Through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, ONDCP supports collaborative Federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement and public health efforts to address overdoses and disrupt drug trafficking and production.
Created by Congress in 1988, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program coordinates and assists federal, state, local, and Tribal law agencies to address regional drug threats with the purpose of reducing drug trafficking and drug production in the United States.
Since its inception in 1988, the HIDTA Program has helped public safety officials implement integrated operations against drug trafficking organizations and, with ONDCP’s leadership, has provided the American people with a cost-effective solution to address addiction and the overdose crisis. In 2024, the HIDTAs seized an estimated $18 billion in illicit drugs, currency and other assets representing a return on investment of $68.07 for every $1 budgeted for the HIDTA Program.
ONDCP accepts petitions for county-based HIDTA designation on an ongoing basis and reviews these applications at least once a year. Regional law enforcement agencies may petition ONDCP for designation as a HIDTA, but new applicants typically request to be admitted to the closest-established HIDTA.