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Drug Control: Better Coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and an Updated Accountability Framework can Further Enhance DEA's Efforts to Meet Post-9/11 Responsibilities

GAO-09-63 Published: Mar 20, 2009. Publicly Released: Apr 20, 2009.
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Highlights

Given the global context of the war on drugs--coupled with growing recognition since September 11, 2001 (9/11), of the nexus between drug trafficking and terrorism--the mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and efforts to forge effective interagency partnerships and coordination are increasingly important. GAO was asked to examine, in the context of the post-9/11 environment, DEA's (1) priorities, (2) interagency partnerships and coordination mechanisms, and (3) strategic plan and performance measures. GAO reviewed DEA policy, planning, and budget documents and visited 7 of DEA's 21 domestic field offices and 3 of its 7 regional offices abroad-- sites selected to reflect diverse drug-trafficking threats, among other factors. GAO also contacted other relevant federal agencies-- including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)--and various state and local partner agencies.

Since 9/11, while continuing its primary mission of enforcing U.S. controlled substances laws, DEA has supported U.S. counterterrorism efforts by prioritizing narcoterrorism cases--drug-trafficking cases linked to terrorism-- and by implementing other policies and actions, such as collecting terrorismrelated intelligence from confidential informants and foreign partners. Also, DEA is using a new enforcement authority to pursue and arrest narcoterrorists--even those who operate outside the United States. Because most of the nation's illegal drug supply is distributed by Mexican drug organizations, DEA's partnerships and coordination with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies that have border-related missions-ICE and CBP--are important. However, an outdated interagency agreement-and long-standing disputes involving ICE's drug enforcement role and DEA's oversight of that role--have led to conflicts and the potential for duplicative investigative efforts. Another interagency agreement, predating CBP's formation under DHS, has led to operational inefficiencies, as reflected in a bifurcated process for handling illegal drugs seized at the nation's borders. That is, drugs seized by CBP between ports of entry are to be referred to DEA, but drugs seized at ports of entry are to be referred to ICE. According to CBP, an updated agreement that specifies a standardized process would be more efficient and less confusing. Further, in conducting the war on drugs, an important interagency coordination mechanism is the Special Operations Division, a DEA-led intelligence center that targets the command and control capabilities of major drug-trafficking organizations. Another coordination mechanism is the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Fusion Center, which collects and analyzes drug-trafficking and related financial information and disseminates investigative leads. However, ICE is providing limited information to the Special Operations Division and is not participating in the OCDETF Fusion Center. As a result, according to DEA, these coordination entities are not as effective as they could be. Resolution of these interagency issues necessitates involvement by both the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, given that their respective departments' component agencies have been unable to reach mutually acceptable agreements. Notably, because of links between drug trafficking and terrorism, DEA has established new partnerships with the Department of Defense (DOD), especially in Afghanistan, where they share intelligence and DOD provides airlift and other support for DEA operations. DEA's strategic plan has not been updated since 2003; also, DEA's annual performance plans do not provide results-focused measures for assessing the agency's post-9/11 activities, such as counterterrorism efforts. A current and comprehensive strategic planning and performance measurement framework would help to ensure accountability by providing crucial information to DEA's senior leadership for making management decisions and to the Congress and the administration for assessing program effectiveness. In February 2009, DOJ reported that it was reviewing DEA's updated strategic plan.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Justice To further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking--and its links to terrorist organizations or activities--and to help ensure integrated policy and program direction across all parts of DEA, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security should jointly and expeditiously develop a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) or other mechanism to (1) clarify their respective departments' counternarcotics roles and responsibilities, particularly those of DEA, ICE, and CBP, (2) provide efficient procedures for cross-designating ICE agents to conduct counternarcotics investigations, and (3) standardize procedures for handling illegal drugs seized at the nation's borders and making referrals to DEA.
Closed – Implemented
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), works with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to carry out drug enforcement efforts. In our March 2009 report (GAO-09-63), we found that as a result of an outdated 1994 interagency agreement, predating ICE's establishment, coupled with long-standing jurisdictional disputes involving ICE's drug enforcement role and DEA's oversight of ICE's drug-related investigations, conflicts between the two agencies remained unresolved. We also reported that a 1996 DEA and Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) interagency...
Department of Homeland Security To further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking--and its links to terrorist organizations or activities--and to help ensure integrated policy and program direction across all parts of DEA, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security should develop processes for periodically monitoring the implementation of the new memorandum of understanding (MOU) or other mechanism and make any needed adjustments.
Closed – Implemented
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), works with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to carry out drug enforcement efforts. In our March 2009 report (GAO-09-63), we found that as a result of an outdated interagency agreement, which predated the formation of DHS and ICE, coupled with long-standing jurisdictional disputes involving ICE?s drug enforcement role and DEA's oversight of ICE's drug-related investigations, conflicts between the two agencies remained unresolved. Accordingly, to further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking,...
Department of Homeland Security To further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking--and its links to terrorist organizations or activities--and to help ensure integrated policy and program direction across all parts of DEA, the Secretary of Homeland Security should (1) direct ICE to participate in the OCDETF Fusion Center and (2) ensure that ICE fully responds.
Closed – Implemented
To further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has used multiagency intelligence centers, such as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Fusion Center (OFC) to coordinate counternarcotics investigations and operations with other law enforcement entities, avoid duplication, and leverage partner agency resources. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Department of Homeland Security is one of the federal agencies that works with DEA to enforce U.S. anti-narcotics laws. In our March 2009 report (GAO-09-63), we found that ICE was not fully participating in the OFC, which collects and...
Department of Homeland Security To further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking--and its links to terrorist organizations or activities--and to help ensure integrated policy and program direction across all parts of DEA, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security should jointly and expeditiously develop a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) or other mechanism to (1) clarify their respective departments' counternarcotics roles and responsibilities, particularly those of DEA, ICE, and CBP, (2) provide efficient procedures for cross-designating ICE agents to conduct counternarcotics investigations, and (3) standardize procedures for handling illegal drugs seized at the nation's borders and making referrals to DEA.
Closed – Implemented
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), works with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to carry out drug enforcement efforts. In our March 2009 report (GAO-09-63), we found that as a result of an outdated 1994 interagency agreement, predating ICE's establishment, coupled with long-standing jurisdictional disputes involving ICE's drug enforcement role and DEA's oversight of ICE's drug-related investigations, conflicts between the two agencies remained unresolved. We also reported that a 1996 DEA and Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) interagency...
Department of Justice To further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking--and its links to terrorist organizations or activities--and to help ensure integrated policy and program direction across all parts of DEA, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security should develop processes for periodically monitoring the implementation of the new memorandum of understanding (MOU) or other mechanism and make any needed adjustments.
Closed – Implemented
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), works with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to carry out drug enforcement efforts. In our March 2009 report (GAO-09-63), we found that as a result of an outdated interagency agreement, which predated the formation of DHS and ICE, coupled with long-standing jurisdictional disputes involving ICE?s drug enforcement role and DEA's oversight of ICE's drug-related investigations, conflicts between the two agencies remained unresolved. Accordingly, to further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking,...
Department of Homeland Security To further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking--and its links to terrorist organizations or activities--and to help ensure integrated policy and program direction across all parts of DEA, the Secretary of Homeland Security should (1) direct ICE to contribute all relevant drug-related information to the Special Operations Division and (2) ensure that ICE fully responds.
Closed – Implemented
To further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has used multiagency intelligence centers, such as the Special Operations Division to coordinate counternarcotics investigations and operations with other law enforcement entities, avoid duplication, and leverage partner agency resources. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Department of Homeland Security is one of the federal agencies that works with DEA to enforce U.S. anti-narcotics laws. In our March 2009 report (GAO-09-63), we found that ICE was not fully sharing all of its sensitive drug-related data with the Special Operations Division within DEA,...
Drug Enforcement Administration To further enhance interagency collaboration in combating narcotics trafficking--and its links to terrorist organizations or activities--and to help ensure integrated policy and program direction across all parts of DEA, the Administrator of DEA should update the agency's strategic plan to more fully and accurately reflect the agency's post-9/11 responsibilities and activities and also establish appropriate performance measures that provide a basis for assessing progress.
Closed – Implemented
In March 2009 we reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) strategic planning and annual performance measurement framework had not been updated to reflect efforts related to their post-9/11 responsibilities such as assisting in counterterrorism activities and referring terrorism-related intelligence to intelligence community partners. Specifically, we found that DEA had not yet incorporated these activities into its strategic plan or established appropriate performance measures in its annual performance plans that would provide a basis for assessing progress to their goals in these areas. As a result, we recommended that DEA update the agency's strategic plan to more...

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AccountabilityBorder controlBorder patrolsControlled substancesCooperative agreementsCounterterrorismData collectionDrug traffickingDrugsFederal intelligence agenciesFederal lawForeign governmentsImported drugsInteragency relationsInvestigations by federal agenciesLaw enforcementLaw enforcement agenciesNarcoticsPerformance measuresPolicy evaluationProgram evaluationSpecial operationsStrategic planningTerrorismUndercover operationsForeign countries