Representative Tran Raises Alarm Over Proposed Cuts to Critical Anti-Drug Trafficking Efforts
Washington, DC – Representative Derek Tran joined Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) calling on House leadership to fully fund a critical program that combats drug trafficking in high-risk areas. The High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program provides essential coordination assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to intercept drug trafficking operations. The Trump Administration’s proposed budget for FY2026 would cut HIDTA program funding by $102 million, a cut greater than one-third of the program’s entire budget from the previous fiscal year.
Read the full letter here.
There are 33 HIDTAs throughout the country, serving all 50 states. Los Angeles and Orange Counties are both part of the Los Angeles High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (LAHIDTA).
“The High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program has been critical to ensuring that our local law enforcement agencies have the tools to keep deadly illicit substances out of our communities,” said Representative Tran. “The program has been extremely successful in the past, but funding cuts and staffing shortages have already impacted the Orange County Regional Narcotics Suppression Program’s ability to combat drug trafficking. HIDTA is vital to keeping our families and neighbors safe, and I urge my colleagues in Congress and the Trump Administration to fund this essential program.”
In the letter, the members wrote, “These partnerships represent the best of interagency coordination to respond to the most serious drug threats to the region… without full funding, HIDTAs will be unable to complete their mission.”
In 2024 the HIDTA program seized 4.1 million pounds of fentanyl and other drugs and disrupted or dismantled 3,209 drug trafficking or money laundering organizations, stopping traffickers from making an estimated $17.7 billion in illicit profits. For every dollar invested in the HIDTA program, taxpayers receive a $68.07 return on investment.
The letter also highlighted the concerns of local communities and law enforcement, writing, “Local partners have also raised their concerns. The Administration’s request to cut HIDTA funding by $102 million dollars has also received 67 letters of opposition and counting from police departments, sheriffs’ associations, police chiefs’ associations, associations of narcotics enforcers, and non-profits. We urge you to heed our collective call and ensure that HIDTAs receive the full funding and structural support needed to protect our communities.”
Public safety remains a top priority for Representative Tran. Earlier this year, Tran voted in favor of H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act, which would address the opioid crisis by increasing regulations on fentanyl. Tran attempted to introduce an amendment to improve the bill by preventing HIDTA funding from being frozen, but the amendment was rejected by House Republicans. He is also an original cosponsor of H.R. 2964, the Fight Fentanyl Act, which would reauthorize the HIDTA program and improve coordination between law enforcement agencies for fentanyl seizure operations.
Congressman Derek Tran represents California’s 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.