Cuban refugees dominate miami marijuana trafficking rings
October 19, 2009
Miami marijuana trafficking and
marijuana cultivation have become big businessin recent years. Investigators report that Cuban refugees are at the heart of the South Florida marijuana trade. Law enforcement officials have directly come out and said that since 2005, Cuban marijuana trafficking organizations have dominated the industry from Miami to Atlanta. Many
Miami marijuana trafficking lawyers have represented Cuban refugees both in state and federal court.
Investigators believe that the refugees are led to the trade because of the lucrative profits that can be reaped from a marijuana harvest. The most potent cannabis can yield $4,500 per pound. Marijuana trafficking is also a safe bet because the current law in the State of Florida only requires a prison sentence if someone is caught growing or harvesting more than 300 plants or in excess of 25 pounds. Otherwise probation is the likely result in state court. However, severe immigration consequences can result, even from a probationary plea. Individuals facing deportation should speak with a
Miami post-conviction relief lawyer.
A recent investigation determined that 85% to 90% of the individual arrested in
Miami and South Florida for marijuana trafficking are Cuban refugees who arrived in the United States within the last five years. Those who released the report attempted to be politically correct by saying that the Cuban-American community on the whole is not responsible, but rather Cuban refugees who are recent arrivals are recruited to live in the "grow houses" and cultivate the crops to make a living. They are lured into the business with allure of money and the opportunity to one day own and operate their own "grow House".
In the early 1980's, Florida's marijuana trade relied on crops smuggled into the United States from Jamaica, Mexico and South America. Around 2000, the amount of Florida-grown marijuana has increased exponentially. Last year, South Florida had seized a documented 348 "grow houses" and thousands of pounds of marijuana. The marijuana grown in Miami and South Florida is transported to the north east for approximately $8,000 per pound.
Cuban-born Suspects Dominate Florida Pot Rings, The Associated Press, October 19, 2009.
