Inside the DEA, DEA Programs, HIDTAs

The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA) was authorized by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Since the original designation of five HIDTAs in 1990, the program has expanded to 31 areas of the country, including five partnerships along the southwest border. The DEA plays a very active role, and now has 282 special agent positions dedicated to the program. The 2000 HIDTA annual budget is projected to be $186 million.

The HIDTA's mission is to reduce drug trafficking in the most critical areas of the country, thereby reducing its impact in other areas. This is accomplished by institutionalizing teamwork among local, state, and federal efforts; synchronizing investments in strategy-based systems; and focusing on outcomes.

[HIDTAs graph]

To qualify as a HIDTA an area must:

Be a major center of illegal drug production, manufacturing, importation, or distribution;

Have state and local law enforcement agencies already engaged;

Have a harmful impact on other areas of the country; and

Require a significant increase in federal resources.