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Fentanyl deaths plunge 22% as Trump White House touts crackdown on deadly drug crisis

The watchdog said fentanyl seizures fell 39% as ICE redirected more staff hours to immigration enforcement, leaving some field offices with little capacity.

  • On Friday, a DHS OIG report revealed that fentanyl seizures decreased 39% during the first year of the Trump administration after Homeland Security Investigations shifted toward prioritizing immigration enforcement.
  • Agents with Homeland Security Investigations reported an "all hands-on deck" environment toward immigration enforcement beginning in January 2025, causing immigration enforcement hours to surge more than 1.7 million—an increase of over 800 percent.
  • Staffing hours for fentanyl investigations declined 31% compared to fiscal 2024, while at one Homeland Security Investigations office, approximately 99% of work was dedicated to immigration, leaving almost no capacity for fentanyl investigations.
  • ICE agreed with the DHS OIG report's findings and committed to reviewing staffing levels to ensure appropriate coverage commensurate with the relative priority of fentanyl investigations by June 2027.
  • Inspectors identified operational challenges hindering investigations, including inconsistent case referrals from Customs and Border Protection, delays in obtaining funds to purchase evidence, and technology limitations.
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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…

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Fox News broke the news in New York, United States on Friday, August 21, 2026.
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