ONDCP Seal
 PolicyPolicy
IV. Agency Budget Summaries

HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS


  1. RESOURCE SUMMARY

  2. METHODOLOGY

    • All resources are 100 percent drug-related.

  3. PROGRAM SUMMARY

    • ONDCP is the President's primary policy office for drug issues, providing advice and government-wide oversight of drug programs and coordination of the President's National Drug Control Strategy. ONDCP is charged with oversight of the HIDTA Program, whose mission is to reduce drug trafficking activities in the most critical drug trafficking areas -- particularly as they impact other areas of the country. The program strengthens America's drug control efforts by intensifying the impact of drug control agencies by developing partnerships of local, State, and Federal drug control agencies in designated regions and creating systems for them to synchronize their efforts.

    • Section 1005 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-690) authorizes the Director of ONDCP to designate areas in the United States as HIDTAs for the purpose of providing increased Federal assistance to alleviate drug-related problems, particularly those with harmful impact in other areas of the Nation.

    • Specific counties in 17 areas have been designated as HIDTAs: Southwest Border (which contains the 5 partnerships of the California Border, Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, and South Texas), Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and New York (designated in 1990); Washington D.C./Baltimore and Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands (designated in 1994); Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia/Camden (designated in 1995); Rocky Mountain, Northwest, Lake County (Indiana), Midwest, and Gulf Coast (designated in 1996); and Southeast Michigan and San Francisco Bay (designated in 1997).

    • In addition, counties in three areas are awaiting official designation by the Director of ONDCP in FY 1998: Central Florida; Kentucky/West Virginia/Tennessee; and Milwaukee, which will total 20 HIDTAs.

    • Typically, a HIDTA consists of:

      • An Executive Committee composed of 16 members with an approximately equal number of local/State and Federal officials.

      • A major task force consisting of 100 to 300 collocated law enforcement members led by Federal agencies.

      • Regional local/state-led collocated drug and money laundering task forces.

      • A regional joint intelligence center and information-sharing network.

      • Other supporting initiatives to sustain law enforcement gains (e.g., treatment system coordination).

  4. BUDGET SUMMARY

    1998 Program

    • The 1998 program includes $162.0 million for drug-related activities. Included in this funding is $10 million to establish three new HIDTAs: Central Florida; Kentucky/Tennessee/West Virginia; and Milwaukee, as well as $8.8 million to enhance the response to the methamphetamine threat.

    • The HIDTA Program supports all five goals of the National Drug Control Strategy.

    Goal 1: Educate and enable America's youth to reject illegal drugs as well as the use of alcohol and tobacco.

    • Several HIDTAs integrate other drug education and early intervention programs with law enforcement efforts to reduce youthful involvement with illegal substances and strengthen families and communities.

    Goal 2: Increase the safety of America's citizens by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence.

    • All HIDTAs have joint drug task forces that target drug trafficking organizations for dismantling and disruption, which increases the safety of America's citizens. Since the program began, the task forces have dismantled major drug trafficking organizations, seized tons of illicit drugs and millions of dollars in currency, and dismantled the hierarchies of major international drug trafficking organizations. In addition, HIDTA task forces have dismantled gangs with major drug trafficking organization connections. HIDTA drug task forces conduct intensive surveillance of drug organizations; infiltrate street gangs; assist prosecutors in developing cases; and use specialized techniques to conduct sophisticated intelligence gathering, wire taps, and investigations.

    • The HIDTA Program concentrates federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts in critically affected areas of the nation. All HIDTAs have joint federal, state and local task forces that dismantle or disrupt major drug trafficking organizations. Through improved investigations, adaption of state-of-the-art technologies and integrated agency activities, HIDTA task forces bring all Americans closer to safer, healthier, and more viable communities.

    Goal 3: Reduce health and social costs to the public of illegal drug use.

    • The South Florida HIDTA developed an automated program for client intake, treatment, billing and matching, referral and placement. It also permits reporting on outcomes to state and federal funding sources. This has been adapted to other regions such as Puerto Rico. In addition, the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA has developed an automated information system that incorporates confidentiality requirements of multiple treatment and criminal justice agencies.

    • The Washington/Baltimore area HIDTA initiated a region-wide system for reducing health and social costs by cutting drug consumption of those under criminal justice supervision. The program provides a continuum of treatment for 22 participating jurisdictions in conjunction with graduated sanctions for chronic users.

    Goal 4: Shield America's air, land, and sea frontiers from the drug threat.

    • The HIDTA Program concentrates America's drug control efforts in key areas to protect the Nation's frontiers from drug trafficking. Along the Southwest Border and at major ports of entry, HIDTA assists in developing border interdiction, intelligence, investigation and prosecution systems to continue to support cases against those who smuggle, launder money and support the international drug trade.

    Goal 5: Break foreign and domestic drug sources of supply.

    • Participating agencies in the HIDTA program disrupt both international and domestic drug trafficking by a systematic handling of complex intelligence, investigation, and technical issues. HIDTAs integrate local, State, and Federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies to develop sophisticated investigations of domestic and international drug trafficking organizations.

    • HIDTA initiatives focus on both international and domestic drug trafficking organizations. Los Angeles HIDTA's Southern California Drug Task Force, Houston's Major Drug Squads and many HIDTA task forces along the Southwest Border, in Miami, New York and Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands identify and focus on major drug suppliers.

    1999 Request

    • The total FY 1999 HIDTA drug control budget request is $162.0 million which supports all five Goals of the National Drug Control Strategy. No program enhancements are being requested.

  5. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS

    • Equal partnerships between local, state, and federal agencies continue to be built within the 247 collocated initiatives that are made up of more than 700 different agencies. Participating law enforcement agencies benefit from the equal footing that exists between them and the synergy of HIDTA relationships. These agencies achieve substantial efficiencies such as reduced duplication of efforts and the creation of enduring partnerships. Moreover, HIDTA programs provide systemic changes for participating law enforcement organizations, such as institutionalized teamwork, fundamental cooperation, combined training programs, and the sharing of resources and intelligence information. Over time, these partnerships continue to strengthen and grow, while eliminating negative competition between agencies.

    • Transcending traditional boundaries of coordination, the drug task forces of the Los Angeles HIDTA are at the cutting edge of task force development. Not only are agency efforts coordinated within task forces, but the Los Angeles HIDTA strategy involves the coordination and integration of all task forces to form teams of task forces. This approach to drug task force planning and mutual investigative support results in significantly higher levels of trust and confidence than does the ad hoc task force approach.

    • The HIDTA Program has synchronized local, state, and federal efforts by creating joint systems for them to work together, share intelligence, personnel and technical resources. Regional intelligence centers link shared investigative information and common rules for officer safety. Extensive research and development time and costs are precluded by modifying off-the-shelf technology. New technologies, resources and activities are systematically integrated so that information can be shared within a region and nationwide. These systems enable HIDTAs to respond to the shift in drug trafficking routes caused by disruption of targeted organizations through money laundering and drug investigations and prosecutions, interdiction, drug treatment and prevention.

    • In FY 1997, through innovative investigations, modified existing technologies, and integrated agency coordination, HIDTA has advanced the National Drug Control Strategy by improving public safety and disrupting the drug trade. Joint efforts of local, State, and Federal agencies built by HIDTA have achieved major outcomes in FY 1997.

    • In Operation Meta, the Southern California Drug Task Force of the Los Angeles HIDTA and DEA offices crippled one of the most sophisticated methamphetamine production and distribution operations in the nation. Dismantling three large clandestine laboratories, whose production was capable of supplying the entire country, the task force exposed invaluable knowledge regarding the methamphetamine trade.

    • New York HIDTAs support of the Northern Manhattan Initiative assisted in dismantling 35% of the identified drug gangs in Washington Heights. The impact of the initiative has been to reduce the murder rate by 40%, robbery by 17%, burglary by 30%, grand larceny by 22% and auto theft by 33% in the region. New York HIDTA's El Dorado Task Force used a Geographical Targeting Order (GTO) to close loopholes for money launderers by requiring money service businesses to report cash transactions to Colombia greater than $750. Immediate results were putting most targeted money remitters out of business and increasing cash seizures at JFK Airport by 900%.

    • Some of the largest and most effective investigations in Puerto Rico's history have been made by Puerto Rico HIDTA task forces, with the assistance of other Federal and local law enforcement agencies. The Juan Johan Rivera Rosa Organization, a major drug-smuggling, distribution, and money laundering operation, was dismantled with the assistance of multiple wiretaps, used for the first time in Ponce. The Ayala Martinez Organization, notorious for ruthless executions and unbridled violence, was dismantled, as was the gang run by Miguel Gonzalez Sanchez who took their place. Up to 200 law enforcement officers, including non-HIDTA Federal and local law enforcement agencies, assisted in these sting operations demonstrating the commitment of all law enforcement personnel in Puerto Rico.

    • Combining intensive drug interdiction law enforcement and military operations, the Arizona Alliance Planning Committee of the Southwest Border HIDTA coordinated Operation Groundhog, which has emerged as a model in drug control coordination and deconfliction efforts. Over 17 separate missions operating at the same time yielded the seizure of 41,110 pounds of marijuana, 1,167 pounds of cocaine, and 65 pounds of methamphetamine and 218 arrests.