Poisons in paradise: How Mexican cartels target Hawaii with meth, fentanyl
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| Poisons in paradise: How Mexican cartels target Hawaii with meth, fentanyl |
HONOLULU — Locals tout the tangerine sunsets from Oahu's quieter west coast, but homeless tents that dot the ocean's edge hint at a growing problem — poisons in paradise brought in by Mexican cartels.
The dominant super cartels — Sinaloa and its rival, the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación, known as CJNG — run drug pipelines through California and Nevada to flood Oahu with meth and other drugs, including fentanyl, said Victor Vazquez, assistant special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's operations in Hawaii.
"It's alarming," he said. "If it wasn't for the ocean, the drugs would be driven straight to Waikiki," referring to the bustling tourist spot of Honolulu's south shore, lined with high-rise hotels, restaurants and shops.
Similar to remote Alaska, cartels face less competition in Hawaii, when compared to the mainland, so they can demand a higher price.
Drug networks also sneak cocaine and heroin into Hawaii, along with the meth and fentanyl, said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors, who oversees federal prosecutors in the District of Hawaii.
"We know it's cartel-generated drugs because of our interdiction efforts," she said.
Drug shipments first arrive in the state capital of Honolulu, often smuggled in air passengers' luggage or in mailed packages, she said. Then they are trafficked to the other Hawaiian islands.
"We also still see a lot of it coming in through body carry," Connors said, meaning from airline passengers hiding it on their bodies or in carry-on luggage.
"It is somehow making its way through TSA operations," she said, referring to the federal Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
Mexican cartels' determination to target Hawaii — despite its remote location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — illustrates a key money-making strategy to reach their tentacles far beyond major U.S. cities and into more remote states with fewer competitors and fewer police resources.
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