Fentanyl seizures plummeted as Trump administration shifted focus to immigration
The watchdog said immigration enforcement absorbed more than 1.7 million hours, while fentanyl investigation hours fell by 250,000 in fiscal 2025.
- A DHS OIG report published Friday found fentanyl seizures decreased 39% during the first year of the Trump administration, following a shift by Homeland Security Investigations toward immigration enforcement.
- Beginning in January 2025, agents with Homeland Security Investigations reported an "all hands-on deck" environment toward immigration enforcement, prioritizing it over fentanyl investigations.
- Immigration enforcement hours rose more than 1.7 million, an increase of over 800 percent, while fentanyl investigation hours declined 31% compared to fiscal 2024; one office dedicated approximately 99% of work to immigration.
- ICE agreed with Inspector General recommendations to review staffing levels, with the agency estimating completion by June 2027 to ensure coverage commensurate with fentanyl investigation priority.
- Missions were hindered by limited funding for evidence and lack of independent authority to investigate fentanyl offenses, alongside low, inconsistent case referrals from Customs and Border Protection.
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Iowa Capital Dispatch
Fentanyl seizures plummeted as Trump administration shifted focus to immigration
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Washington, D.C., pictured in Feb. 3, 2026. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)WASHINGTON — Fentanyl seizures decreased by 39% during the first year of the second Trump administration after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shifted the Department of Homeland Security’s criminal investigations arm to conducting immigration enforcement, according to a report government investigators…
Trump Crackdown Drives 22 Percent Plunge in Fentanyl Deaths.
The Trump administration credits its border and drug policies for a significant reduction in fentanyl-related deaths.PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Fentanyl-related deaths in the U.S. fell by 22 percent from 2024 to 2025, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, with the Trump administration highlighting its efforts to secure the border and combat drug cartels, including through military force. DETAIL: The Trump admi…
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Trump Effect: Fentanyl-Linked Deaths Plunge – Drops 22% In One Year
The Trump administration’s crackdown on fentanyl traffickers and drug cartels coincided with a sharp decline in overdose deaths in 2025, as deaths linked to synthetic opioids fell 22% from the previous year. Fentanyl-linked deaths dropped from 48,913 in 2024 to 38,084 in 2025, while total drug overdose deaths fell from 81,313 to 69,973, according to the data from the CDC. Fox News reported: Fentanyl-linked deaths plunged 22% in a single year as …
EXCLUSIVE: Fentanyl deaths plunge 22% as Trump White House touts crackdown on deadly drug crisis
Fentanyl-linked opioid deaths fell 22% in one year, the White House says, crediting border security, drug cartel crackdowns and ICE arrests of convicted traffickers.
On July 16, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act in the East Room of the White House. This act aims to permanently classify all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I controlled substances and assist law enforcement agencies in combating related trafficking and manufacturing activities. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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