The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is intensifying its efforts against cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) to curb the influx of fentanyl into the United States. The organization made this announcement in a news release dated July 31.
According to the DHS, significant progress has been made during the 2024 fiscal year in combating illicit fentanyl. The department reported more than 3,000 arrests related to fentanyl seizures and confiscation of over 2,200 pill presses linked to misuse or illicit activities. Additionally, DHS has seized more than 27,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl.
The organization has initiated 5,874 narcotics-related investigations through Homeland Security Investigations. The agency has also collaborated with state and local task forces to remove barriers between federal and local investigations while deploying non-intrusive inspection technology. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being utilized to target TCOs.
The Biden Administration announced the Detect and Defeat Counter Fentanyl legislative proposal on July 31. According to a fact sheet from DHS, this proposal aims to empower DHS to scrutinize low-value shipments that typically undergo less rigorous reporting requirements. It would authorize US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to demand additional documentation for de minimis packages and impose penalties on violators. The proposal also includes creating a registry for pill presses to track these machines and penalize their illegitimate use. Furthermore, it seeks to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs, increasing penalties for distribution and possession, as well as imposing stronger penalties on individuals who manufacture and distribute precursor chemicals and machinery.
For three years, DHS has focused on tools and materials used by TCOs to produce illicit fentanyl, seizing precursor chemicals, pill press machines, die molds, and pill press parts. In April, US Customs and Border Protection’s Operation Plaza Spike began targeting plaza bosses and cartels; in July, the operation expanded to El Paso and Juarez. According to the July 31 news release, forty-seven alleged members of a Sinaloa Cartel-linked fentanyl distribution network were arrested in June 2024. In July, the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel was arrested following a decade-long collaboration among HIS offices, foreign partners, and US Department of Justice prosecutors.
The Department of Homeland Security was established on September 22, 2001, with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge appointed as the first Director of the Office of Homeland Security. The department officially opened its doors on March 1, 2003.
