A Year of Impact: DEA Recognizes its Success in Combatting Drug Cartels and Saving Lives

WASHINGTON – 2025 was a year of historic achievements for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration highlighted by significant drug seizures, the capture of high-profile targets, and the confirmation of DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole. Appointed by President Donald Trump on February 11, 2025 and sworn in on July 23, 2025 Administrator Cole became only the third Senate-confirmed DEA Special Agent to lead the agency. Administrator Cole is a career law enforcement officer who spent 22 years with DEA fighting the drug cartels and dismantling transnational criminal organizations. Upon his return to the agency, Administrator Cole’s priorities were clear: DEA’s renewed commitment to drug enforcement to save American lives, protect public safety, and strengthen national security. DEA’s focus on dismantling Mexican drug cartels, disrupting chemical supply chains, and reducing violence in cities across America in 2025 resulted in the seizure of: 47 million fentanyl pills 9,938 pounds fentanyl powder 567,668 pounds cocaine 172,853 pounds methamphetamine 2,700 pounds heroin The amount of fentanyl seized this past year is equivalent to 369 million potential lives saved. DEA launched Fentanyl Free America in October. This comprehensive enforcement initiative and public awareness campaign aims to reduce both the supply and demand for fentanyl. This effort underscores DEA's unwavering commitment to protecting American lives and communities from the devastating impacts of fentanyl, which claimed more than 50,000 lives in 2024 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a sharp decrease from nearly 80,000 lives in 2023. This is welcome progress in the fight against fentanyl. In an effort to achieve a Fentanyl Free America, DEA is placing unprecedented pressure on the global fentanyl supply chain through intensified enforcement operations and heightened intelligence, forcing Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) - like the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG Cartel - to change their business practices. This has led to encouraging signs of progress. DEA laboratory testing indicates 29% of fentanyl pills analyzed during fiscal year (FY) 2025 contained a potentially lethal dose, a significant drop from 76% of pills tested just two years prior in FY 2023. Additionally, fentanyl powder purity decreased to 10.3%, down from 19.5% during the same time period. The reduction in both potency and purity levels correlate with a decline in synthetic opioid deaths to levels not seen since April 2020. Throughout August and September, DEA took aim at those responsible for the influx of deadly fentanyl into the U.S., specifically the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels. Combined targeted efforts against these two FTOs resulted in drug seizures, which are included in the above results, as well as nearly 1,300 arrests, 664 firearms, nearly $30 million in illicit proceeds and another $30 million in assets. A number of DEA targets were brought to the United States to face justice for crimes committed against our nation. Extradition of 29 defendants from Mexico, including of Rafael Caro Quintero In February 2025, the United States secured custody of 29 defendants from Mexico, some of whom are facing charges in federal districts around the country related to drug-trafficking, money laundering, murder and other crimes. Among the individuals extradited was Rafael Caro Quintero, who is alleged to have been among those responsible for the 1985 murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena and others. Caro Quintero, a cartel kingpin who unleashed violence, destruction, and death across the United States and Mexico, spent four decades atop DEA’s most wanted fugitives list. Sentencing of Ruben Oseguera-Gonzales In March 2025, CJNG leader, Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. Oseguera-Gonzalez, better known as “El Menchito”, led CJNG for nearly seven years, overseeing the importation of multi-tonnage quantities of drugs into the U.S. Oseguera-Gonzalez was additionally responsible for trafficking more than 50 metric tons of cocaine and supervising methamphetamine drug labs in Mexico capable of producing more than 1,000 metric tons of highly addictive and dangerous synthetic drugs. Oseguera-Gonzalez was one of the first contributors to the fentanyl epidemic and built his empire by manufacturing and distributing counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. Fentanyl is the greatest drug threat to face the U.S. and has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. Sentencing of a Co-founder of Los Cuinis Drug Trafficking Organization The fate of Jose Gonzalez-Valencia, the co-founder of the armed, violent, and prolific Los Cuinis drug cartel was sealed this summer. In June, Gonzalez-Valencia, a leader of Los Cuinis along with his brothers, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The Mexican cartel was responsible for trafficking multiple tons of cocaine from South America, through Mexico and into the United States. Los Cuinis were the financiers responsible for funding and CJNG, which grew into one of the most prolific Mexican drug cartels responsible for trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the United States, as well as for their extreme violence, murders, torture, and corruption. Ismael Zambada Garcia Pleads Guilty In August, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael Zambada Garcia, aka “El Mayo” pleaded guilty to charges related to his criminal enterprise and a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charge. Under El Mayo’s leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel profited billions of dollars by flooding countries, including the United States, with cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. El Mayo’s rise to power began with the cartel’s inception as he devoted his efforts over the decades to increasing and enhancing the power of the cartel. Under El Mayo’s leadership, the Sinaloa Cartel regularly used violence, murder and intimidation against law enforcement. He operated with impunity and bribed government officials and law enforcement to ensure his freedom and safety. Extradition of 26 fugitives from Mexico, including leader of Los Cuinis DTO Also in August 2025, the United States announced it had taken 26 fugitives from Mexico into custody, all facing a range of federal and state criminal charges, including charges related to drug-trafficking, kidnapping, illegal use of firearms, money laundering, murder, and other crimes. Among these fugitives was Abigael Gonzalez Valencia - known as Cuini – another leader of the violent drug trafficking organization, Los Cuinis. Also of note this past year, DEA Albuquerque seized 2.7 million fentanyl pills in May, marking the largest single seizure of fentanyl pills in DEA history. The Rocky Mountain Field Division, in collaboration with the Douglas County Sherriff’s Office, seized a record setting 1.7 million fentanyl pills from a storage locker in November. This marked the largest fentanyl pill seizure in Colorado’s history. Meanwhile, in November DEA Administrator Cole boarded the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone to receive a record-breaking 21,848 kilograms of suspected cocaine, marking the largest narcotics seizure, by a single cutter, in a single patrol, in U.S. history. DEA remains at the forefront of the fight to disrupt and dismantle the drug cartels responsible for poisoning hundreds of thousands of Americans. DEA remains dedicated to strengthening the government’s response to this epidemic by fighting to save American lives and protecting our national security. America will see our renewed commitment to enforcement, education, public awareness, and strategic partnerships as we move through 2026 and continue this critical work to eliminate drug threats across the United States.