
DEA Surge in Drug Diversion Investigations Leads to 28 Arrests and 147 Revoked Registrations
Surge part of Administration’s focus on combatting the opioid epidemic
For 45 days in February and March, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
surged its enforcement and administrative resources to identify and investigate
prescribers and pharmacies that dispensed disproportionately large amounts
of drugs. The ultimate goal of the surge was remediating or removing those
whose actions perpetuate the controlled prescription drug crisis in America,
particularly opioid drugs.
During that period, the DEA surged the efforts of special agents, diversion
investigators, and intelligence research specialists to analyze 80 million
transaction reports from DEA-registered manufacturers and distributors,
as well as reports submitted on suspicious orders and drug thefts and
information shared by federal partners, such as the Department of Health
and Human Services. This resulted in the development of 366 leads to DEA
field offices, 188 of which (51 percent) resulted in active investigations
by DEA’s 22 field divisions.
“In the midst of the deadliest drug epidemic in American history,
we need all hands on deck,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
“That’s why the Department of Justice has made enforcing our
drug laws a priority. Over the last 45 days, the DEA has surged resources
and personnel to prevent the diversion of opioids, arresting dozens of
people and taking away drug dispensing authority from nearly 150 medical
professionals. And our efforts are just getting started. I recently announced
that DEA will surge task force officers and more analysts to places across
America where the opioid crisis is at its worst. These new resources will
help us catch and convict more of the drug traffickers and corrupt medical
professionals who are fueling the opioid crisis.”
“DEA will use every criminal, civil, and regulatory tool possible
to target, prosecute and shut down individuals and organizations responsible
for the illegal distribution of addictive and potentially deadly pharmaceutical
controlled substances,” said Acting DEA Administrator Robert W.
Patterson. “We must stop the loss of our loved ones to these drugs.”
The culmination of those investigations was 28 arrests, 54 other enforcement
actions including search warrants and administrative inspection warrants,
and 283 administrative actions of other types. These additional actions
included scheduled inspections, letters of admonition, memoranda of agreement/understanding,
surrenders for cause of DEA registrations, orders to show cause, and immediate
suspension orders (the immediate revocation of registrations).
DEA works with various federal and state partners on data sharing agreements
to enhance its ability to identify individuals and companies who are contributing
to the prescription opioid crisis, including a coalition of 41 state attorneys
general and the Department of Justice’s Opioid Fraud and Detection
Unit, an initiative of Attorney General Sessions. It is also dedicating
additional resources to its domestic divisions to carry out investigations.