Dr. Gupta and Law Enforcement Officials Announce New Domestic Seizure Data from ONDCP’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas

Data show more than 148,000 pounds of illicit drugs like fentanyl seized and billions of dollars in profits denied to drug traffickers

BALTIMORE, MD – Today, Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), released new High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA) domestic data that show 148,000 pounds of illicit drugs seized and billions of dollars of profits denied to drug traffickers. These efforts to prevent illicit drugs from moving into communities and collect data on the illicit drug market are a key part of President Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy to disrupt drug trafficking and expansion of addiction treatment and life-saving care for substance use disorder.

“HIDTAs work to disrupt drug trafficking across the country is a critical tool in our fight to go after dangerous drug traffickers and beat the overdose epidemic,” said Dr. Gupta. “Today’s data represent more than 148,000 pounds of illicit drugs that will never reach our communities and more than $2 billion denied to drug trafficking operations. On behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration, I thank the women and men of the 33 HIDTAs working every day to keep our communities healthy and safe.”

From July 1, 2022 to September 30, 2022, representing Quarter 3 of the calendar year, HIDTAs across the country seized 7,410 lbs of illicit fentanyl, 1,203 lbs of heroin, 62,162 lbs of meth, and 77,819 lbs of cocaine, for a total value of more than $2 billion in profits denied to drug trafficking operations. In total, during the last four quarters of available data, including Q4 2021 through Q3 2022, HIDTA’s domestic law enforcement officials seized more than 26,000 lbs of fentanyl, nearly 6,500 lbs of heroin, more than 335,000 lbs of meth, and nearly 370,000 lbs of cocaine, representing nearly $9 billion of profits denied to drug trafficking operations.

Today’s data announcement followed a roundtable discuss with law enforcement officials of the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA who provided a briefing on several topics including their Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP), naloxone distribution efforts, A Division for Advancing Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT), and community outreach strategies aimed at preventing overdoses and saving lives.

Background

Created by Congress in 1988, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program coordinates and assists federal, state, local, and Tribal law agencies to address regional drug threats with the purpose of reducing drug trafficking and drug production in the United States.

The HIDTA Program oversees 33 regional HIDTAs in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, the program comprises more than 900 investigative, interdiction, and intelligence-sharing initiatives. Regional HIDTAs also collaborate closely with public health partners on innovative strategies to reduce fatal and non-fatal overdoses and substance use.

To view the 2022 HIDTA Designation Map, click here.

To view a list of HIDTA accomplishments from 2022, click here.

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