Fentanyl investigations and seizures dropped during Trump’s immigration crackdown, federal watchdog says | CNN Politics

The Department of Homeland Security’s decision last year to pull additional federal agents for immigration enforcement resulted in a dramatic drop in fentanyl investigations and seizures by the department’s investigations division, according to a federal watchdog report. The sudden change in approach toward ongoing fentanyl-related efforts stemmed from President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown, which required federal agents across the government to be pulled in for immigration arrests. That included agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the body charged with combatting cartels and criminal organizations. Under tremendous pressure to meet White House-imposed quotas, HSI pivoted much of its work in fiscal year 2025 to immigration arrests, pulling it away from some of its ongoing work into fentanyl. One office reported that around “99 percent” of its work was dedicated to immigration, leaving almost no room for fentanyl investigations, according to the DHS inspector general report released last week. “In FY 2025, Department priorities shifted toward immigration enforcement. Accordingly, HSI prioritized immigration