Nationwide Study Shows Continued Rise in Opioid Affected Births
Additionally, the incidence of babies born with withdrawal symptoms, known as neonatal abstinence syndrome or NAS, increased by 82% nationally over the same period. Keep Reading
DEA Announces Launch of Project Safeguard to Combat Drug-Related Violent Crime
The traffickers that flood our communities with deadly drugs, including opioids, heroin, fentanyl, meth and cocaine, are often the same criminals responsible for the high rates of assault, murder, and gang activity in our cities. Keep Reading
DOJ Announces $42 Million to Combat Illegal Manufacture and Distribution of Meth and Opioids
The Department of Justice‘s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services has announced nearly $42 million in funding to support state-level law enforcement agencies in combating the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and prescription opioids. Keep Reading
GAO Tells DEA to Act on Suspicious Opioid Orders
The report identified deficiencies associated with DEA's drug diversion efforts. First, GAO found limited proactive and robust analysis of industry-reported data. Keep Reading
GAO: Progress Made in Using Electronic Data to Detect Illegal Opioid Shipments, but Additional Steps Remain
According to the GAO review, USPS did not meet its goals for presenting targeted international mail shipments to CBP for inspection from January 2019 through August 2019; however, USPS’s presentation performance is generally improving. Keep Reading
OIG: CBP, ICE, TSA, Secret Service Have Taken Steps to Confront Employees’ Opioid Abuse
Components also either have implemented or are taking steps to evaluate whether employees using prescription opioids can effectively conduct their duties. Keep Reading
Threats, Morale and Mission: An Interview with Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost
There have been “surprises every day” in leadership as “the border is so dynamic” and “the world is so dynamic.” Keep Reading
DEA, Partners Collect Thousands of Pounds of Unwanted Medications and Vaping Products
With hundreds of confirmed lung injuries and dozens of deaths attributed to vaping use, DEA is working diligently in our communities and through our outreach efforts. Keep Reading
Bronx Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Narcotics on the Dark Web
Luis Fernandez has been sentenced to 151 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and a fentanyl analogue over the dark web. Keep Reading
New FindTreatment.Gov Site Aims to Combat Spiraling Addiction
Newly designed website will help connect Americans looking for substance abuse treatment with approximately 13,000 locations across the United States. Keep Reading
Sesame Street Tackles Opioid Crisis
Karli, a green Muppet with two yellow pigtails, was introduced in May as a character in foster care who still has a relationship with her biological mother. Now, Sesame Workshop has announced that the show will be exploring Karli’s backstory, which includes that her mother has an opioid addiction. Keep Reading
OIG: CBP’s Chemical Screening Devices Inadequate as Opioids Claim Another 30,000 Lives in 2018
The Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security has reported its findings from an audit to determine to what extent Customs and Border Protection uses small-scale chemical screening devices at ports of entry to identify fentanyl and other illicit narcotics. Keep Reading
CDC Announces $1.8 Billion in Funding to Combat Opioid Crisis
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on September 4 more than $1.8 billion in funding to states to continue the Trump administration’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis by expanding access to treatment and supporting near real-time data on the drug overdose crisis. Keep Reading
ICE HSI and Marshall University Partner to Fight Opioid Crisis
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations has awarded up to $4.25 million to Marshall University for the development and implementation of a tool to aid in opioid investigations. Keep Reading
Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $572 Million in Oklahoma Opioid Crisis Case
The verdict issued by Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman marks the end of the first state trial attempting to hold a pharmaceutical company accountable for one of the worst health epidemics in history. Keep Reading
Leidos Teams with Baltimore Ravens to Tackle Opioid Crisis
For every tackle made by a Ravens defender, Leidos will donate $50 toward the purchase of drug disposal packets for Baltimore-area nonprofits to distribute in the community. For every interception and every fumble, it will donate $1,000. Keep Reading
DHS S&T Announces Finalists in Opioid Detection Challenge
The first stage of the Opioid Detection Challenge is a $1.55 million global prize competition for rapid, nonintrusive detection tools that will help find illicit opioids in international mail. Keep Reading
DHS Seeks Bleeding Edge Tech to Detect Opioids in the Mail
The Challenge calls upon innovators to submit novel plans for rapid, nonintrusive detection tools that will help find illicit opioids being trafficked into the United States through international mail. Keep Reading
#RealDeal Interview: MCPOCG Vanderhaden Advises ‘Readiness Is Key’ in Cyber, Interdiction
"To meet the needs of today’s world, to stay on top of technology... we have to be innovative and flexible." Keep Reading
DEA Report: Drug Trade Poses ‘Significant Threats’ to Public Health and National Security
Controlled prescription drugs remain responsible for the largest number of overdose deaths of any illicit drug class since 2001. Keep Reading