The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other federal agencies have executed more than 150 arrest warrants and 375 search warrants in 35 states, 49 cities and five countries, in what officials describe as the largest ever crackdown on synthetic drugs.
Project Synergy began in December 2012 and targeted designer synthetic drug trafficking organizations. Leading up to the takedown more than 75 arrests were made and nearly $15 million in cash and assets were seized. Since February US Customs and Border Protection officers worked with law enforcement in Australia, Barbados, Panama and Canada to seize more than 1,000 kilograms (2,000 pounds) of synthetic drugs.
They included synthetic marijuana, bath salts and other substances that mimic cocaine and LSD. These designer synthetic drugs are often advertised as herbal incense, jewelry cleaner, or plant food. The substances are growing increasingly popular and are marketed to teenagers and young adults who can access them easily at retail outlets and over the Internet. Brands such as "Spice," "K2," "Blaze," and "Red X Dawn" are labeled as incense to mask their intended purpose.
"What they (traffickers) care about is lining their pockets on the backs of young people," James Capra, DEA chief of operations, told the Associated Press.
Short-term symptoms of synthetic drugs include seizures, vomiting, hallucinations, violent episodes, and sometimes psychosis. They caused organ damage, resulted in overdose deaths and sent more than 25,000 people to the emergency room in 2011. The long-term effects of the drugs are unknown.
The series of enforcement actions included retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers. In addition, these investigations have uncovered the flow of drug-related proceeds back to countries in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The 2013 World Drug Report released this week by the UN Office of Drugs and Crime reported that the US identified the presence of the largest number of new psychoactive substances in the world.