HOUSTON HIDTA

2005 ANNUAL REPORT

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

Illicit drug trafficking continues to afflict the Houston HIDTA region, and the impact is felt in 

nearly every state in the union. The National Drug Intelligence Center has cited Houston as 

potentially the most significant cocaine distribution center in the United States. Despite 

significant accomplishments, much of the Nation’s drug supply is managed still by Houstonbased Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) or their cells. 

Houston %U 

Drug Transportation from Houston SOURCE: NDIC 

Although the above graphic may present a gloomy picture, law enforcement efforts in the 

Houston HIDTA have prevented tons of illicit drugs from reaching the market through seizures 

and the immobilization of some of the world’s most significant criminal enterprises. Houston 

HIDTA Initiatives, working without a funding increase since 1997 and despite major disruptions 

caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, continue to make significant inroads against 

DTOs. Interagency cooperation and collaboration, coupled with technological advances, have 

increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the agencies participating in the HIDTA Program. 

The above picture would be much worse were it not for the sustained effort of the dedicated 

people who make up the Houston HIDTA, and their counterparts in the rest of the country. 

Traffic in and abuse of illegal drugs now affects virtually every component of our society. The 

HIDTA Program is designed to significantly disrupt the market for these illicit activities. Every 

time law enforcement officials seize illegal drugs and associated drug assets, the marketplace for 

illegal drugs suffers a setback. With every arrest, and every time a DTO is disrupted or 

dismantled, traffickers must modify their methods of operation and expend resources on 
something other than business as usual. Every time a DTO changes its operations it creates new 

opportunities for law enforcement agencies to exploit. These law enforcement actions hit drug 

trafficking organizations hard, affecting their profitability, and frequently their survival. By 

disturbing the drug supply chain, particularly at the multi-state or international level, law 

enforcement affects the drug flow before it reaches the individual user. Law enforcement 

activities, of course, also have a cost. A key question emerges, therefore, as to how efficiently 

and effectively public dollars are being spent on these objectives. This Report answers those 

questions. During this past reporting period, Houston HIDTA Initiatives disrupted the market for 

illegal drugs through disruption and immobilization of DTOs, arrests of their principals, seizures 

of drugs and assets, and they did so in a cost effective manner through innovative technical 

advances and cooperative efforts, or doing more with less. (The flat budget since 1997 represents 

a loss of almost $1.49 million in real dollars.) The following highlights illustrate this success: 

• To maximize results, the Houston HIDTA facilitates cooperation and collaboration among 

different law enforcement organizations. About 513 representatives from 34 federal, state and 

local law enforcement agencies participate in the Houston HIDTA Initiatives and task forces. 

With support from the Houston Intelligence Support Center, the Texas Narcotic Information 

System, and the Narcotics Operations Control Center, the Houston HIDTA continues to identify, 

dismantle or disrupt some of the world’s most dangerous and prolific DTOs, drug dealers, money 

launderers, weapons traffickers, and violent criminals. 

• Some of the interagency cooperation and some of the increased efficiency and effectiveness 

stem from technical advances that the HIDTA Program brings to the law enforcement arena. 

These innovations are beyond the missions and scope of the individual agencies and likely would 

not have happened without the HIDTA Program. 

o Because the Houston HIDTA and the South Texas HIDTA have many common interests, 

the two have joined forces in intelligence sharing, Initiative evaluations, event 

deconflictions, and electronic communications. The South Texas HIDTA has joined the 

Houston HIDTA’s Wide Area Network (WAN), which enables the two to share 

information through a secure electronic system. Wire intercepts from S. Texas can be 

monitored in Houston using this system, potentially saving thousands of dollars. 

o A sophisticated camera system at Border Patrol checkpoints provides real-time and 

historical information via the WAN regarding vehicles. This system, installed in 2005, 

and planned for other locations in 2006, has already resulted in successful law 

enforcement operations. Intelligence sources report that traffickers are changing their 

transportation methods as a result. Such changes undoubtedly will create new 

vulnerabilities that law enforcement agencies can exploit. The Houston HIDTA will buy 

enough electronic memory in 2006 to ensure that a photograph of every vehicle that 

crosses these checkpoints in either direction will be maintained electronically for years. 

These records will include most tag numbers and photographs of most drivers. In 2006, 

a live feed from these cameras will be available to all Initiatives on the WAN. 

o A sophisticated airborne surveillance system provides capabilities to all agencies that no 

one agency could afford. This system will result in intelligence, drug seizures, and 

arrests that might not have taken place otherwise. This and other joint intelligence 

projects save thousands of dollars in avoiding investigative duplication of efforts and 

diminish prosecutorial time and expenditures. 

• Illicit drugs are extremely profitable for the organizations that traffic in them. Removing 

DTOs’ profits significantly disrupts their operations and activities. During CY 2005, Houston 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 2 
HIDTA Initiatives removed more than 87 million dollars in illicit drug profits from DTO balance 

sheets. This would be a serious financial blow to even the largest legitimate corporation. Its 

impact on a DTO is greater yet, and represents the potential for a sizeable reduction in illicit drug 

availability. 

• Fighting the battle against illicit drug trafficking costs money. Taxpayer and legislative 

concern may be allayed however, by the fact that every Houston HIDTA budget dollar spent on 

law enforcement and intelligence support activities contributed to the removal of $7.44 in illicit 

drugs from the wholesale market and seizure of $2.53 of drug-related assets. Thus, Houston 

HIDTA Initiatives achieved a combined Return on Investment (ROI) of nearly $10.00 for every 

$1.00 of Houston HIDTA funds invested. 

• HIDTAs exist to disrupt and dismantle DTOs. By the end of 2005, the Houston HIDTA had 

identified 502 DTOs and money laundering organizations, or nearly nine percent of the total 

DTOs identified by HIDTAs nationwide. Law enforcement authorities in the Houston HIDTA 

targeted 346 of those identified, and by the end of the year, had disrupted 218. In addition, 36 

DTOs were totally dismantled, a significant achievement. In total, Houston HIDTA Initiatives 

dismantled or disrupted nearly seventy-three percent of the DTOs they targeted. Two major 

factors kept these numbers from being even higher: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and 

developments along the SW border. 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita affected Houston HIDTA operations in multiple ways, the most 

significant being the diversion of manpower from HIDTA investigations to relief operations. 

The devastation that these storms wreaked upon the Gulf South is well-documented: what is not 

so well recognized is the relief effort that agencies undertook from late August through early 

October in New Orleans and east Texas communities. The effect on the city of Houston is 

larger: more than 250,000 people were evacuated to Houston, of whom more than 100,000 

stayed. These people require police services on a priority basis. Crime rates, particularly the 

murder rate rose, and the trend continued into 2006. For a Police Department with hundreds of 

vacancies, the rising crime rates take a serious toll. 

Escalating violence in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico reportedly has resulted in increased law 

enforcement pressure in the northern states of Mexico resulting, in turn, in fewer U.S. seizures. 

Further, internecine struggles involving the Gulf Cartel with its enforcement arm the Zetas, and 

competing groups have caused changes in smuggling patterns. Although it is too early to make a 

definitive statement, there are indications that the Border Patrol checkpoint camera system 

mentioned earlier has also sparked changes in the way smugglers operate. Most of the Texas 

Coastal Corridor Initiative’s cases stem from seizures that develop into major investigations. 

Seizures in the southern part of the Houston HIDTA, though significant, are down. 

Because of its role as a distribution and transit center affecting the rest of the country, and 

because of the sheer numbers it has to deal with, the Houston HIDTA strives to immobilize 

larger, more complex DTOs where the greatest positive impact can be achieved. Some of these 

are among the most significant traffickers in the world. Disrupting or dismantling such 

organizations may take years, but doing so can substantially reduce the drugs in the illicit 

marketplace. As illustrated by the statistical measures contained throughout this Annual Report, 

during CY 2005, the Houston HIDTA Initiatives targeted complex cases involving large DTOs. 

Of the 254 DTOs disrupted or dismantled, 134, more than half, were international in scope. 

Another 47, or nineteen percent, were multi-state operations. Thus, in keeping with the HIDTA 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 3 
Program mission, more than seventy-one percent of the DTOs that the Houston HIDTA agencies 

dismantled or disrupted affected areas outside the Houston HIDTA. 

Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOT), Regional Priority Organization Targets 

(RPOT) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) targets are by 

definition significant. CPOTs are among the world’s most significant. In 2005, Houston 

HIDTA Initiatives initiated 12 CPOT, 7 RPOT and 21 OCDETF- related cases, bring the total 

such cases under investigation in 2005 to 74, 26, and 96 respectively. 

o Major investigations require major investments of time and resources. It is not 

unusual for Houston HIDTA cases to take years to complete and to require 

significant expenditures from multiple jurisdictions. In Operation End Run, for 

example, HIDTA Major Drug Squads H-33 was investigating a major cocaine 

importation and distribution network with ties to Columbia and Mexico. This 

organization was directly tied to a CPOT target. Intelligence revealed the 

organization’s center of operations was in Houston, with branches in New Jersey, 

New York, Georgia and Illinois. MDS identified two separate cell heads in 

Mexico. In January 2004, a 10,000 kilogram shipment of cocaine was seized in 

Mexico. This cocaine shipment was destined to members of this organization in 

Houston for further distribution to Chicago, Illinois. Between December 2004, 

and October 2005, MDS H-33 initiated 10 Federal Title III wire intercepts on 

cellular telephones used by members of this organization and passed leads from 

the Title III intercepts to New York. Based on these leads NY authorities initiated 

a wire intercept. Leads produced by MDS H-33 and New York led to the DEA 

Bogotá Country Office initiating 16 wire intercepts in Colombia. This 

investigation resulted in the December 2005, indictments of 10 members of the 

organization in the Southern District of Texas, an additional 6 indictments by the 

Eastern Disrtrict of New York and the disruption of this organization. This 

investigation is continuing with additional indictments anticipated. 

• The number and significance of the DTOs operating in the Houston HIDTA make 

collaboration among Initiatives and with other jurisdictions a critical aspect of Houston HIDTA 

operations. Houston HIDTA Initiatives shared thousands of investigative leads with jurisdictions 

in nearly every state and in several countries. These numbers, though impressive, are underreported because Houston HIDTA Initiatives have just begun to track these figures. 

o In one such case, the Targeted Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET) began an 

investigation into the Houston cell of the Mexican Mafia, a violent prison gang 

with influence in and out of the prison system. With their virtually unlimited 

supply of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, Mexican DTOs 

benefit from relationships with gangs, as gangs provide a layer of insulation from 

U. S. law enforcement and serve as enforcers for DTOs. The Texas Mexican 

Mafia works directly with the Gulf Cartel, and their enforcement group, the Zetas. 

TNET identified a Mexican Mafia General controlling the gang’s activities in 

Texas. During January 2005, TNET began “Operation Invicto” and enlisted the 

aid of HIDTA Major Drug Squads (MDS). TNET and MDS coordinated this 

investigation with the U. S. Attorney’s Office (Houston), U. S. Attorney’s Office 

(San Antonio), Texas DPS, Texas Rangers, Texas State Attorney General’s 

Office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, HIDTA (Cameron County), DEA 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 4 
(San Antonio), FBI (San Antonio), DEA (Michigan), DEA (Indiana), DEA (New 

York), DEA (Ohio) and DEA (North Carolina). Demonstrative of the violence 

emerging on the Texas-Mexico border, investigators have cleared 3 capital 

murder cases and 3 additional murder cases while conducting the drug 

investigation of the DTO. Investigators also discovered the gravesites of two 

victims that had been reported missing in the Lower Rio Grande Valley since 

2003, and these murder investigations are ongoing. Federal indictments related to 

this DTO in Houston involve the General, a Lieutenant, and 3 soldiers, along with 

associated family members. San Antonio has also targeted the General and others 

in a RICO case. To date, investigators have been directly responsible for the 

seizure of 11 kilos of Cocaine, 7,200 pounds of Marijuana, 78 pounds of Hashish, 

and U.S. Currency totaling $138,950.00. Many of the seizures resulted from 

TNET sharing information with other agencies along the Southwest Border. 

Additional seizures of 20 kilos of Cocaine by the Ohio DEA and $1 million 

dollars in U.S. Currency by New York DEA involved defendants indictable in the 

TNET/MDS investigation. 

o Another prime example of information sharing across jurisdictions is the Truck 

Air Rail and Port (TARP) Initiative, which is an interdiction initiative that turns 

drug and money seizures into investigations. In furtherance of this effort, TARP 

conducted 67 controlled deliveries in 2005, with 49 resulting in arrests. In one 

such case, a controlled delivery of 8 kg cocaine to Ft. Wayne, Indiana resulted in 

two arrests there, an additional three arrests in Milford, Indiana and seizures of an 

additional 3 kg of cocaine, 127 lbs of marijuana and about $250,000. More 

importantly, a significant local organization was disrupted. None of this would 

have happened without aggressive action from TARP. TARP has also worked 

closely with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to develop money 

laundering cases under Texas law. This is a significant change in prosecutorial 

philosophy that would not have happened without the close collaboration between 

TARP and the DA’s Office. 

• The Houston HIDTA identified 32 money laundering DTOs and targeted 29 in CY 2005. Of 

these, 4 were dismantled and 17 were disrupted. HIDTA Initiatives also seized money and 

property valued at more than $12.5 million. 

o The Houston Money Laundering Initiative (HMLI) is investigating a DTO 

involved in the distribution of MDMA-Ecstasy in the Houston metro area and the 

laundering of the illegal drug proceeds through the organization’s business. The 

organization’s activities spanned California, Texas, Canada Vietnam, and Hong 

Kong. To date, the investigation has identified more than $32 million in drug 

proceeds that were funneled through accounts in Vietnam and Hong Kong. Seven 

(7) principals of the organization were arrested and several of them have pled 

guilty and are currently cooperating with investigators. 

• In addition to its role as a command, control and transit center, the Houston HIDTA has a 

significant local distribution and violent gang problem. Of the 502 DTOs identified, 237 were 

local in scope, but many of the gangs in the Houston HIDTA are multi-state or even 

international. For example, the Gangs and Non-traditional Gangs Squad (GANGS) disrupted 2 

international and 2 multi-state DTOs in 2005. Authorities targeted 94 local DTOs in 2005and 73 

were disrupted or dismantled. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 5 
o Recognizing the impact of gangs on society, the Houston Police Department created a 

Gang Division in 2005. 149 of the gangs operating in Houston also qualify as DTOs and 

GANGS targeted seven of them in 2005. Despite the hurricanes and the energy required 

to organize a new division, GANGS worked with other agencies to develop cases against 

gang members of MS-13, the Latin Kings, and other significant DTOs. GANGS has also 

established liaison with Louisiana agencies through the Gulf Coast HIDTA. 

o Ft. Bend County is a large suburban and rural county adjacent to Houston. 

Traditionally, open-air drug markets have been a major problem, but the Ft. Bend 

Enforcement Team (FBET) has largely forced them out of business. Accordingly, 

the FBET raised its focus and in 2005, and disrupted 2 DTOs and dismantled 1. 

o One of the TNET squads conducts Long Term Abatement Projects (LTAP) which target 

chronic, often violent, crime trends in areas where community-level drug dealing created 

an environment where families/children feared victimization by the criminal element. 

Although the squad targets neighborhoods rather than DTOs, immobilization of a DTO 

often may be the by-product of its efforts. These are locations where the end products of 

the DTOs become very real to the public. In addressing the concerns, TNET used its 

experience from the HIDTA environment in launching the full-spectrum LTAP attack 

against the criminals on behalf the community, using a diverse approach including code 

enforcement, traditional law enforcement and community activism. Highlighting the 

results of one of the LTAP projects in an inner-city area, drug dealing (and the 

commensurate other crime categories) declined sharply in the months that followed. 

Calls for service dropped 60%, assaults dropped 39%, drug arrests dropped 38%, and 

overall crime dropped 15%. One duplex being used as a den for drug users and dealers 

was demolished because of the combined efforts of TNET’s investigators, attorneys, and 

inspectors. 

Continuing its effort to deal decisively with embedded traffickers and nuisance locations, 

the LTAP squad targeted several after-hours clubs that were acting as havens for 

criminals within local communities. One of these locations, the site of a prior murder and 

numerous other violent crimes, was such a threat to civility that patrol officers could not 

go to the location without being attacked or threatened. The cooperative effort provided 

by TNET and its nuisance abatement mechanism resulted in 17 drug arrests, the seizure 

of $23,622 and a court-ordered closure of the business for a minimum of 1 year. 

• The Houston HIDTA continues to play a leading role in assisting the law enforcement, and 

investigative support Initiatives with their information sharing and training needs. Information 

sharing and training support form the “glue” that binds these Initiatives together by promoting 

and facilitating greater efficiency and effectiveness. A secure wide-area network (WAN), 

electronically connecting all Initiatives, allows them to share software and sensitive information, 

which will improve efficiency and save money. Event, case and subject deconfliction has 

enhanced officer safety and diminished duplication of investigative effort. No officer has been 

injured as a result of a failure to deconflict an event through the Narcotics Operation Control 

Center (NOCC). 

o In Operation Pi`Pe a cooperating defendant in a North Carolina drug case was referred to 

TNET, resulting in the seizure of 22 kilograms of cocaine and the identification of a 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 6 
significant DTO operating in the Houston HIDTA. According to a seized computerized 

ledger corroborated by debriefings, this DTO had distributed more than 200 kg in the 

previous two months with cash flow of more than 1.5 million dollars per month. Case 

and subject deconfliction through the Houston Intelligence Support Center (HISC) linked 

the case to another DTO targeted by HIDTA MDS. TNET combined forces with the 

MDS and as a result, several other cells have been identified and targeted. In 2005, the 

joint investigation resulted in the seizure of more than 100 kilograms of cocaine and 

about $500,000 in currency. Members of one cell were found to be in possession of fully 

automatic weapons and bulletproof vests. The investigation will continue in 2006 with 

TNET focusing on the regional aspect of the case and MDS focusing on the international 

aspect. 

o The HISC conducted more than 4,500 case and subject deconflictions in 2005, serving as 

a conduit between agencies that allowed them to avoid duplication of effort and potential 

hazard to investigators. TNIS conducted another 3,900. The HISC was the HIDTA 

Program’s ISC of the Year in 2004 and continued its outstanding support in 2005. Its 

proactive squad develops targets and passes cases to other initiatives. It did so 45 times 

in 2005 , many of which have resulted in significant cases. In addition to the tactical and 

analytical support, the HISC provided three strategic documents in 2005. The first, the 

annual Threat Assessment, identified intelligence gaps that spawned the other two. The 

Methamphetamine Threat Assessment provided important information that the Executive 

Board and member agencies needed to formulate remedies and strategies to combat the 

methamphetamine threat. The HISC distributed more than 40 copies of the 

methamphetamine threat assessments. The HISC Strategic Intelligence Team (SIT), in 

conjunction with the South Texas HIDTA, produced the 2005 Padre Island National 

Seashore (PINS) Threat Assessment. This report provides succinct intelligence and 

analysis regarding Mexican drug trafficking organizations’ use of the PINS to bring 

illegal drugs and illegal aliens into the United States of America. The HISC and the 

South Texas HIDTA distributed this report to regional law enforcement entities and the 

military. It was used as the starting point for a multi-agency operation, primarily by the 

U.S. Border Patrol with military support. 

The HISC also had the honor and privilege of providing an intelligence/training seminar 

for active intelligence personnel of the 1st Cavalry Division of the U. S. Army. The 

training seminar focused on recruiting, maintaining, and handling confidential informants 

and criminal intelligence research methods and analysis. The participants were 

intelligence personnel who were veterans of the Iraq war and scheduled for redeployment 

to Iraq. These soldiers are tasked with recruiting and maintaining Iraqi confidential 

sources. The HISC brought in experienced law enforcement officers from several 

Houston HIDTA initiatives to brainstorm and discuss successful law enforcement 

practices. In addition, the soldiers received one-on-one training with seasoned HISC 

Intelligence Analysts regarding identifying, targeting, and investigating criminal 

organizations. 

The Houston HIDTA joins the other Texas HIDTAs in support of the Texas Department 

of Public Safety-led intelligence Initiative in Austin, the Texas Narcotics Information 

System (TNIS). TNIS’ various units provide the full gamut of intelligence support to all 

the Texas HIDTAs and law enforcement agencies across the state. In 2005, TNIS 

provided more than 20,000 leads to investigative agencies and supported more than 70 

wire intercepts. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 7 
On the proactive side, TNIS personnel notify out-of-state authorities each week regarding 

DPS seizures made involving vehicles or subjects from the different states. These 

account for a large number of investigative leads being sent out to both HIDTA and nonHIDTA investigative groups for whatever follow-up action the recipients deem 

appropriate. Information is also routinely shared on a quarterly basis concerning trucking 

companies believed to be involved in drug trafficking. This list is provided to 

enforcement personnel across the country. Another widely acclaimed publication is The 

PSAT Perspective. It is a monthly news bulletin highlighting significant seizures, officer 

safety issues, concealment and trafficking trends, training, and more. It has been 

heralded as the best such document of its kind in publication. 

New ideas fuel success. The HIDTA Program and the Houston HIDTA encourage innovative 

approaches to counter the increasingly sophisticated measures that traffickers use to avoid 

detection. The sharing plan with the S. Texas HIDTA, the WAN, and the checkpoint camera 

system are but a few of the innovations that are helping participating agencies achieve their 

missions. 

II. INTRODUCTION 

This Annual Report documents Houston HIDTA activity during the last calendar year. To 

fully appreciate the Houston HIDTA’s achievements, it is important to understand how each 

HIDTA is structured, and why it exists. The Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy 

(ONDCP), designates regions with critical drug trafficking problems adversely impacting the 

United States as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs). By design, HIDTA offices 

are located in these areas. Thus, the national HIDTA program, composed of 28 individual 

HIDTAs spread throughout the nation, is uniquely situated to counteract this illicit activity. 

HIDTAs play a significant role in addressing real world drug and drug-related problems, and 

offering real world solutions that agencies on their own would not be equipped to implement. 

The innovations, such as the Wide Area Network or checkpoint camera system, that the HIDTA 

system brings to the counter drug arena transcends the missions of the individual agencies and 

their budgets. The Houston HIDTA has fostered cooperative and effective working relationships 

with more than 34 federal, state and local agencies in its quest to disrupt or dismantle DTOs. 

These working relationships are embodied in the Houston HIDTA Initiatives. A description of 

each Initiative is appended to this document. 

Houston HIDTA law enforcement Initiatives have established priorities that focus on 

immobilizing DTOs, including violent gangs. There is also a determined effort to counter drug 

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

drug sales. One Initiative has focused on clandestine methamphetamine laboratories for the past 

few years. Changes in trafficking patterns dictate that this initiative must elevate its focus to 

DTOs as well. 

To achieve meaningful results, each HIDTA needs clear goals (the HIDTA Program 

Goals); a recognition of the challenges faced (a Threat Assessment); a plan to get there (a 

Strategy with quantifiable performance targets); and a way to document achievements (an 

Annual Report). The overall HIDTA mission is embodied by the National Program Mission 

Statement: 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 8 
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. 

During the previous calendar year, the Houston HIDTA Director and Executive Board 

worked closely with law enforcement agencies and local HIDTA staff to develop a vision of the 

future which clearly reflects what outcomes HIDTA Initiatives seek to achieve. 

Houston HIDTA

Vision Statement

To integrate all agencies within the geographic boundaries of the Houston HIDTA 

into the systematic use of its event, case and subject deconfliction services. 

Houston HIDTA success is measured in part by its ability to facilitate greater efficiency, 

effectiveness and cooperation among participating agencies at the local, state and federal level, 

thus yielding tangible, measurable results. Collocation of different law enforcement agencies to 

facilitate and enhance resource sharing is a key element of the strategy. The extent of 

information sharing and inter-agency cooperation fostered by the Houston HIDTA approach 

proves that separate law enforcement Initiatives are working together effectively and efficiently. 

The Houston HIDTA recognizes that without a clear mission, the law enforcement, 

intelligence and prosecution communities cannot work in concert toward mutual objectives, and 

success cannot be quantified or measured. The Houston HIDTA fully embraces the following 

mission in conjunction with the national program objectives. 

Houston HIDTA

Mission Statement

The mission of the Houston HIDTA is to disrupt the drug market through the 

creation and nurture of intelligence-driven task forces targeting major drug 

trafficking organizations, money laundering organizations and drug gangs. 

Further, the Houston HIDTA will enhance and help coordinate efforts among 

federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 9 
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 $8,800,643 budget for 

Houston HIDTA operations. Houston HIDTA strives to minimize any expenditure that does not 

directly address achieving its primary objectives. Accordingly, the Houston HIDTA allocates 

91% of its allocation directly to its family of Initiatives and their operational support costs. 

Throughout this Annual Report, the Houston HIDTA reports significant success in achieving its 

mission, and its performance is trending positive for the future. HIDTA dollars are well spent 

inasmuch as they are yielding precisely the desired effects. 

Geographic Area of Responsibility: 

The Houston HIDTA encompasses most of the Texas Gulf Coast. Its geographic area of 

responsibility now comprises 16 Texas counties: Aransas, Brooks, Fort Bend, Galveston, 

Hardin, Harris, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Kennedy, Kleberg, Liberty, Nueces, Orange, Refugio, San 

Patricio, and Victoria. The Capital of Texas and the headquarters for Texas Department of 

Public Safety are in Austin, in Travis County, outside of all four of the Texas HIDTAs.

The Houston metropolitan area is centered in Harris County. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 10 
Houston is the nation’s fourth largest city, and with its proximity to Mexico, one of the major 

drug distribution points in the U.S. The area’s transportation infrastructure, racial and ethnic 

diversity, and international trade continue to make the Houston HIDTA region a primary drug 

distribution hub, as well as a conduit and staging area for the movement of illegal proceeds to 

drug source countries. Many of the most notorious and profitable international drug trafficking 

organizations use the Houston HIDTA as a transportation and distribution hub of their U.S. 

operations. Houston-based cells receive shipments and orders, directly or indirectly, through 

these cartels. Targets considered by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as the most significant in 

the world operate from the Houston HIDTA. The southern part of the HIDTA is a major 

transshipment point both by land and by sea. The HIDTA Initiative in Corpus Christi, Texas 

spends much of its resources tracing drug seizures to their sources and to their destinations. 

III. National HIDTA Goals 

HIDTAs nationally have adopted two specific goals to be achieved in meeting the drug 

challenge. These two national goals guide all HIDTA Initiatives and activities throughout the 

United States. The Houston HIDTA demonstrates these national HIDTA program goals, plus 

concise summaries of its Threat Assessment for 2005 and resultant Strategy in the following 

sections. The Houston HIDTA has fashioned an individual strategy to meet 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. 

The HIDTA Goals represent clear targets for Houston HIDTA Initiatives. They also 

provide the foundation for performance planning and outcome measurement. As the Houston 

HIDTA develops budget proposals, each Houston HIDTA Initiative must present programmatic 

and fiscal justifications that are based on the Threat Assessment; must articulate how the 

Initiative’s funding request directly addresses the threat; must set realistic performance 

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

has allowed the Houston HIDTA to meet its desired outcomes. Houston HIDTA Initiatives are 

developed within clear national guidelines governing all HIDTA activities and expenditures. 

The Houston HIDTA Executive Board is significantly involved in all aspects of the 

Houston HIDTA Intelligence, Investigation, and Interdiction activities. The Board provides a 

forum to share important trends in drug trafficking, gathers information on which drugs are being 

distributed throughout the region, and sets priorities for the HIDTA. The Board also addresses 

important administrative issues in its oversight capacity. Houston HIDTA success is measured 

by results, and each Initiative is fully accountable for its success or failure in meeting its 

objectives. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 11 
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 Houston HIDTA establishes 

a sound strategic plan and realistic resource requests which emanate from its well-researched and 

thorough Threat Assessment. The Houston HIDTA Threat Assessment for Budget Year 2005 

provides details on the threats identified. The following summarizes the threat: 

• The Houston HIDTA is a national-level distribution center for most illicit drugs, 

primarily cocaine, marijuana, and Mexican “Ice” methamphetamine due to its proximity 

to the U.S.-Mexico border and its multifaceted transportation and financial 

infrastructures. 

• Houston has emerged as potentially the most significant cocaine distribution center in the 

United States. From 2002 to 2004, more cocaine was seized domestically on highways, 

railways and at airports originating from Houston than from any other U.S. City. 

Cocaine seizure data show that wholesale quantities of cocaine are distributed from 

Houston to numerous significant drug markets in most regions of the country including 

Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, St. Louis and New York. 

• Mexican DTOs pose the greatest criminal threat to the Houston HIDTA. These 

organizations use familial ties and long-established relationships to maintain control over 

transportation and distribution groups. They are among the most significant DTOs in the 

world. 

• Mexican DTOs and criminal groups are the dominant transporters and wholesale 

distributors of illicit drugs into, through, and from the Houston area. Mexican DTOs and 

criminal groups serve as transporters and wholesale distributors of cocaine, marijuana, 

heroin and methamphetamine available in the HIDTA. 

• Street gangs and prison gangs dominate retail distribution of illicit drugs in the Houston 

HIDTA. Much of the violent and property crime in Houston can be attributed to the street 

gang activities, including drug trafficking. 

V. HIDTA Strategy Summary 

The reader is referred to The Houston HIDTA 2005 Strategy for details on the Houston 

HIDTA Initiatives. The following summarizes the Strategy: 

The primary elements of the Strategy are: 

• Cooperative, collaborative, collocated and commingled task forces involving 

federal, state and local law enforcement officers; 

• Intelligence-driven investigations; 

• Investigative priorities; 

• Innovative approaches; and, 

• Accountability and oversight 

All Houston HIDTA Initiatives save one are multi-agency. The exception is the event 

deconfliction initiative, the NOCC, run by Houston Police Department, that provides 

computerized event deconfliction services to all. It does not require the participation of 

other agencies. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 12 
Two Intelligence initiatives, the Houston Intelligence Support Center and the Texas 

Narcotics Information System in Austin (TNIS), provide the full range of intelligence 

services. TNIS’ services are shared across the entire state. TNIS also shares highway 

interdiction information nationally, and enjoys a cooperative relationship with the 

BLOC/HIDTA Watch Center of the Gulf Coast HIDTA. 

In 2004 the Executive Board set the first priority in the Houston HIDTA as cases of 

national significance, i.e., CPOT, RPOT, OCDETF, and cases with clear potential to fall 

into these categories. The target-rich environment in the Houston HIDTA makes this the 

best approach, and the one that best supports the needs of the country. 

Major traffickers notwithstanding, Initiatives must address the local threat as well. Since 

so many drugs transit the Houston HIDTA, Initiatives must work transportation cases, 

and their impetus is to turn drug seizures into drug investigations, especially when a 

seizure relates to primary targets. Several national gang sets operate in the Houston 

HIDTA and many local gangs terrorize neighborhoods. Even in these contexts, the 

Executive Board expects HIDTA Initiatives to pursue investigations to the highest level 

that they can, and to pass investigations to other Initiatives when appropriate. The 

Executive Board evaluates each Initiative to ensure that the majority focus on the first 

priority. 

HIDTA Initiatives combine time-tested methods of operation with innovative approaches 

like the WAN, which allows agencies to share information and software with economy 

and efficiency; the checkpoint camera system, and the aerial surveillance platform. 

These projects transcend the scope of any one agency’s mission. Thus, resources 

provided by HIDTA funds and expertise improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all 

participating agencies. The Executive Board enthusiastically considers proposals for pilot 

projects or specialized task forces as agencies develop them. 

Finally, the Executive Board has developed an Initiative Review Process that requires 

continuous evaluation of Initiatives’ performance through monthly reports that the 

Initiatives prepare and site visits by the Director and his staff. Site visits include 

compliance reviews, fiscal desk audits, and effectiveness evaluations. The Board meets 

bi-monthly and discusses Initiatives that have been reviewed since the last meeting. The 

Board is thus able to deal with problems as they arise, and to reallocate resources as they 

become available or the need becomes apparent. 

In an increasingly competitive policy and budget environment, it is critical for the 

Houston HIDTA to develop strategies and resource requests that will produce positive regional 

outcomes consistent with the two HIDTA goals. The Houston HIDTA funded 13 Initiatives in 

CY 2005 distributed as follows: 

• 5 Investigative DTO focus 

(includes interdiction) 

• 1 Investigative Money Laundering 

Focus 

• 1 Investigative Methamphetamine 

• 1 Gang (drug) focus 

• 3 Intelligence Focus (includes 

event deconfliction) 

• 1 Management Operations focus 

• 1 Training Initiative (no funding) 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 13 
(Note - A description of each Initiative can be found in Appendix E.) 

During the course of the year, one violent crime Initiative was discontinued, with its 

personnel redistributed among other Initiatives. An electronic crimes initiative was created, but 

never became fully operational, so the parent agency absorbed its function. The 

methamphetamine group is in the process of changing its focus from local labs to DTOs 

trafficking in methamphetamine. These actions demonstrate the flexibility of the HIDTA 

program. If an Initiative fulfills its function, or fails to do so, or if trafficking patterns warrant 

change, the Executive Board will make the appropriate adjustments. 

VI. HIDTA Performance Measures 

Working hard does not always equal working smart. HIDTAs across the country have 

instituted procedures aimed at ensuring that HIDTA-sponsored Initiatives work both hard and 

smart. Flat budgets amid rising costs dictate that they must. Performance measures introduce a 

capability to quantify and track HIDTA targets and monitor HIDTA results. With application of 

the Performance Management Process, the Houston HIDTA Annual Report functions as a report 

card; a barometer of HIDTA efficiency and effectiveness; a source for comparison with previous 

year efforts; and most importantly, a beacon for future action. The next series of tables and charts 

present specific outputs and efficiency measures organized in HIDTA Program Goal order. 

These measurable results reflect a continuing increase in efficiency and effectiveness at lower 

programmatic costs of about $1.5 million. More is being accomplished with less...an admirable 

trend: 

A. Performance Measures for Goal 1 

Table 1 – DTOs Identified, Targeted, Disrupted, Dismantled 

Illicit drug trafficking, left unchecked, cuts deeply into the social fabric of our society. Tables 1 

through 4 reflect the remarkable impact Houston HIDTA Initiatives had on DTOs, not only 

within the Houston HIDTA region itself, but also nationally and internationally. At the beginning 

of each year, Houston HIDTA Initiatives are hard at work investigating DTOs that have been 

previously identified, many of which will also have been specifically targeted for disruption or 

total dismantlement. Table 1 shows that as of January 2005, the Houston HIDTA had already 

identified 381 DTOs and targeted 232 for either disruption or dismantlement. More of these 

DTOs were targeted during the course of the year. For example, in 2005 the Houston Money 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 14 
Laundering Initiative extradited the head of a smuggling cell from Colombia to Houston to stand 

trial on charges related to the group’s 2003 activities. During the course of the year, The Houston 

HIDTA had identified 121 additional DTOs, for a total of 502, of which 346 were targeted. By 

the end of calendar year 2005, Houston HIDTA authorities had disrupted 218 and dismantled 36 

DTOs. This is an outcome of more than 73% efficiency. 

Table 2 - Percentage of DTOs Disrupted or Dismantled by Scope 

Table 2 explains Houston HIDTA success in terms of the operational scope of the DTOs 

identified and targeted in calendar year 2005. Of the 502 DTOs identified, 265, or more than 

half, operated beyond the Houston HIDTA region in multiple states, or were involved in 

international operations. Houston HIDTA Initiatives targeted 252 of these major operations, 

disrupting 154 and totally dismantling 27 of the larger targeted DTOs. One hundred thirty four 

international DTOs were either dismantled or disrupted. Through its focus on the more 

sophisticated targets, the Houston HIDTA has a greater impact on the drug market in the rest of 

the country. 

Table 2 also demonstrates the HOUSTON HIDTA’s commitment to reduce retail drug 

sales by targeting 94 local DTOs. This attention to local DTOs resulted in 64 disruptions and 9 

dismantlements. Attacking local DTOs in conjunction with the larger targets has a ripple effect 

in the drug supply chain. Immobilizing a local DTO, even though the drug quantity seized may 

be small, affects the ability of international and multi-state DTOs to get their drugs into the 

hands of drug users, thus helping to reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of this black market 

industry. By making it more difficult and time consuming for drug buyers to score a local 

connection, thus making it more difficult for street level dealers to sell their drugs, the local drug 

markets are not able to move the same volume of drugs with the ease they experienced in prior 

years. Likewise, every arrest has a disruptive effect on the market. Time after time, a relatively 

low-level arrest has resulted in the identification and immobilization of higher-level DTOs. One 

such Houston HIDTA case, Operation Enlightenment, began as a street-level case involving the 

purchase of a small amount of drugs. Aggressive follow-up identified an international cartel 

with connections in Asia and Canada which led to a CPOT investigation. It has since spun off to 

a money laundering investigation and two separate OCDETF cases. Dozens of people have been 

arrested and millions of dollars in drugs and assets have been seized, with more in the planning 

stages. It is an accepted premise that most crime is related in some way to the drug traffic. Also, 

most crime is committed by a relatively small number of offenders. Thus, the disruption of local 

DTOs tends to have a broad effect on the local community and local crime rates. Further, every 

time a local DTO is disrupted or dismantled, the traffickers remaining at large must modify their 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 15 
methods of operations, rendering them more vulnerable to law enforcement operations. Houston 

HIDTA Initiatives arrested 2154 people in 2005. 

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

The drug trade, for the most part, is based on cash sales. Taking the profit out of drug dealing, 

therefore, is a constructive approach to disrupting the drug market. One way to decrease profits 

is to identify and target those DTOs engaging predominately in drug money laundering. As 

reflected in Table 3, Houston HIDTA Initiatives identified 32 money laundering DTOs and 

targeted 29 in CY 2005. Of these, 4 were dismantled and 17 were disrupted. The Houston 

Money Laundering Initiative alone accounted for 17 DTOs, 8 of them money laundering 

organizations, disrupted or dismantled; 43 arrests; cash and asset seizures valued at about $6 

million; and drug seizures of about 500 lbs of cocaine and 14,000 lbs of marijuana. The profit 

margins of several DTOs suffered as a result of these enforcement actions. The Suspicious 

Activity Report (SAR) Review Team opened numerous cases based on research of various 

financial intelligence information systems, and seized more than $1 million in the process. 

Table 4 - Operational Scope of All DTO Cases Initiated 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 16 
The Houston HIDTA strategy requires Initiatives to develop cases that have the potential 

to qualify for OCDETF, RPOT or CPOT designation. Of the 114 new DTOs targeted in 2005, 

12, 7 and 21 respectively received CPOT, RPOT or OCDETF designation. Added to the existing 

targets being actively investigated at the beginning of the year, the total is 74, 26, and 96 

respectively, clearly demonstrating the Houston HIDTA’s focus on major investigations. 

Tables 1-4 clearly reflect the nature of the Houston HIDTA’s enforcement efforts and 

demonstrate its effectiveness in achieving its targeted outcomes. In every instance, the Houston 

HIDTA achieved or exceeded its performance targets. In some ways, the targets were based on 

new ways of measurement and may seem low. The planning process will improve in time. 

Table 5 - Drugs Removed from the Marketplace 

*SOURCE – NDIC NATIONAL ILLICIT DRUG PRICES DECEMBER 2005 (mid point between high and low estimates) 

Seizing drugs from a DTO is like eliminating inventories from a corporate sales 

department, leaving it with nothing to market. During CY 2005, the Houston HIDTA had a 

significant impact on the region’s drug trade through its drug seizures. Table 5 lists the 

wholesale values of the respective drugs seized, thus giving a true depiction of the economic 

impact of removing these drugs from the marketplace. In this fashion, achieving the Houston 

HIDTA goals is more clearly shown in terms of real dollar outcomes. It should be noted, 

however, that many of the drugs seized were destined for other parts of the U.S., where the 

wholesale values are much higher. Thus, the $65 million price tag is most likely an 

underestimate. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 17 
Table 6 - Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs Removed from the Marketplace by Law 

Enforcement Initiatives by year 

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

Enforcement Initiatives by year 

Houston HIDTA Initiatives seized more than $22,000,000 in drug assets during CY 2005, 

thereby reducing availability and subsequent use in the illicit economy. This yields an ROI of 

$2.53 for every $1.00 of HIDTA funding invested in Houston HIDTA law enforcement and 

intelligence Initiatives. It is well recognized, of course, that additional law enforcement dollars 

from agencies outside HIDTA for such expenses as officer salaries, police overhead and so forth, 

also contribute to seizures. Tables 5, 6 and 7 do not attempt to calibrate such outside expenses, 

but focus directly on what HIDTA spends. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 18 
Table 8 - Total Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs and Assets Removed from the 

Marketplace by Law Enforcement Initiatives 

A modern business corporation is hurt by a reduction in its bottom line profits. A DTO is 

crippled the same way. Tables 5, 6 and 7 demonstrate the efficiency of the Houston HIDTA 

insofar as removing illicit drugs and drug profits from the DTOs. 

In all, the Houston HIDTA permanently removed $65 million in illicit drugs and $22 

million in drug profits from the marketplace. When examined in budget terms, these results yield 

an impressive rate of return (ROI) of $10.00 for every $1.00 of HIDTA funding invested in 

Houston HIDTA law enforcement and intelligence Initiatives. These rates of return compare 

favorably to the best run businesses in the private sector. Significant benefits were achieved at 

low cost . . . . 

Table 9 - Prosecution Initiative Cost per Investigation, 

NA-Houston HIDTA does not have a prosecution Initiative 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 19 
Table 10 - Value of Clandestine Methamphetamine Labs Dismantled, by Size 

Methamphetamine abuse is an escalating drug problem in many HIDTAs across the 

country, and the Houston HIDTA region is no exception. Using the requisite chemicals and other 

precursor equipment, almost anyone foolish enough to ignore the dangers associated with 

methamphetamine production, coupled with the risk of arrest, can open a methamphetamine lab 

and start production. Fortunately, new legislation in Texas makes it difficult for potential 

methamphetamine producers to acquire the necessary precursor materials, and set up the labs 

required to achieve their illegal objectives. Table 10 shows that the MIG dismantled 37 

methamphetamine drug laboratories of various sizes. At a local selling price of $900 per ounce 

on the street, it conservatively stopped the production of more than $500,000 worth of raw 

methamphetamine. These figures are conservatively based on an assumption that each laboratory 

would have conducted only one production run. This represents a decrease of about 40 percent 

in the number of labs seized, indicating that the legislation is having the desired effect, at least 

for the short term. The MIG intends to focus more on mid-level methamphetamine traffickers in 

2006 to respond to the increase in Mexican methamphetamine. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 20 
Table 11 - Clandestine Laboratory Activities 

HIDTA Investigative Activities, 2005 

Baseline # 

Targeted # Identified % Identified Actual Change from Baseline 

Suspicious 

Precursor/Essential 

Chemical Transactions* 

Laboratory Dump Sites 

Chemical/Glassware 

Seizures 

The Houston HIDTA did not collect this data in 2005. 

B. Performance Measures for Goal 2 

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

Training is essential in improving both the efficiency and effectiveness of Houston 

HIDTA operations. The Houston HIDTA coordinated training for 1,725 students in 2005 for a 

total of 13,332 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 Houston HIDTA on average $2 per classroom hour, was provided free 

of charge to Houston HIDTA assigned and participating agency investigators. Most of the 

training was at no cost to the HIDTA. Some of the courses required travel, which accounts for 

the average cost per training hour. Most of these training courses would not have been available 

without Houston HIDTA support and coordination. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 21 
Training also offers a special way for officers to network. It is common for classmates to 

contact one another on investigative matters, which also increases their effectiveness and 

efficiency. 

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

Note: Table 13 creates the impression that more Initiatives are targeted to deconflict than 

actually exist. This is due to some double reporting. The bottom line is that 100 percent of 

Initiatives that should use event and case deconfliction services do so. 

Table 12 - Percentage of Event and Case Deconflictions Submitted 

Separate law enforcement Initiatives or groups, while aggressively pursuing suspects or 

covering an event, can easily cross paths in the field. This can be dangerous if either party is 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 22 
unaware of the other. At worst, it could cost an officer or bystander his or her life in a dangerous 

encounter. It could also result in inefficient duplication of effort. Thus, information which can 

serve to deconflict such potential encounters is vital to well coordinated policing. The Houston 

HIDTA provides such information through its Intelligence Initiatives to any law enforcement 

agency that wishes to participate in the process, regardless of HIDTA affiliation. These services 

promote officer safety, conserve resources and help to coordinate investigations. All of the 

Houston HIDTA Initiatives eligible to use Houston HIDTA deconfliction services did so. Tables 

13 and 14 depict how well Houston HIDTA Initiatives and participating agencies used these 

services. The Initiatives greatly overestimated the number of deconflictions they would conduct 

in 2005 because of a misunderstanding of definitions during the planning cycle. Nevertheless, 

the total number increased by about eight percent over baseline figures. The figures also 

represent case or subject deconflictions conducted through TNIS, which supports the entire state. 

Thus, some of the deconflictions were not related to Houston HIDTA investigations. 

Table 3 - Percentage of Investigations Provided Analytical Support 

The role of the Intelligence Analyst in major investigations is well established in drug law 

enforcement. Some of the most significant prosecutions in the world have hinged upon the 

connections and overt acts that analysts have been able to document through research, telephone 

analyses, or debriefings of cooperating individuals. The Houston HIDTA has long recognized 

the importance of intelligence support. Because of TNIS’ role in supporting all the Texas 

HIDTAs and other law enforcement, not all of the above cases were Houston HIDTA cases. 

Nevertheless, the commitment is apparent, as are the results. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 23 
Table 4 - Percentage of HIDTA 

Initiative Investigations Referred to Other HIDTAs and Other Agencies

Tables 15 and 16 depict the positive outcome achieved by Houston HIDTA Initiatives in 

the areas of Investigation Support and Affiliated Case Referrals. These activities, which are well 

over projections, are essential to the Houston HIDTA goal of improving efficiency and 

effectiveness through information sharing and coordinated intelligence. The Houston HIDTA far 

exceeded the anticipated number of requests for analytical support. Further, Houston HIDTA 

investigators and analysts referred at least 442 investigations either to other HIDTA regions or 

other agencies for closer scrutiny and subsequent action. This does not begin to capture the 

thousands of investigative leads that Houston HIDTA Initiatives pass to other HIDTAs or to 

non-HIDTA agencies or groups, many of which had positive results. 

VII. Conclusions 

CY 2005 is only the second year that the Houston HIDTA reported Initiative operational 

targets and subsequent outcomes using the new Performance Management Process (PMP) 

efficiency and effectiveness performance measurement tables spread throughout this Annual 

Report. As in any new project, productivity estimates may be off in the early years, but improve 

in time. The Houston HIDTA underestimated its DTO and intelligence productivity and 

overestimated what its seizures would be. The results are nevertheless impressive by any 

standard. Clear evidence of successful Initiative productivity is present throughout the report, 

and one must conclude the inescapable . . ., DTOs are being disrupted or dismantled (Goal 1), 

and these accomplishments are being done efficiently, effectively and at less budgetary cost 

through HIDTA sponsored training and information sharing (Goal 2). 

Cheaper, of course, is not necessarily better. Merely because an Initiative improves its 

performance without increased funding does not prove efficiency or effectiveness by itself. 

Positive outcomes can also be illustrated by positive behavioral changes exhibited by Houston 

HIDTA program participants. Key questions to be asked . . . are law enforcement agencies 

working together better and more effectively? Is information reaching the people who need it? 

Have traditional barriers among different law enforcement agencies been eroded sufficiently that 

these entities can find a common ground to pursue common goals? Are we making REAL 

progress in addressing illicit drug trafficking? Has the Houston HIDTA contributed to achieving 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 24 
these outcomes? The results set forth in this CY 2005 Annual Report confirm that all these 

questions can be answered affirmatively in qualitative and quantitative terms. 

Historically, it was uncommon for diverse law enforcement entities to share strategic or 

operational information, except on a case-by-case basis. Many agencies feared a breach of 

security or confidentiality if they permitted “outsiders” to look at confidential files. Naturally, 

this foreclosed many opportunities to avoid duplication of effort, and one can only speculate 

about how many drug and other violent crimes remain unsolved because information held by one 

department or agency was never shared with another. Fortunately, in the fifteen years the 

Houston HIDTA has been in existence, there has been a steady, positive increase in interagency 

collaboration and cooperation as demonstrated by the number of queries or data elements shared 

through the Houston HIDTA infrastructure, number of interactions between law enforcement and 

intelligence activities, and a significant increase in cooperative, efficient and effective 

interagency effort. Bottom line . . . interagency barriers are gradually but steadily falling. 

Technology is also facilitating this behavioral transition. Disparate database files that could not 

be connected in the past can now communicate, over high-speed computer networks to share 

data and facilitate joint law enforcement and intelligence Initiatives, not only in the Houston 

HIDTA, but across the country. 

With support from the Houston HIDTA Intelligence Initiatives, law enforcement 

Initiatives continue to make significant progress in identifying, investigating and dismantling 

some of the most dangerous and prolific drug dealers and money launderers operating in the 

world. As the tables and charts presented throughout this report clearly attest, Houston HIDTA 

Initiatives have achieved their primary Goal 1 objectives. 

Illicit drug availability has been reduced. Some highlights include seizing 29 kilograms 

of heroin, nearly 2,000 kilograms of cocaine HCL, nearly 39,000 kilograms of marijuana, 

approximately 42 kilograms of methamphetamine, plus significant quantities of miscellaneous 

other drugs. These seizures equated to more than $65,000,000 in wholesale value . . . a 

staggering amount removed from the market place. Had the drugs been allowed to reach their 

final destinations, where drug prices are always higher, the figures would be even more 

impressive. These seizures, coupled with drug asset seizures exceeding $12,000,000, have put a 

major crimp in DTO activities. These DTOs have trafficked in many tons of drugs in the past: 

they will be unable to do so in the future. The potential impact staggers the imagination. Two 

hundred fifty DTOs were either severely disrupted or totally put out of business. Overall, the cost 

of doing business for the Houston HIDTA DTOs has been dramatically increased All this was 

accomplished with a static budget since 1997, representing a $1.3 million cut in spending power. 

Houston HIDTA is pleased that its Initiatives comply fully with the precepts of Goals 1 

and 2. They have been efficient and effective in achieving their results to date, and continue to 

improve. CY 2005 marked a positive point in the Houston HIDTA history of fighting illicit drug 

activities. 

For several years the Houston HIDTA has been developing the necessary technology and 

expertise to facilitate strategic planning to maximize its operational results. During CY 2004, the 

Houston HIDTA Mission was refined, and the organization developed a clear vision of where it 

wanted to be, and what it wanted to accomplish for the foreseeable future. 2005 marked progress 

toward that vision. A shift in the organizational paradigm has taken place based on recognizing 

that operational effectiveness can and should be measured and held up to the light of 

accountability. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 25 
Measurable results for each federal dollar spent . . . this principle has been adopted as a 

key component of the Houston HIDTA focus on meaningful outcomes. This is one of the 

principles that guide how every Houston HIDTA Initiative approaches its effort to reduce drug 

trafficking. Thirty-three federal, state and local agencies in the Houston HIDTA region 

participate in the Houston HIDTA law enforcement, investigative support, and training 

Initiatives. Proactive, innovative thinking is also the touchstone of Houston HIDTA local support 

as staff strives to foster efficiency and effectiveness among the Initiatives under its guidance, 

through interagency cooperation, collaboration and information sharing. 

VIII. Appendices 

A. Table of Organization for the HIDTA. 

B. Table listing composition of Executive Board showing local, state and federal affiliation. 

C. List of participating agencies. 

D. HIDTA PMP Matrix 

E. HIDTA Initiatives - (Optional listing with brief descriptions) 

IX. List of Tables and Charts 

Table 1 - Percentage of DTOs Disrupted or Dismantled by Scope, 2005................................... 14

Table 2 - Percentage of Money Laundering Organizations Disrupted or Dismantled by Scope, 

2005 ................................................................................................................................. 16

Table 3 - Operational Scope of All DTO Cases Initiated, 2005 ................................................. 16

Table 4- Drugs Removed from the Marketplace, 2005.............................................................. 17

Table 5 - Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs Removed from the Marketplace by Law 

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

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

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

Table 7 - Total Return on Investment (ROI) for Drugs and Assets Removed from the 

Marketplace by Law Enforcement Initiatives, 2005........................................................... 19

Table 8- Prosecution Initiative Cost Per Investigation, 2005 ..................................................... 19

Table 9 - Value of Clandestine Methamphetamine Labs Dismantled in 2005, by Size............... 20

Table 10 - Clandestine Laboratory Activities, 2005 .................................................................. 21

Table 11 – Houston HIDTA Training Efficiency by Year and Type of Training ....................... 21

Table 12 - Percentage of HIDTA Initiatives Using Event and Case Deconfliction Services, 2005

......................................................................................................................................... 22

Table 13 - Percentage of Event and Case Deconflictions Submitted, 2005 ................................ 22

Table 14 - Percentage of Investigations Provided Analytical Support, 2005.............................. 23

Table 15 - Percentage of HIDTA Initiative Investigations Referred to Other HIDTAs and Other 

Agencies, 2005 ................................................................................................................. 24

X. Endnotes - Sources of essential information referenced in this report. 

Houston HIDTA Threat Assessment for CY 2005

Houston HIDTA Strategy for 2005

Houston HIDTA Initiatives’ Annual Reports

Houston HIDTA Initiatives’ Monthly Reports

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 26 
Houston HIDTA Methamphetamine Threat Assessment, October 2005 

Padre Island National Seashore Threat Assessment, Houston HIDTA, 2005 

Southwest Region Drug Threat Assessment, NDIC, June 2005 

Houston Drug Money Laundering: Methods and Organizations Threat Assessment, NDIC, April 

2005 

Bulk Cash Transportation Threat assessment, NDIC, March 2005 

National Illicit Drug Prices, NDIC, December 2005 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 27 
APPENDIX A

Houston HIDTA 

Organizational Structure for CY/2005 

Office of National 

Drug Control Policy 

Working Group 

Houston Money 

Laundering Initiative 

Gang and Nontraditional Gang 

Squad 

Major Drug Squads 

Methamphetamine 

Initiative Group 

Targeted Narcotics 

Enforcement Team 

Texas Coastal 

Corridor Initiative 

Texas Narcotics 

Information System 

Houston Intelligence 

Support Center 

Houston HIDTA 

Executive Board 

HIDTA Director* 

Trafficker 

Enforcement 

Gang

Investigation 

Intelligence

Development 

Narcotics Operations 

Coordination Center 

Truck, Air, Rail, Port 

Initiative 

Budget Sub-Committee 

Intelligence Sub-Committee 

Ft. Bend Enf. 

Team. 

Money Laundering 

Investigation 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 28
APPENDIX B Houston HIDTA Executive Board 

Federal: 

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms......... Donnie Carter, SA 

• Drug Enforcement Administration................. James Craig, SAC, Chair 

• Federal Bureau of Investigation.................... Rod Beverly, SAC 

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement.......... Bob Rutt, Acting SAC 

• Internal Revenue Service............................ Jackie Collins, SAC 

• U.S. Attorneys Office................................ José Moreno, AUSA 

• U.S. Marshals Service.............................. Ruben Monzon, U.S. Marshall 

• U.S. Secret Service................................... Dennis Lindsay, SAC 

State and Local: 

• Texas Department of Public Safety................ James Brubaker, Commander, 

Narcotics 

• Corpus Christi Police Department................. Brian Uhler, Commander 

• Houston Police Department........................ Daniel Perales, Assistant Chief 

• Harris County Sheriff's Office..................... George Sturgis, Major, Detective 

Bureau 

• Harris County District Attorney’s Office..........Ted Wilson, Chief, Special Crimes 

• Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.................. Mitch Woods, Sheriff 

• Ft. Bend County Sheriff’s Office.................. Milton Wright, Sheriff, Vice Chair 

• Pasadena Police Department........................Jack Fry, Assistant Chief 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 29 
APPENDIX C List of Participating Agencies – Houston HIDTA 

Federal 

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

United States Marshal Service

United States Secret Service

Internal Revenue Service

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms

United States Coast Guard

United States Attorney's Office, SDTx

United States Park Service

State 

Texas Department of Public Safety

Texas Attorney General's Office

Texas National Guard

Sam Houston State University 

Local 

City of Baytown

Corpus Christi P.D.

Ft. Bend County Sheriff's Office

Ft. Bend County District Attorney’s Office

Harris County District Attorney's Office

Harris County Sheriffs Office

Houston City Attorney's Office 

Houston Fire Department

Houston Police Department 

Houston Public Works and Engineering 

Department

Houston City Attorney’s Office

Jefferson County Sheriff's Department

Kingsville P.D.

Meadows Place P.D.

Missouri City P.D.

Nueces County Sheriff's Office

Pasadena Police Department

Richmond P.D.

Rosenberg P.D.

Sugarland P.D.

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 30 
APPENDIX D HOUSTON HIDTA PMP MATRIX 

Electronic Version of this report.....See Attachment 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 31 
APPENDIX E Houston HIDTA Initiatives 

1. Major Drug Squads (MDS): A collocated, commingled, multi-jurisdictional task 

force, conducting complex investigations of DTOs operating at regional, national and 

international levels, to disrupt and dismantle those DTOs at their highest levels. The 

MDS promotes enhanced and coordinated drug control efforts with other local, state and 

federal entities. All intelligence developed in pursuit of these targets is shared with the 

major Federal databases, EPIC, TNIS and the HISC. 

Participants: Drug Enforcement Administration 

Federal Bureau of Investigation 

Harris County Sheriffs Office 

Houston Police Department 

ICE 

Internal Revenue Service 

Pasadena Police Department 

Sam Houston State University 

Texas Department of Public Safety 

Texas National Guard 

United States Marshal Service 

United States Secret Service 

2. Truck, Air, Rail and Port (TARP): TARP is the evolution of an entity formed in 

FY/97 as the Currency-Narcotic Transportation Initiative (CNTI). This collocated, multiagency Initiative attempts to interdict illegal drugs and currency and the traffickers 

thereof, through investigative enforcement at hubs of distribution, i.e., airports, seaports, 

rail stations, bus stations, and express mail couriers. Major organizations are the ultimate 

targets. Supports other Initiatives and conducts controlled deliveries. 

Participants:

Houston Police Department 

Drug Enforcement Administration

Harris County Sheriffs Office

ICE

Texas Department of Public Safety

3. Targeted Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET). Restructured and renamed in 

April 2001, this Initiative was formerly known as the Targeted Offenders Group (TOG). 

The unit addresses mid-level DTOs, “Club Drugs”, stash houses and informant 

development. This Initiative enjoys a very close relationship with Major drug Squads 

and the Houston Intelligence Support Center. One of this Initiative’s squads employs a 

multi-jurisdictional approach to recapture neighborhoods that includes State and Federal 

prosecution, building code violations, and the varied enforcement authorities of Federal, 

State and Local agencies. 

Participants: Houston Police Department 

Federal Bureau of Investigation 

BATF 

Houston City Attorney’s Office 

Houston Fire Department 

Houston Public Works & Engineering Dept. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 32 
ICE

Texas Department of Public Safety

4. The Texas Coastal Corridor Initiative (TCCI): Nine Texas counties in and around 

the City of Corpus Christi were authorized by Congress in April 1997 to become part of 

the Houston HIDTA. Law enforcement leaders in the area were able to demonstrate that 

this particular corridor between the United Mexican States and the Houston metropolitan 

community plays a vital role in the drug threat. This collocated, multi-agency task force 

effort focuses on three fronts: 1) Identification and targeting of drug trafficking 

organizations operating in the area; 2) Collection and dissemination of intelligence data 

acquired from arrestees at the Border Patrol checkpoints located in their area and 

developing drug investigations from that information; 3) Collection, dissemination and 

coordination of investigation information emanating from money seizures in the area. 

The Padre Island National Seashore has developed as a major threat in recent years and 

the Initiative expends considerable effort investigating DTOs using the PINS. 

Participants: Corpus Christi Police Department 

Drug Enforcement Administration

ICE

Internal Revenue Service

Kingsville P.D.

BATF

Nueces County Sheriffs Office

Texas National Guard

Sam Houston State University

U.S. Coast Guard 

U.S. Park Service 

5. The Methamphetamine Initiative Group (MIG): This Initiative was created in 2002 

in response to the developing threat of increased trafficking and manufacture of 

methamphetamine in the Houston HIDTA area. A reallocation and shifting of HIDTA 

resources was required to initiate this group due to the flat-line nature of the budget. The 

DPS led squad, formerly assigned to the MDS, was removed and became the basis of the 

new initiative. As the threat changes from small, local clandestine labs to importation of 

Mexican methamphetamine, the Initiative will also change its focus. It plans to relocate 

to DEA space in 2006 and focus on mid-level methamphetamine DTOs. It will respond to 

local labs as well. 

Participants: Texas Department of Public Safety 

Drug Enforcement Administration 

Harris County Sheriffs Department 

Houston Police Department 

Sam Houston State University 

6. Ft. Bend Enforcement Team: Formed in 2002 to deal with traffickers in Ft. Bend 

County, which is a large suburban and rural county adjacent and part of the Houston 

Metropolitan area. This is the only formal drug law enforcement in Ft. Bend County. 

Initially, the Initiative dealt largely with open-air drug markets. As the open air markets 

have gone underground, the Initiative has enlarged its focus to include DTOs. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 33 
Participants: Ft. Bend County S.O.

Sugarland P.D.

Missouri City P.D.

Meadows Place P.D.

Richmond P.D.

Rosenberg P.D.

DEA

Ft. Bend County D.A.’s Office

b. Money Laundering Initiative: 

Houston Money Laundering Initiative (HMLI): A collocated, multi-jurisdictional task 

force established to intercept narcotic trafficking profits through the identification, arrest and 

prosecution of money launderers and their organizations. This unit has a dual function of 

analyzing intelligence data to reveal new trends and methods of money laundering to constantly 

and effectively readjust its investigative efforts. HMLI was reorganized in January 2002 to 

include the addition of a Suspicious Activity Report Review Team and an additional ICE 

investigative group. The HMLI shares its data with all of the major Federal databases, and with 

NDIC, FINCEN, EPIC, TNIS and the HISC. 

Participants: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Harris County Sheriffs Office

Houston Police Department 

Internal Revenue Service

Pasadena Police Department

Texas Attorney General's Office 

EOAF

c. Gang Initiative: 

Gangs And Non-traditional Gang Squad (GANGS): Identify, monitor, disrupt and 

dismantle the activities and membership of traditional and non-traditional criminal/drug 

gangs in the greater Houston area. In 2005, Houston P.D. created a Gang Division to 

deal with this growing problem. Gangs with multi-state operations are a major focus. 

The linked utilization of a specifically designed software program, the Gang Tracker, is 

central to their operation. 

Participants: Drug Enforcement Administration

BATF

FBI

ICE

Harris County Sheriffs Office

Houston Police Department

Sam Houston State University 

d. Intelligence Initiatives: 

1. Houston Intelligence Support Center (HISC): Organized to deliver accurate and 

timely strategic, organizational, and tactical intelligence on drug related criminal activity 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 34 
within the Houston HIDTA that is consistent with the goals and objectives of the 

National Drug Control Strategy, responds to the Houston HIDTA Threat Assessment and 

provides for the effective and efficient use of counter-drug resources. The HISC is the 

focal point of all intelligence developed by the other Houston HIDTA Initiatives. 

Participants: Federal Bureau of Investigation 

Drug Enforcement Administration 

Harris County Sheriffs Office 

Houston Police Department 

ICE 

Internal Revenue Service 

Texas Department of Public Safety 

Texas National Guard 

United States Coast Guard 

City of Baytown 

Sam Houston State University 

Texas Office of the Attorney General 

2. Narcotics Operation Control Center (NOCC): A deconfliction unit established to 

coordinate narcotic operations for all agencies involved in drug law enforcement in the 

Houston area, to promote officer safety and prevent agency overlap or conflict in 

investigations. 

Participant: Houston Police Department (ONDCP has consistently granted a program 

policy exemption to this initiative.) 

3. Texas Narcotic Information System (TNIS): TNIS includes two former separate 

entities reported and funded as the Texas Narcotic Information System (TNIS) and the 

Post Seizure Analysis Team (PSAT). The 2002 reorganization and consolidation of the 

two Initiatives into one created four components making it the System. The Narcotics 

Analytical Team (NAT) provides tactical case support and assistance to interested local, 

state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Case support includes, but is not limited to, 

background checks of intelligence data on trafficking suspects and organizations, 

timelines, charts, pen register and toll analysis, wire intercept analysis, and case support 

books. NAT analysts supporting narcotics trafficking investigations write reports into the 

Criminal Law Enforcement Reporting and Information System (CLERIS). CLERIS data 

is available to registered system users. PSAT, among other functions, collects, analyzes 

and disseminates data from drug and currency seizures. The maintenance and population 

of this seizure database in CLERIS enhances efforts to develop conspiracy cases by 

PSAT personnel and other law enforcement groups. PSAT also assists drug enforcement 

personnel by responding to requests for assistance in seizure-related matters, by 

producing and distributing intelligence briefs, and by supporting special programs 

concerning drug interdiction, domestic marijuana eradication, drug package markings, 

and the tracking of clandestine laboratories. The Support Service Center (SSC) is the 

technical staff that installs, maintains, trains and promotes the use of CLERIS, and 

provides access to the Southwest Border States Anti-Drug Information System 

(SWBSADIS). The fourth segment of the TNIS is the Texas Narcotics Information 

Network (TNIN), which is the technology (software, hardware, and dedicated computer 

networks of data lines) that comprise CLERIS. 

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 35 
Participants: Texas Department of Public Safety

Drug Enforcement Administration 

FinCen

ICE

Texas National Guard

e. Management and Coordination Initiative: 

Administration Initiative (Includes a separate Training Initiative): Supports the 

office of the Director in the management of grant funds destined to maintain the 

administrative office of the Houston HIDTA. Coordinates intelligence and training 

efforts for the HIDTA. Provides IT support for the HIDTA. 

Participants: City of Baytown

Drug Enforcement Administration

Houston HIDTA 2005 Annual Report 36