Methamphetamine seizures rise in DEA's Omaha Division

OMAHA, Neb., – As the nation recognizes National Methamphetamine Awareness Day today, the Drug Enforcement Administration's Omaha Division announces that it has seen a three percent increase in methamphetamine seizures in one year. The division, which includes Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, registered 817 pounds of seized methamphetamine in 2017 and collected 842.6 pounds in conjunction with state and local law enforcement investigations in 2018.

“Meth is becoming more and more accessible across the area,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Darin Thimmesch said. “We’ve seen an increase in meth in the Midwest as prices continue to go down and purity levels increase.”

With domestic methamphetamine production at its lowest levels since 2000, Mexican transnational criminal organizations have become the primary producer and supplier of low cost, high purity methamphetamine. The 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment notes that methamphetamine sampled through the DEA profiling program averages 96.9 percent purity while prices remain low and stable. 

Methamphetamine, or meth, is a crystalized powdery-like substance. Crystal meth typically resembles fragments of glass and can sometimes have a colored tint. The drug can be swallowed, smoked, snorted or injected and has potent central nervous system stimulant properties. High doses of meth may result in death from stroke, heart attack or multiple organ problems caused by overheating.

“Meth is a highly addictive drug,” Thimmesch said. “It’s coming into the country at alarming rates and the West and Midwest regions of the country are being hit hardest. That being said, the DEA is working countless hours alongside our law enforcement partners to help take meth off the streets and out of our communities.”

For more information on methamphetamine view the 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment or call your local DEA office.