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The Department of Justice (DOJ) and its Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are dedicated to upholding the rule of law and championing the safety of the American people against deadly, illegal drugs. No drug continues to pose a greater threat to our nation than fentanyl — a synthetic opioid so powerful, deadly and pervasive that it is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. But we cannot ignore the growing supply of highly addictive and dangerous methamphetamine.
The Mexican cartels have created a vast global supply chain, sourcing precursor chemicals from countries like China, manufacturing fentanyl and methamphetamine in secret labs in Mexico, and smuggling them across the border into the United States. These drugs are flooding our communities, and their impact is catastrophic. Current CDC data estimates that 82,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year — nearly 49,000 from fentanyl and more than 30,000 from psychostimulants, including meth.
While we’ve seen a decline in overdose deaths in recent months, we cannot ignore the threat of fentanyl, often found in other drugs and fake pills. The cartels are also producing methamphetamine pills made to look like Adderall or MDMA, drugs popular with young adults. Fentanyl and methamphetamine together are toxic evidence that the cartels have no value for human life.
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DEA’s mission is clear, and it is confronting this crisis head on. DEA is second to none at developing, interpreting and acting on intelligence. In full coordination, the DOJ is fully committed to prosecuting criminals who are in possession of these dangerous and deadly drugs — including any fentanyl-related substance — to the fullest extent of the law.
Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, the DOJ and the DEA are executing Operation Take Back America, an aggressive campaign to dismantle the criminal organizations responsible for trafficking fentanyl and other synthetic opioids — an unprecedented move to take back our communities and save American lives.
Since January 20, DEA has seized over 44 million fentanyl pills and 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, representing over 180 million lethal doses and over 68,000 pounds of methamphetamine. Every seizure is a life saved. Every arrest removes a trafficker from the chain of distribution. Every operation sends a message: the United States will not tolerate this attack on its citizens.
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Our campaign is lawful, methodical and relentless. The DEA operates under a robust framework of legal authorities designed to confront the full spectrum of drug-related crimes. Title 21 authorizes the federal prosecution of drug manufacturers and distributors. RICO statutes allow us to dismantle criminal enterprises.
Asset forfeiture laws allow us to strip traffickers of the financial lifeblood of their operations. International extradition agreements ensure that no foreign-based trafficker is beyond the reach of American justice. Each tool is used in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, in full compliance with constitutional protections and federal evidentiary standards.
To name just a few of the recent fentanyl and methamphetamine seizures in the country:
- In Lexington County, South Carolina, DEA, in coordination with its state and local partners, seized 156 pounds of fentanyl, 44 pounds of methamphetamine, a firearm, and bulk currency from a previously deported foreign national.
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- In Fresno, California, DEA and its federal, state, and local partners seized 24 pounds of carfentanil disguised as real prescription pills — the largest DEA seizure to date of carfentanil in Northern California.
- In Galveston, Texas, DEA, in close coordination with its federal partners at CBP, helped uncover over 1,700 pounds of methamphetamine — worth more than $15 million dollars — hidden inside a vehicle.
Our campaign is lawful, methodical and relentless. The DEA operates under a robust framework of legal authorities designed to confront the full spectrum of drug-related crimes.
- In Austin, Texas, DEA, in coordination with its FBI, state and local partners, seized 783 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside a refrigerated truck carrying blueberries.
Each of these operations highlights the critical need to continue attacking the drug supply chain at every level.
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Our strategy is not limited to arrests and seizures. On July 16, Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, which will strengthen penalties for fentanyl dealers and prevent chemists from creating new synthetic compounds to circumvent prosecution.
Under Trump’s direction, the administration has revitalized interagency coordination. The DOJ and the DEA are working shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and federal prosecutors to ensure unified case development from interdiction to indictment. The president has also authorized the use of diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions and trade penalties to hold foreign nations accountable for the chemicals fueling this crisis.
The DOJ is also prioritizing enhanced penalties for trafficking offenses involving serious bodily injury or death. We are prosecuting not just the dealers but the enablers, those who launder money, provide logistical support, or serve as brokers between chemical suppliers and cartels. If you profit from this poison, you will face the full force of American justice.
As a result of Trump’s designation of eight major cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, we are now deploying new tools and charging traffickers with material support to terrorism, a charge that carries up to life in prison.
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Lining the walls at DEA Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, are thousands of faces of those lost to fentanyl. These faces are a stark reminder of why we do this work. Each name, each story fuels our resolve to eliminate these cartels and criminal networks and protect our communities.
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President Trump has made it abundantly clear: the sovereignty of our nation begins with secure borders and safe communities. The era of open borders and drugs flowing across them is over. The federal government is back on offense.
Our strategy is not limited to arrests and seizures. On July 16, Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, which will strengthen penalties for fentanyl dealers and prevent chemists from creating new synthetic compounds to circumvent prosecution.
The American people deserve a justice system that protects their families from the violence of drug trafficking and the horror of overdose death. That is what the DEA and DOJ are delivering.
We will not rest until the cartels are crippled, their supply chain is broken and this epidemic has ended.
This is a fight for our country, and we intend to win it.
Robert Murphy is the acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, leading a workforce of nearly 9,000 public servants whose important work protects Americans from the dangers and violence associated with drug trafficking.
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