Mexican drug trafficking organizations represent the largest supplier of illicit drugs to Native American reservations throughout the United States, with marijuana the most widely available illicit drug in Native American communities, PR Newswire/US Newswire reported July 16.

The new report from the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), the Indian Country Drug Threat Assessment 2008, examines the operations of drug traffickers who target Native American communities, outlining the difficulties federal, state and tribal law enforcement agencies face in combating this activity. The report finds that the extent of the illicit drug threat varies from community to community, with influences from a variety of groups that include Mexican and Asian drug trafficking organizations and national and local street gangs.

The report states that most illicit drugs available in Indian Country are transported by Native American criminal groups and independent dealers who obtain the drugs mainly from Mexican trafficking organizations. Besides marijuana, drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine are available at various levels on reservations, according to the report, and law enforcers are becoming increasingly concerned about diversion of pharmaceutical medications in these communities.

Native American substance abuse levels remain higher than those for any other ethnic group, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The latest report from the NDIC adds that in many cases, Native Americans with substance abuse problems are committing property crimes to support their addiction.

The report resulted from visits by NDIC intelligence analysts to 80 Native American reservations, as well as interviews with law enforcement officials and an examination of enforcement data.