White House Announces Additional $277 Million to Fight Cartels and Drug Traffickers
Record Investment from the Trump Administration to Dismantle Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Cartels, and Stop Drug Trafficking in Our Communities.
Today, the Trump Administration announced a historic $277 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program. This is the largest investment in the HIDTA Program’s history, which is designed to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and seize deadly drugs like illicit fentanyl.
The HIDTA Program, operated by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, provides assistance to federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions. The HIDTA Program provides support to the Homeland Security Task Forces in disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations, delivering on President Trump’s promise to keep dangerous drugs out of our communities and protect American families.
“President Trump’s bold action against the drug cartels is saving American lives. This funding will strengthen the HIDTA Program’s relentless crusade against illicit drugs,” said Drug Czar Sara Carter. “We are already seeing the incredible effects of counterdrug efforts as drug overdose and poisoning deaths continue to decrease across the United States. This Administration will keep fighting until no more American lives are destroyed by illicit drug poison.”
Last year, the 33 regional HIDTAs combined to:
- Seize 4.1 million pounds of fentanyl and other drugs
- Recover $576.3 million in cash from drug traffickers
- Deny traffickers $21.6 billion in illicit profits, and
- Helped apprehend 42,000 fugitives, making American streets safer.
For every dollar invested in the HIDTA Program, the American people get $82.78 in benefits, making HIDTA an effective and efficient use of taxpayers’ money, and an important tool in the nation’s effort to stop drug traffickers and save American lives. The HIDTA Program is present in more than 600 counties across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. Nearly two-thirds of all Americans live in a HIDTA-designated county. Today’s new funding will support the 33 regional HIDTAs as they take critical steps to confront the drug crisis:
| HIDTA | FY 2026 Base Allocation |
| Alaska HIDTA | $2,587,000 |
| Appalachia HIDTA | $10,146,950 |
| Arizona HIDTA | $13,497,756 |
| Atlanta/Carolinas HIDTA | $8,145,753 |
| Central Florida HIDTA | $3,849,500 |
| Central Valley California HIDTA | $4,734,000 |
| Chicago HIDTA | $6,914,093 |
| Gulf Coast HIDTA | $9,200,612 |
| Hawaii HIDTA | $3,677,998 |
| Houston HIDTA | $11,526,802 |
| Indiana HIDTA | $4,809,249 |
| Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA | $6,368,351 |
| Los Angeles HIDTA | $16,187,469 |
| Michigan HIDTA | $3,980,117 |
| Midwest HIDTA | $15,914,383 |
| Nevada HIDTA | $3,453,000 |
| New England HIDTA | $4,735,042 |
| New Mexico HIDTA | $9,502,108 |
| New York/New Jersey HIDTA | $15,423,378 |
| North Central HIDTA | $8,011,996 |
| North Florida HIDTA | $3,845,500 |
| Northern California HIDTA | $3,657,500 |
| Northwest HIDTA | $5,031,349 |
| Ohio HIDTA | $5,871,418 |
| Oregon/Idaho HIDTA | $4,229,000 |
| Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA | $10,577,433 |
| Rocky Mountain HIDTA | $10,931,379 |
| San Diego/Imperial Valley HIDTA | $11,899,873 |
| South Florida HIDTA | $14,418,286 |
| South Texas HIDTA | $10,129,143 |
| Texoma HIDTA | $4,449,500 |
| Washington/Baltimore HIDTA | $16,487,073 |
| West Texas HIDTA | $9,211,634 |
| National HIDTA Assistance Center | $4,086,770 |
| TOTAL | $277,491,415 |
This strategic investment in the HIDTA Program complements President Trump’s decisive action to fight Foreign Terrorist Organizations, cartels, and drug traffickers that harm Americans.
This investment also builds on the Trump Administration’s newly released National Drug Control Strategy, a comprehensive and coordinated blueprint to dismantle the drug supply, defeat the scourge of illicit drugs in our country, and save American lives.

