The millions of dollars drug smugglers rake in by selling illegal drugs enriches the transnational criminal organizations responsible that produce and smuggle them into our country. The proceeds also fund other crimes, like money laundering, weapons trafficking and corruption — all of which further endanger our nation and put us all at risk.

International drug routes. Panamanian motor vessel Gatun during the largest cocaine bust in US Coast Guard history (totalling 20 tons, worth over 600 million USD), off the coast of Panama. The US federal government is an opponent of the illegal drug trade; however, state laws vary greatly and in some cases contradict federal laws.

The illegal drug trade, drug trafficking, or narcotrafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through the use of drug prohibition laws.

Feb 2, 2025 · President Trump says illegal street fentanyl is one of the main justifications for sweeping trade tariffs he plans to impose against Canada, China and Mexico on Tuesday. A statement issued by the ...

Feb 3, 2025 · The other challenge, Vigil said, is that combating the fentanyl trade will likely require more than just collaboration between the U.S. and its neighbors. “Even if Mexico, Canada and these other countries snap their fingers and did away with the drug trade, as long as we have that demand, there will be another country that will satisfy that ...

May 9, 2024 · WASHINGTON – Today, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram announced the release of the 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA), DEA’s comprehensive strategic assessment of illicit drug threats and trafficking trends endangering the United States.

Jan 28, 2025 · Illicit fentanyl coming into the U.S. has contributed to an increase in the annual number of overdose deaths, as the drug can be lethal in very small doses. In 2023, there were 72,776 deaths ...

Drug trafficking is a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. UNODC is continuously monitoring and researching global illicit drug markets in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of …

Jun 26, 2024 · As of January 2024, Canada, Uruguay, and 27 jurisdictions in the United States had legalized the production and sale of cannabis for non-medical use, while a variety of legislative approaches have emerged elsewhere in the world.

Illegal drugs — such as fentanyl and synthetic opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine — largely come from other countries. Cartels and other criminal organizations employ complex schemes to evade detection and smuggle these deadly drugs into the United States.