"I fully support the designation of Lincoln County as a HIDTA county, and firmly believe today's announcement by the Office of National Drug Control Policy will further enhance drug law enforcement efforts to combat illegal drugs not only in Lincoln County and the State of Nebraska, but across the United States," said Senator Nelson.
Lincoln County serves as the crossroads of Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 83, both of which are major transportation routes for the distribution of narcotics across the country. The City of North Platte, included in Lincoln County, is home to the world's largest railroad classification yard where a high volume of railroad activity has made it an accessible target for the transportation of illegal substances.
In a press release announcing the designation today, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, said that Lincoln County will join other Nebraska counties including Dakota, Dawson, Dodge, Douglas, Hall, Lancaster, Madison, Platte, Sarpy, and Scotts Bluff Counties as part of the Midwest HIDTA.
"Drug use and its consequences stand in the way of raising healthy children, maintaining strong families, supporting economic prosperity, and keeping our communities safe," said Kerlikowske. "The innovative initiatives and support provided by the HIDTA program will play an important role in helping local authorities combat drug related violence and crime in Nebraska. Smart enforcement efforts like these serve as a key component of our balanced approach to drug control and complements the Obama Administration's emphasis on preventing drug use before it starts through education and providing treatment to those who suffer from substance use disorders."
In 2010, Lincoln County law enforcement agencies reported 69 violent crimes and 352 drug abuse violations and have been combating drug trafficking in the area. This railroad yard provides a mode of transportation for contraband traveling from the United States' coast to southwest border region. Additionally, six gangs have been identified in Lincoln County with ties to drug distribution which have increased the distribution of methamphetamine throughout the area (according to ONDCP).
In February, Senator Nelson sent a letter to David Barton, Executive Director of the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, noting the large amount of federal drug cases initiated in Lincoln County and encouraging the designation of Lincoln County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area county.
The text of the senator's letter follows:
February 10, 2012Mr. David Barton, Executive Director
Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
10220 Northwest Ambassador Drive, Suite 620
Kansas City, MO 64153-2374
Dear Mr. Barton:
This letter is to express my support for the designation of Lincoln County, Nebraska, as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) county, as well as the allocation of funding for the Lincoln County Cooperative Operation for Drug Enforcement (CODE) Task Force. This Task Force is essential to drug law enforcement efforts in my home state of Nebraska, serving a total of 22 counties, including two areas identified as consistent source locations for a majority of the controlled substance distribution within the CODE area.
One of the two identified areas is Lincoln County, which includes the City of North Platte. Lincoln County surrounds the crossroads of Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 83, both of which are major transportation routes for the distribution of illegal substances across the United States. And the City of North Platte is home to Union Pacific Railroad's Bailey Yard, the world's largest railroad classification yard, where an average of 139 trains involving approximately 14,000 rail cars pass through daily. This extraordinarily high level of railroad activity provides an accessible method of unmanned transportation for contraband, as well as direct access to America's coasts and southwest border source regions.
Further, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nebraska, there were 12 federal drug cases initiated in Lincoln County from 2009- 2011, involving a total of 17 defendants –a notable amount, particularly when compared with other HIDTA-designated counties.
Federal resources have been extremely important to the Lincoln County CODE Task Force, and continued funding is critical to the success of the task force in this critical drug-trafficking region. The two Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents currently assigned to North Platte work closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Nebraska State Patrol, and local law enforcement, facilitating a high level of cooperation and intelligence sharing.
In closing, given the area's relevance as a distribution center, the substantial number of cases initiated in Lincoln County, andthe high level of interagency interaction, I fully support the designation of Lincoln County as a HIDTA county and funding for the Lincoln County CODE Task Force. Thank you for your consideration of this request. I firmly believe an allocation of additional federal resources to this area would further enhance drug law enforcement efforts not only in Nebraska, but across the United States.
Sincerely,
E. Benjamin Nelson
No comments:
Post a Comment