ONDCP Announces Three Newly-Designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas

ONDCP Designates Counties in Arizona, Idaho, and Texas to the HIDTA Program

WASHINGTON, DC –The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced the designation of three new counties to the ONDCP-funded High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program. The HIDTA Program coordinates and assists federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The HIDTA Program also provides support to the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), working collaboratively to ensure a seamless and deconflicted counterdrug effort.

The three newly-designated areas are:

• Coconino County, Arizona (Arizona HIDTA)

• Bonneville County, Idaho (Oregon-Idaho HIDTA)

• Taylor County, Texas (Texoma HIDTA)

“The Trump Administration is committing every resource at its disposal to stop the scourge of illicit drug trafficking in America,” said Director Sara Carter. “Our HIDTA Program is just one powerful tool among many that we are employing to do so. The three new designations guarantee that these areas will receive critical federal resources to dismantle and defeat the drug trafficking networks plaguing communities and killing our children.”

Under 21 U.S.C. § 1706(b), the Director of ONDCP is authorized to designate areas within the United States as HIDTAs if they exhibit serious drug trafficking problems. When determining whether to designate new areas, the Director consults with other executive officials, as well as the Governor of each applicable state, and considers factors such as whether the area is a significant center of illegal drug production, manufacturing, importation, or distribution, and whether those activities are having a significant harmful impact on the area. 

Since its inception in 1988, the HIDTA Program has worked alongside public safety officials across America to carry out integrated operations against drug trafficking organizations. Under President Trump’s leadership, the HIDTA Program seized an estimated 1.9 million kilograms of illicit drugs and disrupted 3,381 drug trafficking organizations in 2025 alone.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy leads and coordinates US drug policy, develops and implements the President’s National Drug Control Strategy, and supports communities through the Drug Free Communities Support (DFC) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs.