Reposted from EMR-ISAC

On May 9, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the release of the 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA). This annual report is DEA’s comprehensive strategic assessment of illicit drug threats and trafficking trends endangering the United States.

DEA’s top priority is reducing the supply of deadly drugs in our country and defeating the two cartels responsible for the vast majority of drug trafficking in the United States. The drug poisoning crisis remains a public safety, public health, and national security issue, which requires a new approach. Drug-related deaths claimed 107,941 American lives in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are responsible for approximately 70% of lives lost, while methamphetamine and other synthetic stimulants are responsible for approximately 30% of deaths. Fentanyl is the nation’s greatest and most urgent drug threat. The advent of fentanyl mixtures to include other synthetic opioids, such as netzines, or the veterinary sedative xylazine have increased the harms associated with fentanyl.  Seizures of fentanyl, in both powder and pill form, are at record levels. Over the past two years seizures of fentanyl powder nearly doubled. Last year, 30% of the fentanyl powder seized by DEA contained xylazine. Nearly all the methamphetamines sold in the United States today is manufactured in Mexico, and it is purer and more potent than in years past. The shift to Mexican-manufactured methamphetamine is evidenced by the dramatic decline in domestic clandestine lab seizures. The report provides in-depth profiles of the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels. These are transnational criminal organizations responsible for controlling much of the clandestine drug production, transportation routes, and smuggling corridors from Mexico into the United States.

While synthetic opioids and methamphetamines are currently the most concerning threats, the report discusses trends for a range of illicit drugs, including cannabis, psychoactive substances, and illicit use of controlled prescription drugs. The report also discusses the intersection of drug trafficking and illicit finance, and the DEA’s response to the nation’s current drug threats.

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