Marianas sees increase in drug trafficking

The Marianas has seen an increase in the use and importation of methamphetamine or “ice.” In the last few weeks alone, a number of investigations have been launched into mail parcels containing “ice.”

In an interview with John Tobon, special-agent-in-charge for Homeland Security Investigations Honolulu, the recently established Mariana Islands Border Enforcement Security Task Force was created due to the high volume of methamphetamine-related cases seen in the Marianas.

“The reason we brought in the task force to the CNMI is because we saw a large increase in the amount of transnational crimes in the Marianas, primarily [related to] methamphetamine. The use has been increasing within the Marianas. This has been something we’ve been tracking for many years,” he said.

Without giving any specifics, Tobon said in the last few weeks, there has been a large volume of mail parcels containing “ice” entering the Marianas.

The task force, in collaboration with local authorities, continue to investigate the origins and receivers of these parcels.

Most of the parcels contain drugs that were shipped from the United States.

“We’ve seen an increase in the amount of methamphetamine that has been reaching the Marianas. Within the last couple of weeks, we have seen an increase in the number of mail parcels containing methamphetamine entering the Marianas and we have a couple of ongoing investigations into those particular packages. We are working hand in hand with the local authorities,” Tobon said.

Tobon explained that the task force primarily aids the Marianas by providing additional resources needed to adequately carry out investigations into transnational crimes like drug trafficking.

“What this particular task force offers is the ability for us to bring in additional resources to ensure that our personnel as well as our partners have all the resources they need to combat issues like methamphetamine trafficking but also financial crimes, cybercrimes, and all the type of criminal activity on a transnational level,” he said.

“The other benefit of this task force is that we bring different folks to the table because we know there’s a large threat of transnational crimes in the Marianas; some trafficking, both labor and sex, that is occurring. This is not just an anti-drug task force, its an anti-transnational organized crime task force,” he added.

According to Saipan Tribune archives, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang met with visiting Homeland Security Investigations officials two weeks ago to talk about the new Mariana Islands Border Enforcement Security Task Force in cooperation with the CNMI and Guam.