Synthetic Opioid Trafficking Networks: Exploring Modern Drug Network Formation

Illicit fentanyl has recently become prevalent among drug trafficking networks. Fentanyl offers a unique opportunity to understand how existing drug trafficking networks adapt to new substances entering the market and how this alters their product distribution, business, and relationships among networks. The current study employs 22 semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 35 drug enforcement personnel working in South Carolina to gain a deeper understanding of current network dynamics. Results explore drug trends in the state, specifically fentanyl’s prevalence and future trajectory, as well as the involvement of cartels and gangs in drug trafficking, user consumption quantities, drug trafficking networks into the state, network structure, and technological use in these illegal businesses. Moving forward, this data can be used to inform law enforcement’s disruption tactics and aid in the exploration of illicit drug network trends nationwide.