Overview

• The Trump administration's FY2026 budget proposal eliminates funding for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), leading to its planned dissolution by September 30, 2025.
• OCDETF has played a critical role in combating transnational criminal organizations since 1982, including contributing to the capture of Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzmán in 2019.
• Federal prosecutors and agency leaders were blindsided by the decision, which creates uncertainty for thousands of active investigations and the future of OCDETF's classified intelligence fusion center in Virginia.
• Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche had praised OCDETF's importance in a March memo, highlighting its role in Operation Take Back America to address the Justice Department's enforcement priorities.
• The budget cancellation was not included in the Office of Management and Budget's formal proposal to Congress, leaving the final decision on OCDETF's fate unresolved.