New Mexico is one of  four states in our country bordering Mexico, the chief supplier of drugs into the United States. Because of the many Mexican Americans that live in New Mexico, there are many people with family ties to Mexico. These close family ties make it easier for Mexico to have organized crime families bring their drugs into America. The largest drug threat in New Mexico is the transshipment of drugs and drug proceeds by Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (MDTOs) that have also established local poly drug distribution organizations capable of distributing multi-kilogram quantities locally and regionally. New Mexico shares approximately 150 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico. It encompasses over 50,000 square miles of land but is sparsely populated. Three interstate highways dissect the state: I-10 and I-40 provide east/west access along the southwest border from California to the East Coast. I-25 provides north/south access from Las Cruces, New Mexico to Colorado and Wyoming.

There are many different types of drugs posing a threat to New Mexican society. One of the worst historically has been heroin. Heroin availability has shown a steady increase over the past five years as evidenced by the increase in kilogram seizures and a steady decrease in price. The majority of the heroin seized is brown or black tar Mexican heroin. An area north of Santa Fe known as the Espanola Valley is consistently rated by the U.S. Department of Health and other statistical reporting agencies as having the highest per capita heroin overdose death rate in United States. Enforcement operations have, for a time, significantly disrupted the availability of street level quantities of heroin in the area and briefly reduced the number of overdoses and overdose deaths. However, in part because heroin use is socially and culturally accepted in the area, the heroin issue consistently reappears. Efforts to establish a demand reduction program in the region have not received much community support.

Although heroin poses the biggest threat to the community, other drugs are consistently passed through the state to other parts of the country. Cocaine is transported through New Mexico by MDTOs at an increasing rate. Multiple kilogram quantities are routinely seized from commercial trucks, public transportation and private vehicles. The most common seizures occur when couriers are interdicted on public transportation with two to three kilograms of cocaine carried on their body. Cocaine is also readily available for distribution throughout New Mexico in gram to ounce quantities for local consumption. Local law enforcement authorities consistently rank cocaine and crack cocaine distribution and use as their number one drug problem. Crack cocaine is readily available throughout New Mexico, but is most prevalent in urban areas on the street level. These are the many reasons for such a need of drug rehab in New Mexico.