By the fall of 1999, two more crews were in Columbus. One belonged to a former driver, now venturing out on his own. Two more followed. A kind of “Go east, young man” ethos took hold among the Xalisco Boys. The price of heroin in Columbus fell. No crew leader could cut his dope unless he wanted to lose his clients. So the product stayed strong even as it got cheaper. Competition, as always, attuned the Xalisco crews to customer service. They even crossed the city to keep a customer, and gave away free dope to any client hinting at quitting.
