The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stopped conducting much of its fentanyl investigations in 2025 after diverting resources to immigration enforcement, according to a remarkable and damning federal government report.
It’s an egregious mismanagement that’s bad for taxpayers and dangerous to Americans.
Fentanyl seizures were down 39% in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to Department of Homeland Security Investigations. The DHS Office of Inspector General’s report issued in August said fentanyl investigations declined by 250,000 hours or 31%.
Immigration enforcement hours rose during the same time by 1.7 million hours or 800%
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported the shift as an order for “all hands on deck” on immigration enforcement. The inspector general watchdog agency also said fentanyl investigations were short on operating funds for things like stings to buy drugs from suspected dealers.
The shifting of resources away from fentanyl as the deadliest drug in America to an immigration enforcement that often arrested innocent people and wasted countless resources is shocking. And it flies in the face of the Trump administration’s continual promises to stop fentanyl from getting into the U.S.
Fentanyl is the largest source of overdoses in the U.S. and has been a continuing problem in communities like Mankato where significant resources have been deployed for education and prevention. At least one fentanyl conviction goes through area courts each month and overall narcotic violations are up 8% in Mankato for 2026.
Law enforcement, community action organizations and medical providers have joined to attack the fentanyl problem in the region and have had success at reducing overdoses. For the federal government to now significantly reduce its efforts is an affront to those organizations working to solve this significant community problem.
The inspector general recommended ICE review its staffing “to ensure an appropriate level of coverage commensurate with the relative priority of fentanyl investigations.” ICE officials responded they would conduct such a review, writing in the report that “Homeland Security Investigations will review staffing levels, and determine and implement next steps, as needed, to ensure an appropriate level of coverage commensurate with the relative priority of fentanyl investigations.”
That all sounds well and good, but not urgent. Staffing levels, ICE said, would be completed by June 2027.
And beyond decimated staffing levels, fentanyl investigations were “hindered by delays in agents obtaining funds to purchase information and evidence (i.e., drugs) during an investigation; a lack of independent authority to investigate fentanyl-related offenses; and low, inconsistent referral of fentanyl cases from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to HSI,” according to the report.
ICE dropped the ball on fentanyl investigations and an administration that claims fentanyl is a priority is now lacking credibility.
The GOP-led House Oversight Committee is now investigating a controversial Drug Enforcement Administration tactic that allows major fentanyl shipments to remain on the street in order for DEA to track large dealers. But the lack of funding for investigations is unconscionable.
The Trump administration and supporters in the GOP-led Congress need to demand fentanyl investigations be restored and re-allocate dollars that have been wasted on immigration enforcement.
CNHI News Service