PHOENIX — Mexican drug cartels are flooding the United States with cheap, high-quality methamphetamine, according to statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Seizure numbers provided by the DEA show that Arizona CBP sectors confiscated 11,887 pounds of meth in 2017. That number rose to 26,578 pounds in 2018 and rose again to 31,511 pounds in 2019.
The increased seizures correlate to an increase in the amount of meth that makes it through the border undetected, according to the DEA.
DEA spokeswoman Erica Curry told 12 News the increase in supply has driven down the price of a drug that is making a comeback amid the crackdown on opioid abuse.
"Just like with anything, if there’s a huge quantity of something out there, the price for it goes down. So we’ve seen a lot of the price shift in a downward trajectory just because the availability is there," Curry said.
Curry added that, while still fewer in number than opioid overdoses, meth overdose deaths are on the rise and are now close to half of opioid overdose deaths.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you can contact The Crossroads, an Arizona Department of Health Services licensed substance abuse provider. The website is www.thecrossroadsinc.org.
