Arizona’s AG Calls for Renewed Focus on Fentanyl as Immigration Enforcement Claims Resources
Amid shifting priorities in federal law enforcement, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is raising concerns about the allocation of resources which, she argues, is negatively impacting efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking in the state. This comes after a recent report highlights a significant reduction in drug trafficking investigations by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General’s report, published in August, reveals a 24% drop in fentanyl investigations from the 2024 to 2025 fiscal years. This decline is attributed to a shift in focus towards immigration enforcement, leaving certain HSI offices with nearly all resources committed to immigration-related activities.
According to the report, one HSI office noted that about 99% of its efforts were dedicated to immigration matters, leaving minimal capacity for tackling fentanyl cases. Nationwide, HSI seizures saw a 39% reduction during the 2025 fiscal year, despite the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recording several significant fentanyl seizures.
Richey Taylor, communications director for Mayes’ office, emphasized the critical role Arizona plays in the national fight against fentanyl. “We know that Arizona serves in many ways as the fentanyl funnel for the rest of the country — drugs that cross the border here end up in New York, Philadelphia, the Midwest,” he noted. “If we can stop the drugs here in Arizona from reaching the rest of the country, then we can save lives everywhere.”
The report further indicates that over 90% of fentanyl is intercepted at U.S. Ports of Entry. A 2024 Cato Institute report corroborates that U.S. citizens are responsible for the majority of fentanyl smuggling operations.
Despite traditionally collaborating with federal authorities on fentanyl interdiction, Taylor points out that these efforts have been hindered since 2025 due to the reallocation of HSI resources to immigration work. In response, Mayes’ office is urging the federal government to reassign HSI agents back to fentanyl investigations and to provide detailed data on the number of drug trafficking cases overlooked as a result of this resource shift.
ICE has yet to issue a comment regarding the report’s findings or Mayes’ requests at the time of publication.
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