Federal Oversight Finds DEA and Homeland Security Coordination Needs Improvement

A recent government review has identified key shortcomings in how the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) coordinate their efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking. Despite high levels of participation from HSI agents in DEA-led investigations, the agencies face delays in processing approvals and have yet to implement training requirements agreed to in 2021.

Between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, the DEA authorized an average of more than 4,000 HSI agents per year to participate in counternarcotics operations under Title 21 authority, which limits their activities to smuggling cases involving U.S. borders or ports of entry. However, the DEA does not track how long it takes to process these cross-designation requests. While no agent requests were denied during this period, officials from both agencies reported concerns over delays and a lack of data to assess processing performance.

GAO’s analysis highlighted that DEA has not established benchmarks or timeliness goals for its review process. Without such goals or performance data, the agency cannot evaluate whether it is making timely and effective decisions. This gap in oversight may impact the overall efficiency of joint investigations.

Additionally, the DEA and HSI have not implemented joint training requirements laid out in a 2021 agreement. Although both agencies began work on two collaborative training modules, progress has stalled due to disagreements over content. A dispute-resolution mechanism was established but remains unused, preventing finalization and rollout of the training. Until these issues are resolved, there is no assurance that cross-designated agents are adequately prepared for cooperative drug enforcement efforts.

In response, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued three recommendations: that DEA set performance goals and collect data on its processing of agent requests, and that both agencies use their agreed-upon procedures to resolve training disputes and implement the planned modules. The recommendations remain open as of April 2025, pending agency action.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

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