A Closer Look at the United States Drug Enforcement Administration

The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets. Chapter 1 provides important information about the harms and consequences of drug use by describing a drug's effects on the body and mind, potential for overdose, source, legal status, and other key facts. The Fentanyl Profiling Program (FPP) conducts in-depth chemical analyses of fentanyl and fentanyl-related samples from seizures across the United States, as reported in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 focuses on the growing threat of xylazine. The United States DEA and Europol have engaged in transatlantic cooperation to issue a joint strategic product to enhance the intelligence picture on the involvement of Mexican criminal actors in the EU drug market, as reported in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the DEA's foreign operations.