, 

production and distribution to be acceptable activities. Demand reduction efforts by Appalachia 

HIDTA components will work toward changing these attitudes and imposing a social stigma on 

10
drug users, producers and traffickers. Implementation of this strategy requires an infrastructure 

that fosters interagency collaboration and cooperation. Toward this end, the Appalachia HIDTA 

Executive Board and the Management and Coordination Initiative devoted much of their energy 

in 2003 to revising policies and procedures thereby enhancing participating agencies’ abilities to 

meet the drug threat. 

The rural setting of marijuana cultivation and illicit drug trafficking in Kentucky, 

Tennessee, and West Virginia, as well as the obstacle of overcoming traffickers’ attempts to 

destabilize local government and law enforcement agencies, require a holistic approach. 

Accordingly, Appalachia HIDTA initiatives focus on each aspect of the threat in ways that 

ensure that the significant problems in targeted areas receive maximum attention. Coordination 

of efforts is achieved through communication among the following subsystems. 

The Appalachia HIDTA funded 21 initiatives in CY 2005 distributed as follows: 

• 16 - Investigative - DTO Focus • 1 – Training Focus 

• 1 - Intelligence Focus • 1 – Management & Coordination Focus 

• 2 - Eradication Focus • 3 – Drug Demand Reduction Focus 

• 3 – Prosecution Focus 

VI. HIDTA PERFORMANCE MEASURES 

Shrinking resources and declining confidence in Government spawned legislative and 

administrative mandates for increased accountability and improved performance by Federal 

agencies. In the late 1990’s, the U.S. House Government Reform Committee solicited 

information about the effectiveness of the HIDTA Program from the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) as part of its review of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). 

OMB reviewed the HIDTA Program in FY 2000 and issued a report of its findings. OMB used 

the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) to review 234 diverse government agencies and 

programs. At the end of its reviews, OMB concluded that at least 94 percent of the agencies and 

programs it reviewed, including the HIDTA program, needed better measures of the outcomes of 

their efforts. Additionally, the OMB stated it was in a quandary on how to measure the deterrent 

effect of law enforcement. In 50% of the programs, including the HIDTA program, OMB found 

that the programs had not established satisfactory long-term performance goals and annual goals; 

their performance had not been subject to a comprehensive, independent review; and that they 

had appeared to have lost their focus. OMB recommended that the HIDTA program implement a 

performance measurement system with sound program outcome goals; design a process to link 

individual HIDTA funding to performance; and seek no funding increases until the program had 

been implemented and evaluated. 

In response, ONDCP initiated an interim project providing additional funding to 

HIDTA’s targeting high level drug trafficking organizations (DTO’s) identified on the 

Department of Justice’s Consolidated Priority Organizational Target (CPOT) list and 

implemented a performance management system holding each HIDTA accountable of 

performance based on its individual threat assessment. This interim system introduced core 

measures common to most HIDTAs and allowed for more specific measures tailored to threats 

challenging individual HIDTAs. The HIDTA program used this system from 1999 to 2002. The 

system provided a mixed bag of measurements that was not adequate in measuring the 

performance or impact, of individual HIDTAs or the HIDTA Program. 

At the direction of the National HIDTA Program Director, the HIDTA Directors 

Advisory Council formed the Performance Management Committee (PMC). The PMC, building 

11
upon the strengths of the interim program, developed the Performance Management Process 

(PMP). The PMP is based upon three simple guiding principles: Say what you do; Do what you 

say; and Show what you did. Fully implemented in 2004, the PMP is how HIDTAs demonstrate 

their accomplishments toward the two National HIDTA Goals. HIDTAs set performance targets 

using a standard set of performance measures, record data to track their achievements on the 

performance targets, and report the outcomes of their efforts. Under the PMP, the Appalachia 

HIDTA Annual Report now functions as a report card of the outcomes of its efforts to achieve its 

performance targets. The following series of tables and charts present specific outputs and 

efficiency measures organized in order by Appalachia HIDTA Goals. The following results show 

that the Appalachia HIDTA is steadily moving in an efficient and effective manner toward its 

goals and, ultimately, making a positive impact on the citizens and communities of the 

Appalachia HIDTA. 

A. Performance Measures for Goal 1 

Table 1 - Cost per DTO Disrupted or Dismantled, 2005 

Table 2 - Percentage of DTOs Disrupted or Dismantled by Scope, 2005 

12
Table 3 - Percentage of Money Laundering Organizations Disrupted or Dismantled by Scope, 2005 

Table 4 - Operational Scope of All DTO Cases Initiated, 2005 

HIDTAs across the country target drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and are 

dedicated to stopping them. The Appalachia HIDTA by design focuses its efforts on identifying 

and disrupting/dismantling “full service” DTOs that, although they operate in the Appalachia 

HIDTA region, also impact the national and international illicit drug markets. A “full service” 

DTO is one that engages in trafficking, transportation, distribution, and money laundering 

activities. DTOs operating in the Appalachia HIDTA region cultivate marijuana, manufacture 

methamphetamine and traffic/distribute those two drugs, diverted pharmaceuticals, cocaine, 

crack cocaine, and/or firearms. Tables 1 through 4 measures the significant impact Appalachia 

HIDTA initiatives had on “full service” DTOs operating at the international, national/regional, 

and local levels. 

At the beginning of each year, Appalachia HIDTA initiatives are already investigating 

previously identified DTOs, many of which have been specifically targeted for disruption or total 

dismantlement. Table 1 shows that as of January 2005, Appalachia HIDTA initiatives had 

already identified 100 DTOs and targeted all but one of those 100 for either disruption or 

dismantlement. During the course of the year, the initiatives identified an additional 130 DTOs, 

of which 128 were targeted. At the end of calendar year 2005, the Appalachia HIDTA had 

disrupted 34 and dismantled 34 DTOs originally targeted in the beginning of 2005, and disrupted 

19 and dismantled 47 among the 131 additional DTOs targeted during the calendar year. In all, a 

13
total of 134 DTOs were disrupted or dismantled. Stated another way, of the 227 DTOs targeted 

during the reporting period, 59% of those targets were disrupted or dismantled. 

As stated earlier, the Appalachia HIDTA is designed and dedicated to not only attacking 

DTOs impacting its immediate area, but also those that operate in the national/regional and 

international arenas. Table 2 helps explain the Appalachia HIDTA’s efforts and success by 

operational scope of the DTOs identified and targeted in calendar year 2005. Of the 230 DTOs 

identified, 100 (43%) operated in multiple states beyond the Appalachia HIDTA region, or were 

involved in international operations. Appalachia HIDTA initiatives targeted 99 of these major 

operations, disrupting 28 and totally dismantling 28 of these larger targeted DTOs. Of the 20 

targeted international DTOs, 15 were either dismantled or disrupted. During a time of flat-lined 

budgets, this is a significant accomplishment and is indicative of the hard work and dedication of 

the officers and agents in the field. 

A number of investigations culminated in 2005 are indicative of the significant impact 

that the Appalachia HIDTA has on drug trafficking in its region and the nation. The Rocky Top 

Tennessee Task Force (RTTTF) conducted an OCDETF/PTO investigation of the Robert Smith 

DTO, with a focus on exploiting its communications. They executed five Title III intercepts, 

including two Point-to-Point intercepts during the course of the investigation. This poly-drug 

DTO relocated from Detroit, Michigan to Knoxville, Tennessee, and was responsible for 

introducing kilograms of crack cocaine, pounds of BC Bud marijuana and hundreds of Ecstasy 

dosage units to the area. The investigation resulted eight arrests and the seizure of approximately 

two kilograms of crack cocaine, 50 pounds of marijuana, and 100 grams of ecstasy. 

The Upper East Tennessee Task Force targeted a major Mexican DTO responsible for 

distributing multi-ton quantities of marijuana across the United States. The DTO imported 

marijuana from Mexico via El Paso, Texas, and transported the marijuana throughout the United 

States, including North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and California. Debriefings 

revealed that the DTO was responsible for the distribution of over 15 tons of marijuana within a 

four month period, much of it destined for East Tennessee. Over a ton of marijuana, the largest 

seizure ever in Upper East Tennessee, and over $85,000 was seized during this investigation. 

The West Virginia Southern Regional Drug & Violent Crime Task Force concluded three 

significant multi-year DTO investigations in 2005, effectively dismantling and disrupting the 

DTO’s. The DTO’s in these investigations conducted operations in Miami, Florida; Charlotte, 

North Carolina; and San Diego, California, and were responsible for introducing multi-kilograms 

of cocaine and marijuana, and thousands of dosage units of controlled prescription drugs to the 

area. Members of these DTO’s also traded weapons, vehicles, and real property in McDowell, 

Wyoming, and Mercer Counties for drugs. 

The Southeastern Kentucky OCDETF/Public Corruption Task Force conducted a joint 

investigation with the Hazard Investigative Task Force in a major drug investigation in Clay 

County, Kentucky that had a nexus to jury fixing, vote buying and public officials involved in 

drug trafficking/criminal activity. The investigation related to three CPOT targets and involved a 

Title III wire intercept with over 33 federal state and local law enforcement personnel 

participating including the United States Attorney’s Office for the E. D. of Kentucky. The 

investigation resulted in two successful spin-off wire intercepts in other states, with nearly 5 

million dollars in cash/assets seized, 26 subjects convicted, and 15 million dollars in money 

judgments. Additionally, 583 pounds of marijuana, 5.5 kilograms of cocaine and 5 kilograms of 

methamphetamine were seized. Intelligence was gleaned regarding a two-mile-long tunnel 

14
between the U.S. and Mexico along with a method of transporting 10,000-pound-marijuana 

shipments using truck trailers on railcars. A 1999 DEA fugitive and a 2002 FBI fugitive were 

captured as well. 

Finally, the DEA London Task Force and the Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force 

disrupted and dismantled a methamphetamine DTO. This DTO smuggled methamphetamine 

from Guadalajara, Mexico, to Las Vegas, Nevada, via El Paso, Texas. From Las Vegas, Nevada, 

a human mule would transport the methamphetamine via commercial aircraft to points around 

the country. In this investigation, Appalachia HIDTA Task Force personnel arrested a transporter 

carrying four bottles of Tequila at the Nashville, Tennessee, Airport. The bottles were found to 

contain four pounds of 100% pure, liquid methamphetamine. The investigation ultimately 

identified an additional 73 individuals in Kentucky associated with this DTO. 

These investigations would not have succeeded if not for the full cooperation of and full 

information sharing among all of the member agencies of the task forces. These investigations 

exemplify the true spirit and intention of the Appalachia HIDTA and the achievable results when 

Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies cooperate and work together. 

Table 2 also demonstrates the Appalachia HIDTA’s commitment to impact local drug 

trafficking. In 2005, the Appalachia HIDTA targeted 128 local DTOs, disrupting 25 and 

dismantling 53. Targeting local DTOs is arguably the most important activity of HIDTAs. 

Similar to the adage that all politics are local, ultimately, all drug trafficking is a local issue. The 

take down of local organizations and the incarceration of their members is immediately noticed 

by local citizens. They see that the drug problems in their community are not being ignored, and 

that law enforcement is responsive to the community’s concerns. The dismantling of local DTOs 

removes blight from a street or a community and does not go unnoticed by the populace. It can 

embolden citizens to become involved as partners with law enforcement and to report suspicious 

activity because they know that their words will not fall on deaf ears and action will be taken. 

Attacking local traffickers ultimately affects multi-state and other larger DTOs by disrupting a 

segment of their distribution network. Disruptions in distribution prevent drugs from getting to 

users and if drugs don’t get to users, profits don’t get back to DTOs. The Appalachia HIDTA, 

while focusing on large DTOs, will continue to disrupt and dismantle the local organizations that 

sustain large DTOs and mar local communities. 

Illegal drug trafficking generates significant amounts of bulk currency. Concealing, 

managing and using these illicit proceeds pose a major challenge to drug trafficking 

organizations. Within the drug trafficking industry are money laundering organizations whose 

primary activity is to conceal, transfer and manage proceeds for DTOs. Money is why DTOs are 

in business and without their proceeds they will cease to do business. Therefore, searching for, 

finding, and forfeiting illicit proceeds of DTOs are goals of every drug trafficking investigation. 

Historically, the Appalachia HIDTA has been devoid of organizations that engage predominantly 

in money laundering. This may be due in part to the tight-knit family or extended family nature 

of DTOs in the area, elevated poverty and unemployment, and a distrust of banking and 

government institutions on the part of some residents. Nevertheless, Table 3 shows Appalachia 

HIDTA initiatives identified, targeted, and dismantled one money laundering DTO in CY 2005. 

The ONDCP and other Federal agencies stress the importance of developing cases with 

the potential to qualify for OCDETF designation. Table 4 shows that 16 of its CY2005 DTO 

cases received OCDETF designation. Of the international DTOs targeted, 5 were designated as 

OCDETF cases because of information developed by Appalachia HIDTA initiatives. 

15
Additionally, over 14% of the multi-state investigations targeted by Appalachia HIDTA 

initiatives were designated as OCDETF cases. 

Tables 1-4 indicate that in this time of flat-line budgets and limited resources, the 

Appalachia HIDTA continues to effectively disrupt and dismantle key international, multi-state, 

and local organizations operating in the Appalachia region. 

Seizing illicit drugs from a DTO has the same effect as seizing profits from a legitimate 

business. Legitimate businesses sell products and services based on the perceived wants and 

needs of the general public. Prices of products and services are based on the business’s expenses 

to produce, obtain, and/or deliver the product, the cost of maintaining the business location, labor 

costs, and a reasonable profit. Seizing drugs disrupts the ability of a DTO to conduct business 

and make a profit. Cash maintains the existence of the DTO – it allows the DTO to survive. 

Simply, seizing drugs denies a DTO of potential profits. During CY 2005, drug seizures by the 

Appalachia HIDTA denied DTOs of over $1.078 billion in potential profits. Table 5 lists the 

wholesale values of the respective drugs seized. For some drugs, a wholesale price for the 

Appalachia HIDTA region was unavailable or not applicable. For these drugs, mid-level prices 

were used in determining Table 5 values. Differences in the value of drugs among the three 

regions of the Appalachia HIDTA (Southeastern Kentucky, Eastern Tennessee, and Southwest 

West Virginia) were used in determining Table 5 values. Table 5 provides a snapshot of the 

economic impact on DTOs resulting from drug seizures. 

Table 5 - Drugs Removed from the Marketplace, 2005 

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Table 6 - Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs Removed from the Marketplace by Law 

Enforcement Initiatives, 2005 

Table 7 - Return on Investment (ROI) for Assets Removed from the Marketplace by Law

Enforcement Initiatives, 2005 

Tables 6, 7 and 8 show the dramatic efficiency of the Appalachia HIDTA in removing 

illicit drugs and potential drug profits from DTOs. The baselines for these Tables were 

determined using CY 2004 statistics. Statistics for CY 2004 were used because of the previously 

mentioned Appalachia HIDTA-wide reorganization in 2003. Due to the reorganization, statistical 

collection became more centralized, efficient and reliable, thus arguably making statistics for 

2004 a better measurement of the efforts and outcomes of the Appalachia HIDTA. As shown in 

Tables 6 and 7, the Appalachia HIDTA used $925 million worth of illicit drugs and $6 million in 

drug assets, as a baseline to estimate what it would seize in 2005. Based upon available funding, 

the Appalachia HIDTA used $4.25 million to achieve these two goals. 

Appalachia HIDTA initiatives seized $1.078 billion in illicit drugs during CY 2005, 

thereby reducing overall availability and potential subsequent abuse. This is an extraordinary 

increase of almost 17% over the baseline for CY 2004 and yielded an exceptional Return on 

Investment (ROI) of $212 for every $1.00 of HIDTA funding invested in Appalachia HIDTA 

law enforcement and intelligence initiatives. Additionally, the Appalachia HIDTA seized over 

$10 million in assets during CY2005. This is an increase of almost 67% over the baseline for CY 

17
2005 and yielded an ROI of $2.00 for every $1.00 of HIDTA funding invested in Appalachia 

HIDTA law enforcement, prosecution and intelligence initiatives. Additional law enforcement 

dollars from agencies outside of the Appalachia HIDTA for such expenses as officer salaries, 

police overhead and so forth, also contributed to the budget and resulting drug seizures shown in 

the above tables. Those dollar figures do not appear in Tables 6, 7 and 8. These tables are 

designed to show ROIs based solely on what the Appalachia HIDTA spends. 

Table 8 - Total Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs and Assets Removed from the 

Marketplace by Law Enforcement Initiatives, 2005 

In all, the Appalachia HIDTA permanently removed over $1.088 billion in illicit drugs 

and drug profits from the Appalachia HIDTA marketplace. This is a remarkable figure and 

reflects an increase of 17% over the baseline for CY 2004. In terms of taxpayer money invested, 

these results yield an impressive rate of return (ROI) of $214 for every $1.00 of HIDTA funding 

invested in Appalachia HIDTA law enforcement and intelligence initiatives. These rates of 

return are above and beyond the returns of the best run businesses in the private sector and show 

that taxpayer funds are not only being well spent but are providing significant tangible results. 

Table 9 - Prosecution Initiative Cost Per Investigation, 2005 

Federal and State prosecutors in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia participate in 

the Appalachia HIDTA by aggressively prosecuting all marijuana and other illegal drug-related 

and money laundering investigations. The prosecutors support the investigative initiatives with 

case development, evidence evaluation, pre-trial preparation, asset identification, seizure, 

forfeiture, and case presentation. These prosecutors provide advice, legal counsel and legal 

assistance on operational matters to ensure compliance with the appropriate Federal and State 

18
criminal law requirements. Prosecutors work with the Appalachia HIDTA to prosecute marijuana 

traffickers and cultivators, and violent felons, and to target their equipment, property, and 

currency assets for seizure and forfeiture. Table 9 indicates that Appalachia HIDTA prosecutors 

handled 341 cases, 90% of its projected caseload. 

Methamphetamine continues to pose a serious threat throughout the Appalachia HIDTA. 

Methamphetamine manufacturing activity in the Appalachia HIDTA region consists primarily of 

small, unsophisticated clandestine laboratories producing limited quantities of 

methamphetamine. The problem is compounded by the portability of the labs and, thus, the ease 

with which locations of labs can be changed. For these reasons, Appalachia HIDTA initiatives 

continue to seek out clandestine laboratories in order to eliminate them and incarcerate their 

operators. Table 10 shows that Appalachia HIDTA initiatives targeted 207 clandestine 

methamphetamine laboratories but dismantled 263 methamphetamine drug laboratories, the 

majority (91%) of the 2 ounce or less size variety. Methamphetamine has a local mid-level 

selling price of $1,300 per ounce. Thus, the Appalachia HIDTA initiatives conservatively 

prevented further production of almost $1 million of raw methamphetamine. 

Table 10 - Value of Clandestine Methamphetamine Labs Dismantled in 2005, by Size 

19
Table 11 - Clandestine Laboratory Activities, 2005 

Table 11 shows improvement over baselines in two of three methamphetamine activities. 

This improvement is attributable, in part, to heightened awareness among drug investigators in 

the HIDTA region. The number of children affected by clandestine laboratory activity became a 

PMP reporting requirement during CY2005. For that reason, Appalachia HIDTA initiatives 

cannot report a baseline or number targeted. Data maintained in the National Clandestine 

Laboratory Seizure System (NCLSS) shows that a total of 285 children were affected, exposed to 

toxic chemicals, or injured as result of clandestine laboratories in the Appalachia HIDTA area of 

responsibility. Data collected in CY2006 will provide a more reliable picture and baseline of 

children affected by clandestine laboratory activity data in the Appalachia HIDTA. 

B. Performance Measures for Goal 2 

Table 12 – Appalachia HIDTA Training Efficiency by Year and Type of Training 

20
Training is essential in improving both the efficiency and effectiveness of Appalachia 

HIDTA operations. The Appalachia HIDTA provided training to 1,704 students in 2005 through 

a total of 27,064 classroom hours. The training was designed to improve their computer and 

analytical skills, bolster their investigative knowledge and develop their managerial abilities. 

This training, which cost Appalachia HIDTA an average of $10 per classroom hour, was 

provided free of charge to Appalachia HIDTA assigned and participating agency investigators. 

These training courses would not have been otherwise available to these investigators without 

Appalachia HIDTA support and funding. 

Table 12 shows the Appalachia HIDTA trained 559 more students and provided almost 

twice as many training hours in CY2005 than in CY2004. Although the total cost of training 

increased almost $16,000, the overall training cost per hour actually decreased 41%. Highlights 

of the training schedule included Operation Desert Snow Highway Interdiction and Undercover 

Techniques and Survival Skills. These courses were well received and students report that they 

continue to use and benefit from skills learned during these courses. 

Table 13 - Percentage of HIDTA Initiatives Using Event and Case Deconfliction Services, 

2005 

Table 14 - Percentage of Event and Case Deconflictions Submitted, 2005 

Officer safety is job number one for all law enforcement initiatives and agencies 

investigating drug trafficking and other criminal activity. Deconfliction of events and 

case/subjects among initiatives and agencies is a major factor in the officer safety equation. 

21
Event deconfliction is the advanced cross-checking of planned events to avoid danger to, or 

interruption of, another drug case’s activities. Examples of events include stakeouts, drug buys, 

and search warrants. The purpose of case/subject deconfliction is to avoid possible conflicts 

among cases and subjects. Examples of subjects include persons, vehicles, weapons, phone 

numbers, addresses, and businesses. The Appalachia HIDTA uses the Secure Automated Fast 

Event Tracking Network (SAFETNET) to provide deconfliction service. The Appalachia 

HIDTA encourages all law enforcement agencies within and outside of the region to use 

SAFETNET and provides training to any and all law enforcement entities who express an 

interest in using this service. Deconfliction service and training is provided by the Appalachia 

HIDTA Investigative Support Center (ISC). Of the 15 Appalachia HIDTA initiatives eligible to 

use the deconfliction services 100% did so during CY 2005. Additionally, all Kentucky State 

Police Posts and the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department received training from ISC 

personnel and are actively using this service. Tables 13 and 14 show the levels of use of the 

deconfliction service among Appalachia HIDTA initiatives and participating agencies. Event 

and case/subject deconflictions increased considerably compared to baseline data. 

Table 15 - Percentage of Investigations Provided Analytical Support, 2005 

Table 16 - Percentage of HIDTA Initiative Investigations Referred to Other HIDTAs and 

Other Agencies, 2005 

Table 15 is designed to show how many investigations the Appalachia HIDTA ISC 

provided analytical support. During CY 2004, ISC performance data collection focused solely on 

the types of support provided but did not capture the actual number of investigations benefiting 

22
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from the types of support. Data collected during CY2005 focused on types of support and the 

number of investigations supported and provides a more factual picture of case specific 

analytical support provided by the Appalachia HIDTA ISC. Table 16 depicts the number of 

investigations the Appalachia HIDTA referred to other HIDTAs and to other agencies. It shows 

the Appalachia HIDTA’s commitment to information sharing and investigative cooperation. 

C. Threat Specific Performance Measures 

The Appalachia HIDTA area is a major source of domestically grown marijuana. 

Measured in total eradicated plants, the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia 

produced 30% of the domestic marijuana eradicated in CY 2005. Historically, these three states 

have ranked among the top ten of marijuana-producing states. In CY2005 the states ranked as 

follows: Kentucky (2nd), Tennessee (3rd), and West Virginia (10th). Further analysis shows the 

preeminence of Appalachia HIDTA counties as sources of marijuana in Kentucky and West 

Virginia. In Kentucky, 77% of marijuana plants eradicated statewide was eradicated in 

Appalachia HIDTA counties; in West Virginia, 74% of the statewide total was eradicated in 

Appalachia HIDTA counties. 

The marijuana grown in the Appalachia HIDTA region is vastly different from the 

marijuana that was abused in the United States in years past. In the 1970’s, the THC content, or 

strength of the marijuana, fell in the 1-6% range. Tests have shown that the THC content of 

marijuana eradicated in the Appalachia HIDTA region during CY2004 (2005 results have been 

submitted and are pending) averaged 15.4%, with a high of 18.7%. The marijuana grown in the 

Appalachia HIDTA region is very addictive and extremely dangerous. 

Threat Specific Table 1 – Value of Outdoor Marijuana Plants Eradicated by Year 

Appalachia HIDTA Outdoor Marijuana Plants Eradicated 

Mj Cost Plant 

(lb) $2,400 

Year 

# Plants on Federal 

Land 

Identified/Targeted 

# Plants on Non 

Federal Land 

Identified/Targeted 

Total # 

Marijuana 

Plants 

Eradicated 

Value of Marijuana Plants 

Eradicated 

2004 22,416 363,881 386,297 $927,112,800 

2005 121,809 319,334 441,143 $1,058,743,200 

2006 $0 

2007 $0 

A significant amount of marijuana is grown on public lands in Kentucky and Tennessee. 

Specifically, marijuana growers use the Daniel Boone and Cherokee National Forests, the Great 

Smokey Mountain and Big South Fork National Parks, as well as lands owned and controlled by 

the Tennessee Valley Authority. National Forest lands provide marijuana growers with an ideal 

environment for marijuana cultivation. The forestlands are remote, sparsely populated, very 

accessible, and fall within what is known as the "marijuana belt," so-named due to the ideal soil 

and climate conditions for cannabis cultivation. Along with growing conditions, National Forest 

timber practices have opened holes in the canopy, allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor, thus 

creating new areas for potential marijuana growth. Marijuana growers perceive the vast rural 

23
areas of the National Forests as too spacious for law enforcement officials to detect all activities. 

Additionally, growers often plant their crops on public lands in an effort to lessen personal and 

/or financial loss due to asset forfeiture procedures, should they be apprehended. 

Threat Specific Table 2 – Value of Indoor Marijuana Plants Eradicated by Year 

Appalachia HIDTA Indoor Marijuana Plants Eradicated 

Mj Cost Per 

Plant $2,400 

Year # Indoor Plants 

Identified/Targeted 

Total # Indoor 

Plants 

Eradicated 

Value of Indoor Marijuana Plants 

Eradicated 

2004 6,185 6,185 $14,844,000 

2005 1,959 1,959 $4,701,600 

Threat Specific Tables 1 and 2 spotlight the outstanding results of Appalachia HIDTA 

Eradication Initiative efforts in terms of outdoor and indoor plants eradicated. The Appalachia 

HIDTA Eradication Initiative is not reactive but extremely proactive. Members of this initiative 

conduct pre-season and seasonal, multi-agency aerial and ground surveillance to identify and 

eliminate both outdoor and indoor-cultivated marijuana. Member agencies provide trained 

personnel and equipment to search for and destroy marijuana plots to help eliminate marijuana 

cultivation. Intelligence and investigative leads gleaned from eradication operations regarding 

cultivation/distribution organizations are shared with other HIDTAs and law enforcement 

agencies as appropriate. 

 Appalachia HIDTA marijuana eradication initiatives received national recognition for 

making direct and significant contributions to national marijuana eradication efforts for 2005. 

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) recognized the Kentucky Marijuana 

Eradication Task Force (KMETF) as a model program and presented it the Director’s 

Distinguished Service Award. The award was presented to the KMETF in honor of its 

accomplishments within the National Marijuana Eradication Initiative. Additionally, the ONDCP 

honored a veteran West Virginia Army National Guard helicopter pilot of the West Virginia 

Eradication Initiative. The ONDCP presented the Director’s Distinguished Service Award to the 

Chief Warrant officer for over two decades of service and dedication to West Virginia marijuana 

eradication efforts. As the above tables show, the hard work and dedication of the individuals 

and agencies of the Appalachia HIDTA effectively reduced the supply of marijuana available for 

sale in the United States. 

24
Threat Specific Table 3 – Wholesale Value of Marijuana Seized, by Location 2005 

Appalachia HIDTA Wholesale Value of Marijuana Seized 

Location 

Baseline 

Value of 

Marijuana 

Seized 

# Plants Seized Amount Processed 

Marijuana Seized 

# Eradication 

Arrests 

Wholesale Value of 

Marijuana Seized 

Outdoor 

Federal $2,400 121,809 167 34 $292,742,400 

Outdoor NonFederal $2,400 319,334 1,488 210 $769,972,800 

Indoor $2,400 1,959 8,101 22 $24,072,000 

Value of plants seized = $1,063,444,800 

Value of processed marijuana seized = $23,414,400 

Table 3 breaks down the overall Appalachia HIDTA Eradication outcomes and compares 

the value of seized processed marijuana to that of eradicated raw or unprocessed marijuana. This 

table depicts the positive and devastating impact the Appalachia HIDTA Eradication Initiative 

has on the marijuana marketplace. Simply, the Appalachia HIDTA not only removed over $23 

million of marijuana from the street, or marketplace, but prevented over $1.063 billion of 

marijuana from even getting to the marketplace. The influx of $1.063 billion into any market - 

legal, grey, or black - would generate powerful shifts in the dynamics of that market, specifically 

supply and demand, money supply, and earnings. To say the Appalachia HIDTA disrupted 

marijuana availability is a gross understatement. In CY2005, the hard work and dedication of the 

individuals and agencies of the Appalachia HIDTA, by any measure and without a doubt, 

effectively reduced the supply of marijuana available for sale in the United States. 

VII. Conclusions 

CY2005 marked the second year that the Appalachia HIDTA reported initiative 

operational targets and subsequent outcomes using the Performance Management Process 

(PMP). The PMP is depicted through the performance measurement tables throughout this 

Annual Report. These graphic presentations of the Appalachia HIDTA’s targets and outcomes 

show that the Appalachia HIDTA is meeting and, in some instances, surpassing National HIDTA 

goals and fulfilling the mission of the Appalachia HIDTA. 

The first goal of all HIDTAs is to disrupt the market for illegal drugs and dismantle or 

disrupt drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and/or money laundering organizations. In 

CY2005, the performance of the Appalachia HIDTA had a dramatic effect on the market for 

domestic marijuana and operation of DTOs, particularly those engaged in marijuana cultivation 

and distribution. In CY2005, the Appalachia HIDTA disrupted and/or dismantled 134 DTOs. 

Over half of the DTOs disrupted/dismantled (78) were local DTOs whose operational area was 

primarily within the Appalachia HIDTA region. The importance of targeting local DTOs and 

their role in the illegal drug market cannot be ignored and forgotten among the pressure and 

desire to develop RPOT, CPOT, and OCDETF investigations. Ultimately, all drug trafficking is 

local. This statement rings more true in the rural areas and small communities of the Appalachia 

HIDTA. The destruction of local DTOs has an immediate impact on a community’s quality of 

life, emboldens citizenry, and, perhaps most importantly, denies or cuts off profits and cash flow 

to larger DTOs. 

25 
Cash flow and profits is to a DTO or any business, as food and water is to a living 

organism. Deny a DTO’s access to and use of its cash assets and profits and the DTO will die. 

This strategy has re-emerged as the primary way to attack the illegal drug market and its DTOs. 

As effective as seizing assets and hard currency is in destroying DTOs, an even more effective 

tactic is denying DTOs the ability to make profits in the first place. The Appalachia HIDTA is a 

leader in denying DTOs, particularly marijuana cultivators and distributors, the ability to do 

business. In CY2005, the Appalachia HIDTA eradicated over $1.063 billion in marijuana plants. 

This outcome of the Appalachia HIDTA’s efforts is absolutely astonishing. Put into context, 

$1.06 billion, under current budget conditions and without any inflation, would fund the 

Appalachia HIDTA for the next 174 years. 

The eradication successes of the Appalachia HIDTA have a two-fold and devastating 

effect on the domestic marijuana market in the United States. First, it has thwarted local 

marijuana cultivators from becoming powerful and influential DTOs, capable of operating on a 

multi-state, national, or international scale. Secondly, as a result of thwarting local marijuana 

cultivators, the availability of a highly addictive and extremely dangerous strain of domestic 

marijuana is virtually eliminated and close to non-existent. Recent tests revealed the THC 

content of marijuana eradicated in the Appalachia HIDTA in CY2004 averaged over 15%, with a 

high of 18.7%. If the marijuana eradicated by the Appalachia HIDTA in CY2005 had reached 

the street, and ultimately the youth of America, its presence would have further exacerbated the 

abuse of marijuana and treatment of marijuana users on a national scale. 

Research and analysis of marijuana seizure information indicates that marijuana grown in 

the Appalachia HIDTA region is virtually not making it to the streets of America. Attempts to 

determine the presence of Appalachia HIDTA region marijuana in domestic marijuana seizures 

have produced negative results. Although inconclusive, this may indicate that Appalachia 

HIDTA eradication programs, through hard work, dedication, and team work, are more 

successful than traditional eradication programs. An integral part of the Appalachia HIDTA 

eradication program, the Kentucky Marijuana Eradication Task Force, received the ONDCP 

Director’s Distinguished Service Award and recognized as a model program for its efforts during 

CY2005. It has been estimated that, on average, only 25-45% of all outdoor domestic marijuana 

plants are located and eradicated by eradication operations. The lack of Appalachia HIDTA 

processed marijuana seizure information, in conjunction with the astonishing amount of 

marijuana eradicated, indicates that the Appalachia HIDTA may be eradicating upwards of 80-

90% of all marijuana grown in the region. 

Taking into account the above arguments, it can be stated that the Appalachia HIDTA is 

unequivocally meeting its responsibilities under National HIDTA Goal 1 and fulfilling its 

primary mission of measurably reducing the production and trafficking of marijuana. Drug 

availability is being reduced and DTOs are being disrupted, dismantled, and destroyed. 

National HIDTA Goal 2 directs HIDTAs to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of 

their initiatives. In CY2005 the Appalachia HIDTA continued to develop and move forward, as 

illustrated in the tables and body of this report, in meeting this goal. 

To put these strides in perspective, a review of recent Appalachia HIDTA history is 

merited. In 2002, a NHPO Field Review team visited the Appalachia HIDTA. The team briefed 

the Executive Board on perceived strengths and weaknesses through a series of observations, 

findings, instructions and recommendations. The Executive Board accepted the spirit of the input 

26
and began the process of building on strengths and correcting deficiencies. In CY2003, the 

Appalachia HIDTA restructured its Executive Board, created three State Coordinating 

Committees, established an initiative review process and changed its initiatives, from being 

agency based to task force focused. An immediate result was an increase in local agency 

participation and sense of ownership. Local participation jumped from zero in CY2002 to 59 

full-time participants in CY2003. The restructure increased accountability and formalized a chain 

of command for routing initiative procedures through management levels beginning at the State 

Coordinating Committee, Executive Committees, the Executive Board and on to ONDCP, all 

coordinated by Appalachia HIDTA management. 

The improvements implemented in 2003 were honed and expanded during 2004. 

CY2004 was a true test under fire of decisions made and policies established by the Appalachia 

HIDTA during its restructuring. In CY2004 Appalachia HIDTA initiatives proved they were 

operating efficiently and effective. Appalachia HIDTA initiatives provided the taxpayers sound 

and significant returns removing or seizing over $964 million in illicit drugs and assets and 

posting an ROI of $227 for each dollar spent. The Appalachia HIDTA sustained its CY2004 

performance in CY2005, removing or seizing over $1.088 billion dollars in illicit drugs and 

assets and posting an ROI of almost $214 dollars. These results are tangible proof that the 

Appalachia HIDTA concept and strategy are working and successful. Intangible proof that the 

Appalachia HIDTA is efficient and effective is its ability to sell its vision to its members and 

member agencies. Fostering an atmosphere where results are more important than who gets the 

credit, has increased the willingness to share information, develop and cooperate in joint 

investigations and create lasting relationships among the Appalachia HIDTA’s participating 

Federal, State and Local members and agencies. This is the true purpose of the HIDTA program 

and the Appalachia HIDTA used and built upon its success in CY2004 to experience the success 

it enjoyed in CY2005. 

The drug threats in Appalachia require a multifaceted response that targets drug 

production, trafficking, distribution and demand. The Appalachia HIDTA is uniquely suited to 

provide the multifaceted approach necessary. Central to this mission is the expansion of 

cooperative, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement efforts involving HIDTA funded and nonHIDTA funded resources. By balancing efforts to attack drug trafficking at every layer, and 

coordinating non-enforcement efforts in targeted communities, the Appalachia HIDTA will 

continue to facilitate the necessary cooperation among Federal, State and Local agencies into 

collaborative initiatives that target drug cultivation, distribution, and demand. 

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VIII. Appendices 

Appendix A - Table of Organization for the HIDTA 

28
Appendix B - Table listing composition of Executive Board showing Federal, State and 

Local affiliation 

WILLIAM BENSON, Assistant Director (CHAIR) 

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation 

901 R.S. Gass Boulevard 

Nashville, TN 37216-2639

PHONE: (615) 744-4252 FAX: (615) 744-4664

GREG VAN TATENHOVE, U.S. Attorney (VICECHAIR) 

Eastern District of Kentucky

110 West Vine Street, Suite 400 

Lexington, KY 40507

PHONE: (859) 233-2661 Ext. 104 FAX: (859) 233-

2666

STEVEN GURLEY, Special Agent in Charge 

Federal Bureau of Investigation

600 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 5th Floor 

Louisville, KY 40202

PHONE: (502) 569-3801 FAX: (502) 569-3869

WENDY HANEY, Supervisory Special Agent 

U.S. Forest Service 

Appalachia HIDTA 

202 South Main Street, 3rd Floor 

London, KY 40741

PHONE: (606) 864-1131 FAX: (606) 864-1166

COL BILL HARTBARGER, Counterdrug 

Coordinator 

Tennessee National Guard 

Building 603 

Volunteer Training Center 

Smyrna, TN 37167-2091

PHONE: (615) 355-3901 FAX: (615) 355-3920

GENE HOLLON, Sheriff 

Laurel County (KY) Sheriff’s Office 

203 South Broad Street

London, KY 40741

PHONE: (606) 864-6600 FAX: (606) 864-3494

CLEVE DANIELS, Special Agent in Charge 

Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation

801 Broadway, Room 400 MDP 7A

Nashville, TN 37203

PHONE: (615) 250-5441 FAX: (615) 250-5303

THOMAS JOHNSTON, U.S. Attorney

Northern District of West Virginia 

1100 Main Street, Suite 200

Wheeling, WV 26003-0011 

PHONE: (304) 234-7708 FAX: (304) 234-0110

Email: stacy.m.breuss@usdoj.gov

COL DAVID L. LEMMON, Superintendent

West Virginia State Police 

725 Jefferson Road 

South Charleston, WV 25309

PHONE: (304) 746-2100 FAX: (304) 746-2246

BROWNLOW MARSH, State Prosecutor 

TN District Attorneys General Conference 

1832 Midpark Drive, Suite F 

Knoxville, TN 37921

PHONE: (865) 330-1024 FAX: (865) 330-2374

RUSS DEDRICK, 1ST Assistant U.S. Attorney 

Eastern District of Tennessee

800 Market Street, Suite 211 

Knoxville, TN 37902

PHONE: (865) 545-4167 FAX: (865) 545-4466

ALAN MEEK, Chief 

Barboursville Police Department

721 Central Avenue 

Barboursville, WV 25504

PHONE: (304) 736-5204 FAX: (304) 736-2850

MARK MILLER, Commissioner 

Kentucky State Police 

919 Versailles Road

Frankfort, KY 40601

PHONE: (502) 695-6303 FAX: (502) 695-6341

GARY OETJEN, ASAC 

Drug Enforcement Administration 

600 Martin Luther King Jr. Place 

1006 Federal Building

Louisville, KY 40202

PHONE: (502) 582-5234 FAX: (502) 582-6107

LTC KARLAS OWENS, Counterdrug Coordinator

KY Army National Guard 

Joint Support Operations

Bluegrass Station, Building 28

5751 Briarhill Road

Lexington, KY 40516-9712 

PHONE: (859) 293-4142 FAX: (859) 293-4147

KARL STANKOVIC, Special Agent in Charge 

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

600 Martin Luther King Jr. Place, Suite 322 

Louisville, KY 40202

PHONE: (502) 753-3400 FAX: (502) 753-3401
Appendix C - List of participating agencies 

1. Federal and State Participating Agencies 

KENTUCKY 

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms 

• Drug Enforcement Administration 

• Federal Bureau of Investigation 

• IRS-Criminal Investigation 

• Kentucky Attorney General 

• Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Office 

• Kentucky Department of Military Affairs (Kentucky Army National Guard) 

• Kentucky State Police 

• Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement 

• Office of Inspector General 

• United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District 

• United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District 

• United States Forest Service 

• United States Marshals Service 

• Western Kentucky University Police 

TENNESSEE 

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms 

• Drug Enforcement Administration 

• Federal Bureau of Investigation 

• IRS-Criminal Investigation 

• Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission 

• Tennessee Bureau of Investigation 

• Tennessee Department of Military Affairs (Tennessee Air National Guard) 

• Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference 

• Tennessee Highway Patrol 

• United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District 

• United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District 

• United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement 

• United States Forest Service 

WEST VIRGINIA 

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms 

• Drug Enforcement Administration 

• Federal Bureau of Investigation 

• IRS-Criminal Investigation 

• United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District 

• United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District 

• West Virginia Department of Military Affairs (West Virginia National Guard) 

• West Virginia Prevention Resource Center 

• West Virginia Prosecuting Attorney’s Institute 

• West Virginia State Police 
2. Local Participating Agencies 

KENTUCKY 

• Adair County Sheriff’s Office 

• Beattyville Police Department 

• Bowling Green Police Department 

• Campbellsville Police Department 

• Corbin Police Department 

• Cumberland River Regional Prevention Center 

• Harlan County Sheriff’s Office 

• Hazard Police Department 

• Jackson County Sheriff’s Office 

• KY River Community Care Inc. 

• Laurel County Sheriff’s Office 

• Leslie County Sheriff’s Office 

• London Police Department 

• McCreary County Sheriff’s Office 

• Monticello Police Department 

• Operation UNITE 

• Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office 

• Perry County Sheriff’s Office 

• Pikeville Police Department 

• Rockcastle County Sheriff’s Office 

• Somerset Police Department 

• Warren County Sheriff’s Office 

• Wayne County Sheriff’s Office 

TENNESSEE 

• Anderson County Sheriff’s Office 

• Blount County Sheriff’s Office 

• Clay County Sheriff’s Office 

• Chattanooga Police Department 

• Clinton Police Department 

• Crossville Police Department 

• East Ridge Police Department 

• Elizabethton Police Department 

• Fentress County Sheriff’s Office 

• Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office 

• Jackson County Sheriff’s Office 

• Johnson City Police Department 

• Knox County Sheriff’s Office 

• Knoxville City Police Department 

• Lenoir City Police Department 

• Livingston Police Department 

• Loudon County Sheriff’s Office 

• Macon County Sheriff’s Office 

• Metro Knoxville Airport Authority 

• Oak Ridge Police Department 

• Overton County Sheriff’s Office 

31 
• Putnam County Sheriff’s Office 

• Thirteenth Judicial Task Force 

• Unicoi County Sheriff’s Office 

• Washington County Sheriff’s Office 

• White County Sheriff’s Office 

WEST VIRGINIA 

• Barboursville Police Department 

• Bluefield Police Department 

• Boone County Sheriff’s Office 

• Cabell County Prosecutor’s Office 

• Cabell County Sheriff’s Office 

• Charleston Police Department 

• Dunbar Police Department 

• Huntington Police Department 

• Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office 

• Logan County Sheriff’s Office 

• Logan Police Department 

• McDowell County Sheriff’s Office 

• Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office 

• Mercer County Sheriff’s Office 

• Milton Police Department 

• Nitro Police Department 

• Princeton Police Department 

• Putnam County Sheriff’s Office 

• South Charleston Police Department 

• St. Albans Police Department 

• Williamson Police Department 

• Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office 

Appendix D – List of Counties Participating in the Appalachia HIDTA 

• Kentucky – Adair, Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Knott, 

Knox, Laurel, Lee Leslie, McCreary, Magoffin, Marion, Monroe, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, 

Rockcastle, Taylor, Warren, Wayne, and Whitley counties. 

• Tennessee – Bledsoe, Campbell, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Cumberland, Fentress, Franklin, 

Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Macon, 

Marion, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Rhea, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Unicoi, Van Buren, and 

White counties. 

• West Virginia – Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Gilmer, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, 

McDowell, Mingo, and Wayne counties. 

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Appendix E - HIDTA Initiatives 

KENTUCKY 

Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force 

Columbia Area Drug Task Force 

DEA London Task Force 

Hazard Investigative Task Force 

Kentucky Drug Demand Reduction 

Kentucky Eradication Task Force 

Kentucky Prosecution Team

Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force 

National Forest Marijuana Investigative Initiative 

Southeastern Kentucky OCDETF/Public Corruption Task Force 

TENNESSEE 

DEA Upper East Tennessee Task Force 

DEA South TN Task Force 

Rocky Top Task Force 

TBI Middle TN Task Force 

TN Drug Demand Reduction 

TN Prosecution Team

WEST VIRGINIA 

Huntington Violent Crimes/Drug Task Force 

Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force 

US 119 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force 

West Virginia Drug Demand Reduction 

West Virginia Prosecution Team

West Virginia Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team

West Virginia Eradication Task Force 

OTHER 

Appalachia HIDTA Investigation Support Center 

Appalachia HIDTA Regional Training 

Management and Coordination

IX. List of Tables and Charts 

Table 1 - Cost per DTO Disrupted or Dismantled, 2005 ............................................................................12 

Table 2 - Percentage of DTOs Disrupted or Dismantled by Scope, 2005 ..................................................12 

Table 3 - Percentage of Money Laundering Organizations Disrupted or Dismantled by Scope, 200513 

Table 4 - Operational Scope of All DTO Cases Initiated, 2005 .................................................................13 

Table 5 - Drugs Removed from the Marketplace, 2005..............................................................................16 

Table 6 - Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs Removed from the Marketplace by Law Enforcement 

Initiatives, 2005..................................................................................................................................17 

Table 7 - Return on Investment (ROI) for Assets Removed from the Marketplace by Law Enforcement 

Initiatives, 2005..................................................................................................................................17 

Table 8 - Total Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs and Assets Removed from the Marketplace by Law 

Enforcement Initiatives, 2005 ............................................................................................................18 

Table 9 - Prosecution Initiative Cost Per Investigation, 2005 ....................................................................18 

Table 10 - Value of Clandestine Methamphetamine Labs Dismantled in 2005, by Size............................19 

Table 11 - Clandestine Laboratory Activities, 2005 ...................................................................................20 

Table 12 - HIDTA Training Efficiency by Year and Type of Training......................................................20 

Table 13 - Percentage of HIDTA Initiatives Using Event and Case Deconfliction Services, 2005 ...........21 

Table 14 - Percentage of Event and Case Deconflictions Submitted, 2005................................................21 

Table 15 - Percentage of Investigations Provided Analytical Support, 2005 ............................................. 22 

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Table 16 - Percentage of HIDTA Initiative Investigations Referred to Other HIDTAs and Other Agencies, 

2005....................................................................................................................................................22 

X. Reference Documents & Endnotes 

Appalachia HIDTA Threat Assessment for Budget Year 2005 

Appalachia HIDTA Strategy for Budget Year 2005 

Appalachia HIDTA Annual Report for 2004 

Appalachia HIDTA Initiative Quarterly and Year End Statistical Reports 

1

 Of the nearly 20 million current illicit drug users, 14.6 million (about 75 percent) are using marijuana. U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003

National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2004). 2

 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2005). Overview of Findings from the 2004 

National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Office of AppliedStudies, NSDUH Series H-27, DHHS Publication No.

SMA 05-4061). Rockville, MD, Page 3. 3

 Tests results of marijuana samples submitted in October 2004 by the Appalachia HIDTA National Forest Task 

Force to The University of Mississippi, National Center for Natural Products Research, dated February 2005. 4

 Drug Enforcement Administration, www.dea.gov. 5

 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 

Office of Applied Studies, Treatment Episode Data Set, National Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment 

Services, 1992-2001: table 5.1a, table 5,1b, 156-157. 6

 National Institute on Drug Abuse, “NIDA Info Facts: Marijuana”: 3. 7

 U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Drugs and Human

Performance Fact Sheets,” by Fiona J. Couper and Barry K. Logan (March 2005). 8 White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, “White House Drug Czar Launches Campaign to Stop 

Drugged Driving,” press release, citing the New England Journal of Medicine. 9

 “Counties Say Meth Is Top Drug Threat,” by Donna Leinwand, USA Today, July 5, 2005. 10 “Meth’ Moonshiners’ on Rise,” by Gary Taylor, Washington Times, July 10, 2005. 11 Ibid. 12 The Middlesboro (KY) Daily News, August 16, 2005. 13 This document was prepared in CY 2004 using prior year (2004) data for the 2005 budget submission. 14 This document was prepared in CY 2004 using prior year (2004) data for the 2005 budget submission.

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