Narcotics and Drug Trafficking in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

The United States and the rest of the world have been dealing with the COVID 19 Pandemic for the past year now. Americans have been told to stay home and stay safe, while states and nations have quarantined their population in hopes of stopping the spread of COVID-19. Amidst these lockdowns, we have seen one business not stopping or slowing down; and that is the business of Narcotics Trafficking.

Federal Resources Counterdrug Training Program continues to work with our Federal, State, Local and International partners to battle the increasing threat of Narcotics Trafficking. Drug traffickers are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to get drugs into the United States, using nontraditional means to smuggle drugs across the border and through the mail. Our partners at Customs and Border Protection are on the front lines protecting the United States from drug trafficking and are experts in detecting these various smuggling techniques. A unique method seen lately is traffickers attempting to smuggle Cocaine and Mescaline disguised as Moringa Powder (a dietary supplement). This powder is used because of its green coloring, an attempt to defeat different detection equipment types. Similarly, there have been seizures of Cocaine and Methamphetamine that have been dyed black; again, as an attempt to defeat detection technology.

Federal Resources Counter Drug Program highlights these new trends along with updates on Fentanyl, Fentanyl Analogs, synthetic opioids, and the reappearance of drugs such as Ketamine and LSD DrugIQ Training Courses.

The COVID -19 Pandemic has caused an increased use and demand for illegal narcotics, which has, unfortunately, lead to an overwhelming increase in overdoses and overdose deaths. Federal Resources has been at the forefront of helping our law enforcement agencies identify and defeat these threats, and we continue to do so in the future.