Southern Nevada gets anti-drug trafficking designation

Angie Wagner

Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001 | 5 a.m.

A new anti-drug trafficking initiative in southern Nevada aims to stop some of the highest methamphetamine activity in the nation and help reduce overall crime in the area.

"It means that there's going to be a coordination of the efforts to do something about the narcotics," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday.

White House National Drug Policy Director Barry McCaffrey announced Thursday that Las Vegas and Jacksonville, Fla., would be added to the list of 26 federally designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.

McCaffrey's office has identified those areas where drug manufacturing and sales flourish.

Nevada ranks fifth in the nation for the number of meth labs seized as well as the total weight of the drugs seized, according to the FBI.

The designation will provide additional money for drug prevention programs in Clark County, and improve coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

"It simply builds on what's already in place," FBI special agent Daron Borst said.

Fourteen local law enforcement agencies in southern Nevada submitted a 400-page proposal to join the federal program.

The agencies won't know how much money they will get until President-elect Bush submits his budget. Reid expects about $2 million.

Borst said Las Vegas needs the program because of growing methamphetamine use and manufacturing.

"It is increasing rapidly. Meth is the primary drug," he said.

Reid said the program is also important in the overall crime prevention strategy for Clark County.

"Because once we do better on drug trafficking, we reduce overall crime."