With 1,000 pounds of rice bagged and labeled as evidenced to represent the amount of methamphetamine kept off the streets of Guam since 2019, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said rising methamphetamine prices on Guam signal that intensified law enforcement efforts are disrupting the illegal drug trade, pointing to years of coordinated action across local and federal agencies.
Leon Guerrero said public safety has been a priority since she took office in 2019, recalling an early meeting with the postmaster to address drugs entering the island through the mail. That discussion led to deputizing local law enforcement officers to assist with drug interdiction.
“It was an early decision rooted in a simple principle,” the governor said. “If we wanted different results, we needed to act early, act decisively, and act together.”
Leon Guerrero emphasized that drug enforcement is a personal responsibility for her administration.
She pointed to the street price of meth as a key indicator of progress. Meth once sold for $50 to $80 per gram, rose to $80 to $100 per gram in 2024, and climbed to between $250 and $300 per gram by December 2025.
“That kind of increase does not happen by chance,” Leon Guerrero said. “It tells us meth is becoming harder to obtain, harder to move, and riskier to sell.”
Since mid-2023, the administration has expanded joint operations, invested in modern equipment, increased K-9 capabilities, and reinforced staffing at ports of entry. Leon Guerrero said consistent enforcement at Guam’s borders makes the island “a far less attractive target” for traffickers.
“This is not about declaring victory,” she said. “It is about recognizing progress and committing to keep moving forward.”
Leon Guerrero thanked agency leaders and frontline officers for executing enforcement strategies and said her administration remains committed to “real, measurable results.”