U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez is pushing back against a White House proposal to slash funding for a key anti-drug trafficking program that supports law enforcement agencies in regions of America, including across New Mexico.
The administration last month proposed cutting the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, or HIDTA, by 35 percent, a move Vasquez said would undermine efforts to combat fentanyl and other illegal drugs in communities nationwide.
“In my district, everyone knows a loved one, friend or community member who has been impacted by the byproduct of drug trafficking,” Vasquez said in a press release. “Making sure our law enforcement officers have the tools they need to do their jobs is absolutely essential in the fight to keep our communities safe, and it’s unthinkable that an administration which claims to be focused on stopping crime and securing our borders would cut this essential funding.”
New Mexico received more than $9.5 million in HIDTA funds in 2024, supporting drug task forces in 17 counties. The program helps coordinate local, state, federal and tribal agencies in tackling drug trafficking across high-volume corridors.
Vasquez joined eight other lawmakers in sending a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging Congress to reject the cuts. The lawmakers noted that the proposed $102 million reduction has already drawn more than 67 letters of opposition from police departments, sheriffs’ associations, narcotics enforcement groups and nonprofits.
Earlier this year, Vasquez helped introduce the bipartisan Fight Fentanyl Act, which would reauthorize HIDTA at more than $333 million annually through 2030. He has also worked with law enforcement agencies in Sunland Park and Las Cruces on anti-trafficking strategies and sponsored bills, including the No More Narcos Act and the Stop COYOTES Act.
“HIDTA is a proven tool to fight fentanyl and keep dangerous drugs off the streets,” Vasquez said. “This is no time to weaken it.”