The White House Announces Nine Newly Designated Counties Across America Are Joining the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program

As part of President Biden’s strategy to beat the overdose epidemic, new designations will deploy additional resources and support to areas hardest hit by drug trafficking

Washington, D.C. — To support President Biden’s National Drug Control Strategy, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta today announced the designation of nine new counties to the ONDCP-funded High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program. The HIDTA Program coordinates and assists federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to address regional drug threats with the purpose of reducing drug production and drug trafficking in the United States.

The nine newly designated counties are:

1. Bullitt County, Kentucky (Appalachia HIDTA)
2. Randolph County, West Virginia (Appalachia HIDTA)
3. New Hanover County, North Carolina (Atlanta/Carolinas HIDTA)
4. Lehigh County, Pennsylvania (Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA)
5. Sullivan County, New York (New York/New Jersey HIDTA)
6. Allen County, Ohio (Ohio HIDTA)
7. Lee County, Florida (South Florida HIDTA)
8. St. Lucie County, Florida (South Florida HIDTA)
9. Canadian County, Oklahoma (Texoma HIDTA)

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to doing everything we can to strengthen public health and public safety to beat the overdose epidemic,” said Dr. Gupta. “These new HIDTA designations will ensure our nation’s hardest-hit areas get the critical resources and support they need to crack down on illicit drug supply, prevent overdoses, save lives, and make our communities safer.”

The addition of these nine counties to the HIDTA program will allow additional resources to be deployed to areas hardest hit by drug trafficking and overdoses.

The HIDTA Program supports regional law enforcement efforts 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.

Since its inception in 1988, the HIDTA Program has helped public safety officials implement integrated operations against drug trafficking organizations and, with ONDCP’s leadership, has provided the American people with a cost-effective and evidence-based solution to address addiction and the overdose crisis. In 2022, the HIDTAs seized an estimated $22 billion in illicit drugs and cash—representing a return on investment of $82.91 for every $1 budgeted for the HIDTA Program.

President Biden’s FY 2024 budget calls for $290.2 million in funding for the HIDTA Program, which is managed by ONDCP. In April, Dr. Gupta announced $275.7 million for the HIDTA Program providing additional resources to 33 regional HIDTAs. The funding also supports public health and public safety partnerships like the Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) – a partnership between the HIDTA program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that works to prevent and reduce overdoses. Specifically, ORS brings together drug intelligence officers and public health analysts at the local and regional level to share information and develop evidence-based intervention and support services that prevent and reduce overdoses including law enforcement-led linkages to care, use data to alert and respond to overdose spikes, and ensure access to naloxone.

For a map of HIDTA Program Counties, please click HERE.

Read the Biden-Harris Administration’s inaugural National Drug Control Strategy HERE.

Read the fact sheet on the Strategy HERE.

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