Fentanyl investigations and seizures dropped during Trump’s immigration crackdown, federal watchdog says
HSI spent 31% less time on fentanyl cases in fiscal 2025 as immigration enforcement rose more than 1.7 million hours, the audit found.
- A DHS report released last week found that HSI shifted resources away from fentanyl investigations in fiscal year 2025 to prioritize immigration enforcement under White House-imposed quotas.
- Under tremendous pressure to meet White House-imposed quotas, federal agents pivoted to immigration arrests. One office reported that around 99 percent of its work was dedicated to immigration.
- Hours spent on fentanyl investigations declined by around 31% in fiscal year 2025, while immigration enforcement hours rose more than 1.7 million, or over 800 percent. HSI fentanyl seizures decreased by 39 percent.
- Drug investigation teams were reduced to two to three agents due to reassignments, and the number of investigations initiated by HSI dropped by 24% compared to the previous year.
- ICE HSI concurred with four report recommendations, including a staffing review to ensure appropriate coverage for fentanyl investigations, setting an estimated completion date of June 30, 2027.
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By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN The decision of the Department of Homeland Security to reassign additional federal agents to immigration control efforts last year led to a drastic decrease in investigations and seizures of fentanyl by the department's investigation division, according to a report by a federal oversight agency.The Post Trump's immigration offensive reduced investigations into fentanyl, according to federal oversight agency appeared fir…
Fentanyl investigations and seizures dropped during Trump’s immigration crackdown, federal watchdog says
DHS’ decision to pull additional federal agents for immigration enforcement resulted in a drop in fentanyl investigations, according to a federal watchdog report.
Fentanyl seizures plummeted as Trump administration shifted focus to immigration • Rhode Island Current
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…
Fentanyl Seizures Plummeted as Trump Administration Shifted Focus to Immigration
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 published Friday. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations, a subagency of DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reported an “all hands-on d…
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