Fentanyl Investigations and Seizures Dropped During Trump Immigration Crackdown, Watchdog Says

Fentanyl investigations and seizures by Homeland Security Investigations dropped significantly in fiscal year 2025 as federal agents were reassigned to President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement efforts, according to a new federal watchdog report.

The Department of Homeland Security inspector general's report found that HSI, the investigative division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, shifted much of its focus toward immigration arrests amid the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown.

The change came after federal agencies were directed to provide additional personnel for immigration enforcement. HSI agents, whose responsibilities include investigating drug cartels and criminal organizations, were among those reassigned.

According to the report, the number of hours HSI agents spent on fentanyl investigations fell about 31% in fiscal year 2025 compared with the previous year.

At the same time, immigration enforcement work increased by more than 1.7 million hours, an increase of more than 800%.

The shift was also reflected in the number of fentanyl cases and seizures. HSI initiated 24% fewer fentanyl investigations in fiscal year 2025 than the year before. At one field office, investigations dropped from 30 in fiscal year 2024 to 13 in fiscal year 2025.

The report also found that HSI's fentanyl seizures declined 39% during the same period.

The inspector general said the shift in priorities affected drug investigations across HSI offices. In one example, a drug investigation team with seven agents was reduced to two or three agents after personnel were reassigned to immigration cases.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN that HSI is working with the department to track its performance in combating fentanyl and said an action plan was launched in fiscal year 2026 to establish goals for the agency.

The audit also identified other challenges facing HSI's fentanyl investigations, including technology limitations, funding shortages and inconsistent referrals from other federal agencies.

The DHS inspector general made four recommendations to ICE, including reviewing staffing levels to ensure HSI has enough personnel dedicated to fentanyl investigations. ICE agreed with all four recommendations and set June 30, 2027, as the estimated completion date for its staffing review.