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Agency Budget Summary
Department of Justice
Drug Enforcement Administration
I. Resource Summary
II. Methodology
- All of the Drug Enforcement Administration's resources are 100 percent drug-related.
III. Program Summary
- DEA is the lead federal agency for the enforcement of narcotics and controlled substance laws and regulations. The agency's priority mission is the long-term immobilization of major drug trafficking organizations through the removal of their leaders, termination of their trafficking networks and seizure of their assets.
- The DEA program provides support to Goals 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the Strategy.
- Three major activities drive DEA's resource requirements. They are:
- Enforcement: Through effective enforcement efforts, DEA will disrupt/dismantle the command, control, and infrastructure of drug syndicates, gangs, and traffickers of licit and illicit drugs that threaten Americans and American interest, including providing enforcement assistance to American communities to fight drug-related crime and violence;
- Investigative Support: Through its investigative support programs (Research, Engineering and Technical Operations (RETO), Intelligence, Laboratory Services, Training, and Automated Data Processing (ADP)), DEA will ensure that its investigative workforce needs are met so that its total investigative arsenal is optimized; and
- Program Direction: This activity employs such management practices to ensure that DEA's mission driven programs function with the highest level of integrity, efficiency and effectiveness.
IV. Budget Summary
1999 Program
- DEA's total FY 1999 direct appropriated resources include $1,298.7 million and 7,640 FTEs. FY 1999 direct appropriated resources by Strategy Goal are highlighted below.
Goal 1: Educate and enable America's youth to reject illegal drugs as well as the use of alcohol and tobacco.
- In FY 1999, DEA will spend $3.4 million for demand reduction programs which provide leadership, coordination, and resources for drug prevention and education in each of DEA's 21 domestic field divisions. These programs are operated by 21 Special Agents, known as Demand Reduction Coordinators, who have a broad range of experience in dealing with law enforcement, community groups, young people, employers, educators, health care professionals, and others.
- The six priorities of this program are: Anti-Legalization Education; Training for Law Enforcement Personnel; Youth Programs; Drug-Free Workplace Programs; Support for Community-Based Coalitions; and, Sports Drug Awareness Programs.
Goal 2: Increase the safety of America's citizens by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence.
- The FY 1999 program will provide $655.8 million for programs that support Goal 2 of the Strategy. Activities to be funded in FY 1999 include:
- State and Local Assistance: provides a diverse, creative, and all-encompassing federal response to the multi-faceted and complex drug problem to state and local law enforcement agencies. The program expands the work force under DEA's supervision; provides state and local officers with special equipment and conveyances when needed for DEA undercover operations; contributes substantial intelligence information; and achieves enhanced cooperation with local banks, thus improving DEA's ability to obtain emergency flash rolls and temporary storage of funds.
- Mobile Enforcement Teams (METs): provide a supportive role in investigations that are targeted by state and local agencies based on their own local priorities. The mission of the METs is to dismantle drug organizations by securing the conviction and incarceration of those individuals dealing drugs and causing violence in these communities.
Goal 4: Shield America's air, land, and sea frontiers from the drug threat; and Goal 5: Break foreign and domestic drug sources of supply.
- DEA's FY 1999 program will include $639.3 million to support Goal 4 and 5 activities. DEA's activities in support of Goal 4 and Goal 5 are tightly meshed in the programs listed below. For example, the Southwest Border and Caribbean Corridor operations promote Goal 4 through drug enforcement activities along the U.S. southern borders. The following are some of the law enforcement activities to be funded in FY 1999:
- Domestic Enforcement Program: includes the investigative operations of DEA's 21 field divisions, the operational coordination functions located at DEA Headquarters, Special Enforcement Programs, Title III intercept operations, and the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program. Specifically, the Domestic Enforcement Programemploys the majority of the Special Agent work force and is responsible for conducting investigations of drug production and trafficking activities within the U.S. Domestic enforcement personnel use a variety of investigative tools including electronic surveillance, informants, and undercover operations to acquire intelligence information that aids in dismantling, prosecuting, and eliminating drug production and trafficking organizations.
- Regional Enforcement Teams (RETs): provide a proactive, highly mobile regional investigative element to better develop intelligence, and investigate and target drug organizations operating in America's smaller communities. Each RET is equipped with the investigative equipment and vehicles necessary to ensure a high degree of mobility and to support the performance of even the most complex of investigations.
- RETO: provides new technology and scientific support to the operational elements of DEA; enhances technical equipment, aircraft, and personnel resources to improve investigative capabilities and personnel safety; and improves the speed, mobility, vantage, and maneuverability qualities unique to aircraft operations.
- Foreign Cooperative Investigations Program (FCIP): advise, assist, and encourage foreign governments to reduce the trade and supply of illicit drugs within their countries. DEA also works with foreign governments on the investigation of high-level international trafficking organizations which have a direct impact on the U.S. In pursuing these aims, DEA coordinates drug intelligence collection and investigations with foreign law enforcement agencies, and participates in bilateral and multilateral drug suppression programs.
- Intelligence: collect, analyze, and disseminate drug-related intelligence worldwide. Intelligence information obtained through this program is essential to DEA operations and facilitates seizures and arrests, strengthens investigations and prosecutions of major drug trafficking organizations, and provides policy makers with drug trend information upon which tactical and strategical decisions are based. DEA's intelligence units are located in all domestic field divisions and in major drug cultivation, production, and transit countries around the world. This program also funds the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), a multi-agency facility that serves as a clearinghouse for tactical intelligence and as a central point for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information related to worldwide drug movement and alien smuggling. It should be noted that this program supports Goals 2, 4 and 5 activities.
- Drug and Chemical Diversion Control: responsible for enforcing the Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act of 1988, Article 12 of the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Drug Traffic of 1988, the Methamphetamine Control Act of 1996, and the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1991. In performance of this mission, DEA utilizes Diversion Investigators, Special Agents, Chemists, Pharmacologists, Program Analysts, and others to monitor legal and illegal movement of controlled drugs and chemicals across U.S. borders.
- In addition, DEA anticipates receiving $99.6 million in reimbursable funding for itsOCDETF activities.
2000 Request
- The FY 2000 budget for DEA includes a request of $1,468.6 million and 8,974 FTEs, including $104 million for ICDE program activities, which is being requested as part of DEA's direct appropriation in FY 2000. This is a $169.8 million increase over FY 1999 levels (including ICDE). The following provides a breakdown of the FY 2000 request by Strategy goal.
Goal 1: Educate and enable America's youth to reject illegal drugs as well as the use of alcohol and tobacco.
- The total request for Goal 1 activities for FY 2000 is $3.5 million, an increase of $0.1 million over the FY 1999 level. This increase covers projected program cost increases but does not provide for any new program enhancements in FY 2000.
Goal 2: Increase the safety of America's citizens by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence.
- The FY 2000 request for Goal 2 totals $698.7 million, an increase of $42.9 million over the FY 1999 level. Included in this increase is $21 million associated with the transfer of the ICDE program to DEA's base appropriations. The increase covers projected program cost increases but does not provide for any new program enhancements in FY 2000.
Goal 4: Shield America's air, land, and sea frontiers from the drug threat; and Goal 5: Break foreign and domestic drug sources of supply.
- The FY 2000 request for Goals 4 and 5 totals $766.3 million, an increase of $127 million over the FY 1999 level. Included in this increase is $83 million associated with the transfer of the ICDE program to DEA's base appropriations and the following program enhancements:
- Accelerated FIREBIRD Implementation: $13 million in special funding to accelerate Phase II of FIREBIRD deployment. Deployed in FY 1995, this project implements advanced computer technology that is designed specifically to support DEA's drug enforcement mission. FIREBIRD combines tools that all modern businesses must have (e.g., E-mail, uniform word processing and other forms of office automation) with DEA specific requirements such as an electronic investigative file room and the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information System (NADDIS). Once fully deployed, FIREBIRD will allow DEA components located around the world to act as one cohesive unit through instantaneous access to critical law enforcement and intelligence information.
- Special Operations Division: $9 million and 27 positions to improve technical and administrative support for DEA's Special Operations Division and Title III wire intercept investigations.
- Drug Diversion Control Fee Account Customer Service Improvements, Drug Scheduling Analysis, and Data Trend Analysis: $1.1 million and 25 positions to enable DEA to improve customer service by re-engineering current business processes using state-of-the-art technology and ultimately reducing the amount of time it takes to collect and transfer registrant data and information. DEA will be able to eliminate the backlog in drug reviews, and complete scheduling actions more promptly with the hiring of these additional personnel. In addition, DEA will be more responsive to requests for Diversion information from field personnel, Congress, other federal and state agencies, professional associations, and drug industry organizations.
V. Program Accomplishments
Mobile Enforcement Team (MET) Deployments
- Sierra Vista, Arizona At the request of the Sierra Vista Police Department, DEA's Phoenix Field Division MET was deployed to Sierra Vista in July 1997. During this six-month deployment, the Sierra Vista Police Department and the DEA MET investigated street-level drug sales involving gangs and violent criminal offenders who were responsible for distributing methamphetamine and crack cocaine.
From February 10 through 13, 1998, six federal search warrants and 29 state arrest warrants were served in the Sierra Vista area, with the assistance of approximately 60 law enforcement officers from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The investigation resulted in 36 arrests and the seizure of approximately 460 pounds of marijuana; five pounds of methamphetamine; and a quarter pound of crack cocaine. Also seized were: 18 weapons (including two SKS assault rifles), five vehicles, four computers, and approximately $20,000 in cash and related assets.
- Benton Harbor, Michigan -- DEA's Detroit Field Division MET deployed to Benton Harbor, Michigan on June 15, 1998, to pursue a violent drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine in the inner-city and housing project areas of Benton Harbor.
The deployment concluded on September 24, 1998, with the arrest of 42 individuals and the execution of 13 federal search warrants. The defendants were charged with various levels of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Minimum penalties upon conviction range from five years to life in prison with fines of up to $4 million. In addition to the arrest statistics, this MET operation seized 38 ounces of crack cocaine; 100 grams of heroin; six vehicles; and $31,300 in U.S. currency.
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