DEA Philadelphia Field Division Intelligence Program July 2018 UNCLASSIFIED Threats What you already know Pennsylvania is in the midst of a drug abuse and overdose epidemic Prescription opioid abuse fueled heroin abuse ID: 731749
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Trends in Opioid Availability and Abuse
DEA Philadelphia Field DivisionIntelligence ProgramJuly 2018
UNCLASSIFIEDSlide2
Threats
What you already know:Pennsylvania is in the midst of a drug abuse and overdose epidemicPrescription opioid abuse fueled heroin abuseAbuse of prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl has led to the overdose deaths of more than 15,000 Pennsylvanians in the last four years
Pennsylvania is amongst the states with the highest rates of overdose
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Allegheny County
Overdose deaths in 2017 rose 13% from 2016141% increase between 2014 and 201792% involved an opioid in 201774% involved fentanyl in 2017
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MissionDEA’s missionAttack SupplyTo prevent drug abuse, drug-related deaths, and drug-related crime by attacking the supply of illicit narcotics
Reduce DemandReduce demand through education and non-traditional law enforcement partnershipsSlide5
Threats
Primary ThreatMexican Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs)Supply all major illicit drugs of abuse to PennsylvaniaSecondary ThreatRegional re-suppliers of fentanyl related substances originating in China and Mexico
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Prescription OpioidsPositive news…UNCLASSIFIEDSlide7
Prescription Opioid Availability
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170 million
146 million
275 million
259 million
Oxycodone and Hydrocodone Pills Dispensed in PASlide8
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Rx OpioidsOxycodone, primarily 30mg and 10mg, are most frequently sought for non-medical useInitially sourced from friends, relatives, etc.
Obtained via complicit doctors, fraudulent prescriptions, street purchasesPurchased for approx. $1 per milligram on streetUNCLASSIFIEDSlide10
Rx Opioids
ProgressDecreased availability of prescription opioidsPDMP, new prescribing regulationsDEA oversight of registrantsPrevention InitiativesDecreased number of new Rx opioid abusers (NDTA, 2017)
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HeroinUNCLASSIFIEDSlide13
Heroin
Abundance of HeroinChange in Production/SourceLate 2000’s – decrease in cocaine movement by MX TCOs in order to increase heroin trafficking and profitEarly 2010’s - Change in heroin production from SA to MXNeed to recoup lost revenue from marijuana salesResponse to demand in U.S.
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Heroin Production in MexicoSlide15
Heroin
Trends in Drug Seizures Over TimeUNCLASSIFIED
Types of Drugs Seized in PASlide16
Heroin
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536 Kilos
414 Kilos
395 Kilos
DEA Heroin Seizures (NY, NJ, PA)Slide17
Heroin
White HeroinImpact on purity and potential for adulterationImpact on PennsylvaniaEstablished heroin user baseDemand for highly pure productHighest purity heroin in the country for 20 years
Wholesale purities >90%Retail purities from 50-90%
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FentanylIf things weren’t complicated enough….
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Fentanyl
FentanylIntroduced into illicit U.S. drug supply in 2013-2014 (after previous surge in 2006-2007)30-50x more potent than heroin; 50-100x more potent than morphineWho makes it? Where does it come from?
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Fentanyl
Two primary production areas:China supplies precursor chemicals and finished productMexico manufacturing fentanyl in clandestine labs
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Poppy field in Mexico
Clandestine Drug Lab in China
Entirely synthetic process. No plant materials, farmers, weather, etc.
Why switch from heroin production to fentanyl production?
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Drug
Cost per 1 KG to DTO
Wholesale Price per KG in Philadelphia
Revenue to DTO from 1 KG Packaged for Street Sale
Heroin
$5,000-7,000
$65,000
$500,000
(50,000 bags)
Fentanyl
$3,300-5,000
$65,000
$5 million
(500,000
bags)
It’s all about the Money
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Fentanyl
Who brings it, how does it get here, how is it packaged, how is it sold?Mexican TCOs – traditional routes and methodsMixed at street/mill level, not wholesale
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Wholesale heroin and fentanyl seizure (packaged/marked separately). Tied to CJNG.
Heroin
FentanylSlide25
Fentanyl
Recent Trends:2nd
highest number of fentanyl exhibits in the countryFentanyl/Tramadol mixture in powder (multi-kilo) and pill forms50 kilogram seizure in commercial air shipment in Philadelphia, 4-FIBF, 90% purity7 kilo seizure of fentanyl pills destined for Philadelphia
Fentanyl-soaked paper in Pennsylvania prisons
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57 total exhibitsSlide27
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8,131 total exhibitsSlide28
Fentanyl
Fentanyl puritiesNationwide purity of MX produced fentanyl averages 7%7% pure fentanyl is the equivalent of 300% pure heroinIncrease in openly acknowledged sales of fentanyl
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67 Kilos
58 Kilos
200 Kilos
DEA Fentanyl Seizures (NY, NJ, PA)Slide30
What are they?
Who brings it, how does it get here, how is it packaged, how is it sold?
Chinese chemical companies
Darkweb
and Clearnet purchases
Routed through other countries for anonymity
Regional re-distributors filling
darkweb
orders
Attempts to circumvent scheduling/enforcement
Fentanyl Related Substances
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Fentanyl Related Substances
3-methylfentanyl3-methylthiofentanyl4-methoxy-butyryl fentanylAcetyl norfentanylAcetyl-alpha-methylfentanyl
AcetylfentanylAcryl-alpha-methylfentanylAcrylfentanylAlfentanil
Alpha-
methylfentanyl
Alpha-
methylthiofentanyl
Benzodioxole
fentanyl
Benzoylbenzyl
fentanyl
Benzylfentanyl
Beta-hydroxy-3-methylfentanyl
Beta-
hydroxyfentanyl
Beta-
hydroxythiofentanyl
Butanoyl
4-fluoro fentanyl
Butyryl fentanyl
Carfentanil
Crotonyl fentanyl
Cyclopentyl
fentanyl
Cyclopropyl fentanyl
Fluorobutyryl
fentanyl
Fluorofentanyl
Fluoroisobutyryl
fentanyl
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Furanyl
fentanyl
Isobutyryl
fentanyl
Lofentanil
Methoxyacetyl
fentanyl
N-
isobutanoyl
4-fluoro fentanyl
Ortho-
fluorofentanyl
P-
fluorobutyryl
fentanyl
P-
fluorofentanyl
P-
fluoroisobutyryl
fentanyl
Phenyl fentanyl
Remifentanil
Sufentanil
Tetrahydrofuran fentanyl
Thenylfentanyl
Thiofentanyl
Thiofuranyl
fentanylSlide32
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Approximately 500,000 counterfeit pills can be manufactured from one kilogram of fentanyl (2 mgs per pill)Retail prices between $10 and $20 per pillPotential revenue $5 million on one kilogram
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It’s all about the MoneySlide34
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Presence of Fentanyl in Overdose Deaths in Pennsylvania, 2014-2017Slide35
Fentanyl
What is being done to address fentanyl production?Identification and investigation of overseas heroin/fentanyl suppliersIdentification and targeting of regional re-suppliers of fentanyl/fentanyl related substancesIdentification and dismantlement of Mexican fentanyl labsControl of precursor chemicalsCoordination with foreign counterparts in dismantling
darkweb marketplacesScheduling of all fentanyl-related substances in late 2017
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Efforts
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Questions?
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Steve DenhupIntelligence Group SupervisorDEA Philadelphia Field Division
Pittsburgh District OfficeSteven.A.Denhup2@usdoj.gov 215-800-6732UNCLASSIFIED