Los Angeles Joint Drug Intelligence Group Intelligence Bulletin on Diverted Pharmaceuticals & Gang Distribution from March 2010.
Tag Archive for Law Enforcement Sensitive
Customs and Border Protection
(U//FOUO/LES) Customs and Border Protection Bandidos Motorcycle Club Global Map
Customs and Border Protection Bandidos Motorcycle Club global distribution map produced in May 2010.
Department of Homeland Security
DHS Bomb-Making Materials Awareness Program (BMAP) Law Enforcement and Private Sector User Guides
Department of Homeland Ssecurity Bomb-Making Awareness Program (BMAP) Law Enforcement and Private Sector User Guides along with accompanying promotional posters from 2009.
Customs and Border Protection, Texas
(U//FOUO/LES) Customs and Border Protection $1.7 Million Marijuana School Bus Seizure
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Laredo Sector Intelligence Unit seizure of $1,757,665 of marijuana hidden in a cloned school bus from October 2009.
California, Intelligence Fusion Centers
(U//LES) California State Threat Assessment Center: Gangs Seek Training to Enhance Their Skills
This STAC information note is intended to enhance law enforcement community understanding of training venues observed to have been used by gang members and to provide insight into their reasoning for engagement in these observed activities.
Intelligence Fusion Centers, Mississippi
(U//LES) Mississippi Analysis and Information Center Gang Threat Assessment 2010
The following Gang Threat Assessment, prepared by the Mississippi Analysis and Information Center (“MSAIC”), was produced to provide a general outlook of gang presence and criminal activity in the State of Mississippi. Data in this report was obtained from the Mississippi Department of Corrections (“MDOC”) and provides statistics, research and key findings from corrections data, law enforcement reports as well as academic and open source research. This assessment is a follow-up from the Interim Gang Threat Assessment issued by MSAIC in September of 2010. The assessment contains crimespecific and corrections statistics attributed to the four most prevalent gangs (“core” gangs) in the state: Gangster Disciples, Simon City Royals, Vice Lords and Latin Kings. From the four core groups they are attributed to the higher affiliations which are Folk Nation (Gangster Disciples and Simon City Royals) and People Nation (Vice Lords and Latin Kings). The assessment also includes brief descriptions of other gangs including MS-13, Aryan Brotherhood and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs.
Intelligence Fusion Centers, Texas
(U//LES) Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Overview of Pharmaceutical Abuse and Diversion
The threat of pharmaceutical drug abuse and diversion in the Houston HIDTA has been dangerously high and increasing for the past several years. Drug investigators report that it is becoming more widespread, addicting abusers from middle school to middle age. Perhaps the most concerning threat related to pharmaceutical abuse is the alarmingly high potential for overdose or accidental death from controlled prescription drugs. In Harris County alone, from 2006 through 2008 pharmaceuticals were present in over 66% of the 1533 cases of toxicity-related deaths.1 In 2009, over 78% involved pharmaceuticals. Not only is diversion a deadly problem, it is incredibly profitable. Pain management clinic owners gross an average of $4,000-$5,000 per day at each location. A successful owner running multiple clinics can easily make $75,000 a week from only three operations, getting paid entirely in cash.
Texas
(U//FOUO/LES) Mexican Drug Cartels Using Improvised Grenades
Over the last few years, it has become more commonplace to see military-type weaponry such as grenades and assault rifles utilized by Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs). Increasingly, many of the reported hand grenade seizures in United States are illegal, improvised grenades destined for Mexico and the DTOs. These devices have become a weapon of choice for Mexican DTOs because they are cheap, the components are relatively easy to obtain and manufacture, are easily concealable, and can kill or injure large numbers of people indiscriminately. Reports have indicated that grenade attacks originated mostly in southern Mexico around the beginning of President Felipe Calderon’s presidency in 2006, and have steadily spread northward as the conflicts between rival DTO cartels, and Mexican government’s enforcement efforts have intensified in the northern Mexican Border States.
California, Intelligence Fusion Centers
(U//LES) San Diego Fusion Center Tijuana Drug Cartel Ambush Analysis and Gang Collaboration
The intent of this bulletin is to provide Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) with a general knowledge of ambush tactics used by the Tijuana Cartel against Mexican LEOs in Tijuana, Mexico. The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Officer Safety Bulletin dated October 3, 2010, outlining Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations’ (DTOs) and San Diego street gangs’ use of Tijuana Cartel tactics in San Diego County, identified a need for a more comprehensive review of cartel tactics used south of the U.S. border.
Intelligence Fusion Centers, Maryland
(U//FOUO/LES) Baltimore Police 2nd Amendment Support Decal Warning
The company “Legally Concealed” has created and is marketing decals and apparel to the public “specifically to show support and solidarity for the 2nd Amendment”. According to their website, http://www.legallyconcealed.org/ the special symbol, of the (2) silver lines and number “2” on the black background was “designed in the same spirit of the law enforcement “thin blue line””.
U.S. Army
(U//FOUO/LES) U.S. Army “We Are Not Your Soldiers” Anti-War Protest Warning October 2009
A named U.S. anti-war group “We are not your Soldiers” announced on their website that October 6, 2009 will be a “National Day of Resistance against Military Recruiters.” While no specific locations have been mentioned where the protests will occur, the group has called on all individuals across the United States to confront military recruiters at schools and in malls and to protest in front of military recruiting centers. The demonstration organizers plan on using students and teachers to rally students to their cause. They are asking students to wear an orange bandanna or ribbon (the color against torture and war) to show there’s a movement. They are asking students and teachers to invite anti-war veterans to talk to their classes or assemblies.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(U//LES) FBI Bronx Street Gang Leader Laundering Money Using Stored Value Cards
FBI New York case information indicates an identified street gang leader in the Bronx is suspected of using a prepaid Stored Value Card (SVC) to launder illicit proceeds from narcotics transactions. This individual is identified as loading over $20,000 dollars onto this prepaid SVC between November 2009 and March 2011.
Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York
(U//LES) FBI Bloods Street Gang Communicating Through Playstation Network (PSN)
FBI New York case information indicates that Bloods gang members in the Bronx, NY are utilizing PlayStation Network (PSN) to communicate each other while on house arrest. Identified Bloods will post their “PSN tag name”, a self-generated ID used to identify individual users, on social networking web-sites and invite others to connect with them using their PlayStation 3 gaming system. These individuals have been observed sharing “tag names” with each other and discussing intentions to communicate through PSN.
Arizona, Intelligence Fusion Centers
(U//LES) LulzSec Release: Arizona Fusion Center Marijuana-Mushroom Grow Officer Safety
Historically, indoor Marijuana-Mushroom grows have been “no big deal” to law enforcement as a HazMat or public health concern. However, due to recent Arizona events the Department of Public Safety would like to bring situational awareness to law enforcement (LE) and first responders regarding the hazards associated with responding to indoor marijuana grow locations. This information is provided for officer safety purposes.
Arizona, Intelligence Fusion Centers
(U//LES) LulzSec Release: Arizona Fusion Center Undercover Officer Safety Guide
On April 8, 2011, an undercover officer working as part of a drug task force was shot while conducting surveillance. The officer survived the shooting but suffered injuries not only related to being shot but also from having his vehicle rammed several times during the incident. This bulletin is being produced to help outline some of the officer safety issues discussed during the initial review of the shooting incident, which may impact your future surveillance operations. The investigation into this shooting is on-going so specific details are not included, as to avoid compromising that investigation.
California, Intelligence Fusion Centers
(U//FOUO/LES) LulzSec Release: California STAC Gang Infiltration of Law Enforcement Agencies
Infiltration of any law enforcement agency by a gang member can have severe ramifications for the agency involved, its employees, the public it serves, and its allied agencies. Gangs employ various tactics to include infiltrating an agency directly or indirectly, to achieve their objective; to counter this threat, law enforcement must remain cognizant of and employ mitigation strategies. Gangs’ motivations for infiltrating agencies vary; thus law enforcement must remain cognizant of suspicious employee behavior, identify possible motivations for infiltration, and employ mitigation strategies to counter infiltration threats.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(U//LES) LulzSec Release: FBI Kopbusters.com Warning
Barry Cooper operates a website: Never Get Busted.com were he sells self-produced videos titled “Never Get Busted Again,” “Never Get Raided” and a police training video on locating hidden compartments he made while still an interdiction officer. These videos show viewers how to “conceal their stash,” “avoid narcotics profiling” and “fool canines every time,” according to the website. Barry Cooper is a proponent for the legalization of marijuana and was a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Congress District 31 in Texas. Barry Cooper lives in Tyler, Texas and appears strongly motivated to prove his contention that marijuana should be decriminalized and enjoys the publicity generated by this ruse. He has stated an intention to operate again in Odessa, Texas and elsewhere. Barry Cooper and his associates at Kobusters.com have shown the technical ability to stage this type of action and the knowledge to hire “actors” to execute this type of ruse in order to further substantiate their false claims.
Intelligence Fusion Centers
(U//LES) LulzSec Release: EPIC Guide to Detecting Illicit Trafficking by Aircraft
El Paso Intelligence Center: A Police Officer’s Reference Guide to Detecting Illicit Trafficking by Aircraft from October 2009.
Intelligence Fusion Centers, New York
(U//FOUO/LES) LulzSec Release: NYSIC Vehicle Concealment Smartbook 2009
New York State Intelligence Center Concealment Smartbook from April 2009.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(U//FOUO/LES) LulzSec Release: FBI Los Zetas Expanding into Southeast, Midwest U.S.
Intelligence reporting indicates that Los Zetas has expanded its criminal activities including extortion, kidnapping, and drug trafficking, into the Midwest and Southeast United States, and may be collaborating with a newly identified drug trafficking organization (DTO) to expand its role in the illicit drug trade in the Southeast. Los Zetas activities in the United States to date have largely been limited to the US/Mexico border area. The group’s expansion further into the United States could lead to increased smuggling, drug trafficking, and violent crime in the Southeast region, including East Tennessee and Georgia.
Intelligence Fusion Centers, New Jersey
(U//LES) LulzSec Release: New Jersey Fusion Center MS-13 Using Game Consoles to Communicate
As of June 2010, MS-13 members in Los Angeles have directed operational activities of new MS-13 members in Birmingham, United Kingdom, using gaming consoles such as Sony Playstation and Microsoft Xbox 360. The MS-13 leaders appear to be taking advantage of the devices’ voice over internet protocol (VOIP), text chat, virtual world, and video teleconferencing features, which allow them to communicate with fellow gang members overseas.
Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Intelligence Fusion Centers
(U//LES) LulzSec Release: EPIC Language of the Cartels Narco Terminology Report
In 2009, the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) assessed that Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) were operating in the U.S. in at least 1, 286 cities spanning nine regions. Moreover, NDIC assesses with high confidence that Mexican DTO’s in at least 143 of these U.S. cities were linked to a specific Mexican Cartel or DTO based in Mexico—the Sinaloa Cartel (at least 75 cities), the Gulf Cartel/Los Zetas (at least 37 cities), the Juárez Cartel (at least 33 cities), the Beltrán-Leyva DTO (at least 30 cities), La Familia Michoacán (at least 27 cities), or the Tijuana Cartel (at least 21 cities). NDIC assesses with high confidence that Mexican DTOs will further expand their drug trafficking operations in the United States. Due to the rise in violence throughout the Southwest Region and Mexico, members of the Cartels, their associates and their families have been suspected of moving into many U.S. cities along the border. As a result, agencies are requesting information on ways to identify those involved with drug trafficking organizations. The information included in this report is not set in stone as many of these criminal organizations are dynamic and will alter their methods and trends frequently to avoid detection by law enforcement.
California, Intelligence Fusion Centers
(U//FOUO/LES) LulzSec Release: San Diego Cross-Border Kidnapping Threat Assessment
The San Diego Law Enforcement Center (SD-LECC) convened an analytical task force in Spring 2010 to address the question: “What does cross-border kidnapping in San Diego look like?” Intelligence Analysts from Chula Vista Police Department, San Diego Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis analyzed statistical, investigative and open source intelligence from local law enforcement agencies, FBI, DHS, ICE, CBP, DEA and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs to prepare this assessment. There is strong evidence—based on intelligence gathered from traditional and alternative sources, such as banks, hospitals, citizen interviews, wiretaps and private consulting firms—that kidnappings in the San Diego area are widely underreported. Consequently, this assessment offers a strategic baseline only; there is insufficient data to support a definitive study of cross-border kidnapping tactics and techniques. This assessment is intended to support law enforcement executives and practitioners in their efforts to collect additional information and combat this problem.
Arizona, Federal Bureau of Investigation
(U//LES) LulzSec Release: FBI Botnet Owners Distribute Law Enforcement Honeypot IP List
FBI Phoenix Division Cyber Crime Report “Botnet Owners Share Honeypot Internet Protocol Addresses in Attempt to Avoid Law Enforcement and Security Vendor Scrutiny”.
Arizona
(U//LES) LulzSec Release: Arizona “Purple Drank” Warning
In a seizure during an outbound parcel interdiction, Counter Narcotics Alliance (CNA) agents seized a box of wine at the FedEx Tucson hub. The Arizona Department of Public Safety lab analyzed a red fluid concealed in the wine bladder of Franzia boxed wine. The liquid was prescription cough syrup distributed at the street level as “purple drank”, slang for a recreational drug popular in the hip-hop community. The main ingredients are codeine, a narcotic, and promethazine, an antihistamine. Purple Drank is typically mixed with ingredients such as Sprite and pieces of Jolly Rancher candy. Numerous slang terms for purple drank include: “Sizzurp, Lean, Syrup, Drank, Barre, Purple Tonic, Southern Lean, Texas Tea, Memphis Mud, Mrs. Dranklesworth, Tsikuni, Lean, P-Flav, Slip, Purple Sprite, PG Tips, Purp, and Purple Jelly”. The generic prescription name is Phenergan. Reported side effects include: drowsiness, sedation, somnolence, blurred vision, dizziness; confusion, disorientation, lassitude, tinnitus, in coordination, fatigue, euphoria, nervousness, insomnia, tremors, convulsive seizures, excitation, catatonic-like states, hysteria, and hallucinations.