North Carolina

North Carolina boasts a diverse and thriving economy. As the 9^th most populous state, the Old North State has seen rapid transformation and growth across industries. Unfortunately, North Carolina’s positive attributes also make it appealing to illegal trade.

The state’s vast rural terrain provides opportunities for illegal drug-related activities, including methamphetamine laboratories often located in the mountains and woods of western and central North Carolina. Both rural and urban drug use have also risen due to illegal trade. In 2018, North Carolina ranked 10th in the nation for number of deaths from drug poisoning involving cocaine, and 1,785 people died from opioid-related overdoses. In 2020, there were 3,118 overdose deaths—a 38 percent increase in just two years.

The criminals who traffic in illicit drugs also traffic in a host of other goods, from counterfeit and stolen products to human beings. Sadly, North Carolina ranks 9^th in the U.S. in reported human trafficking cases. Since 2007, North Carolina has had 1,827 reported cases of human trafficking, and this only represents the victims we know about. And while law enforcement is doing everything they can, it’s too much for them to handle alone.

This is why USA-IT is so proud to be working locally in North Carolina. Together, we can make North Carolina more secure.

We are United to Safeguard North Carolina from Illegal Trade.

Working together to fight back

We’re building crucial relationships and sharing our collective, vast expertise with state and local agencies, law enforcement, business communities and other relevant stakeholders.​ Stay tuned for more updates.