Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement

Mission

The Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement (CNE) coordinates policy and operations to stop the entry of illegal drugs into the United States, and to track and sever the connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism.

Goals

The responsibilities of the Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement include:

• Coordinating policy and operations within the Department, between the Department and other federal departments and agencies, and between the Department and state and local agencies with respect to stopping the entry of illegal drugs into the United States;
• Ensuring the adequacy of resources within the Department for stopping the entry of illegal drugs into the United States;
• Recommending the appropriate financial and personnel resources necessary to help the Department better fulfill its responsibility to stop the entry of illegal drugs into the United States;
• Within the Joint Terrorism Task Force construct, tracking and severing connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism; and
• Representing the Department on all task forces, committees, or other entities whose purpose is to coordinate the counternarcotics enforcement activities of the Department and other federal, state or local agencies.

Key Counternarcotics Strategies and Reports

The Counternarcotics Enforcement strategies build upon the Department’s priorities and those set forth in the National Drug Control Strategy, National Interdiction Command and Control Plan, and the National Interdiction Planning Guidance, in an effort to better integrate the Department’s counternarcotics efforts along all U.S. borders. 

• 2009 National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy (PDF, 77 pages - 691 KB ) from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

Mandate

Section 878 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 established a Counternarcotics Officer (CNO) within the Department, which was expanded to the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement (CNE) by Section 7407 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 as follows:  “There is established in the Department an Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement, which shall be headed by a Director appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”