Cartel Operations in Oklahoma City Increase Need for Effective Rehab

It seems like the reports come out at least once a year: The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics or local law enforcement agencies issue a statement warning the public that dangerous drug cartel members from Mexico or South American countries are at work in our back yards. Our law enforcement agencies work hard on major investigations that seize large quantities of drugs and take dealers off the street, but that’s not enough to make the cartels go away.

Of course, Oklahoma City sits at the center of this activity because of its ideal location at the crossroad of Interstates 35 and 40, with Interstate 44 offering even more mobility for the cartels. Interstate 35 comes directly up from the Mexican border at Laredo, Texas. It’s a 622 mile drive from the border to this metropolitan area from which drug shipments can be broken up and forwarded to Chicago, St. Louis or Kansas City.

Not all the drugs pass through OKC on their way to somewhere else. A report in the Oklahoma Gazette stated that more than 80% of the methamphetamine consumed in Oklahoma City comes from Mexican cartels – there’s always some drugs available for cartel employees and local customers. But then too many of our friends and neighbors become addicted and lose everything of value in their lives. That’s when we need the best rehabilitation program possible to get them back on their feet and productive once again. This is the job Narconon Arrowhead has been doing for fifteen years.

No Corner of Oklahoma is Immune

A recent report from an Oklahoma undercover agent noted that the cartels have been setting up operations in rural areas where they are harder to monitor. In addition to Oklahoma City, other towns mentioned in recent law enforcement reports include Chickasha, Eakly, Elk CIty, Altus, Woodward, Lawton, Lexington and Tulsa, plus Pittsburg County. There are even reports of two methamphetamine superlabs in Oklahoma, operating around the clock and capable of producing large quantities of meth each day.

It’s going to take a coordinated effort to put these cartels out of business. It will take action by many people – really, all the people of Oklahoma. There’s something that each Oklahoman can do to push drugs out of our communities.

• Stay sober yourself and encourage others to avoid the abuse of alcohol or the use of any illegal substances.
  
• Keep any prescription medications of your own or family members locked up. You could prevent a young person from stealing his first drugs to abuse.
  
• If you have children, do your own study of the drugs on the streets these days and the drinking patterns of teens so you can warn your own children of the real, unexaggerated harms that are occurring.
  
• Support programs in your community or that are run through your church to offer help to the addicted or those using drugs or too much alcohol who just need guidance to stop.
  
• If you have a loved one who is unable to control his drinking or her drug abuse, find an effective rehabilitation program promptly. You don't have to wait for that person to ask for help or “hit bottom.” For that person, “bottom” could be death. Narconon Arrowhead can help you find a qualified interventionist who will work with the addicted person until he can reach out for help at last.
  
• Support local and state law enforcement who put themselves at risk every day to help make our homes and towns safer. Support sensible legislation such as actions that could curb overprescribing or prevent individuals from being able to acquire hundreds of pills a month that will then be sold on the black market.
  
• Support drug education programs for every school in your area, every grade – every year.
  

Eliminating this problem will require preventing people from starting to use drugs, putting drug cartels out of business through accurate investigations and rehabilitating those who have become addicted. We have helped more than 10,0000 individuals since our first center opened near Newkirk, Oklahoma. When we moved to Canadian, our capacity to help increased even more.

Learn about the Narconon drug rehab program and how it builds strong new sober-living skills for lasting sobriety. Call 1-800-468-6933 today.

http://okgazette.com/2014/07/15/the-drug-crossroad-of-america/

http://www.edmondsun.com/news/local_news/drug-bureau-cartel-activity-increases-in-oklahoma/article_c9683f04-5818-53a6-87d9-66d708e76f10.html

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/oklahoma-bureau-of-narcotics-taking-proactive-steps-to-fight-mexican-cartels-drug-smuggling

http://newsok.com/article/3364185

http://www.koco.com/news/obn-mexican-cartels-using-oklahoma-highways-to-transport-drugs/26992742