In a meeting Friday, March 21 at the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced that he and Rep. Nathaniel Moran (TX-1) have introduced bipartisan legislation to expand the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program to surge support for law enforcement’s battle combating the deadly rise in drug trafficking. Harder was joined by San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow at the event. The Ending Drug Trafficking in Our Communities Act authorizes $100 million in new funding for HIDTA to expand fatal overdose investigation teams and crime gun intelligence centers.
The fentanyl epidemic is a national crisis — fentanyl alone was responsible for nearly 75,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2023 — and Valley communities are on the front lines of this crisis, noted officials. Both Sacramento and San Joaquin County are designated as HIDTA zones, and a recent report confirmed that more than 10,000 Californians died from overdoses between 2023 and 2024.
Local law enforcement agencies are also facing skyrocketing drug trafficking — last year, nearly seven million fentanyl-laced pills and 4,000 pounds of fentanyl powder were seized in just a six-month period in California. More recently, local law enforcement seized enough fentanyl to kill a quarter of the state’s population.
“We are losing too many loved ones to drug overdoses, and we have to crack down on the criminals dealing these deadly drugs,” said Rep. Harder. “Expanding the HIDTA program will get law enforcement agencies in the Valley the tools they need to track down these drug dealers and stop the flow of fentanyl into our community.”
“Central Valley HIDTA is crucial to our efforts to get fentanyl and other illegal drugs off the streets, bring drug traffickers to justice, and tackle the fentanyl crisis,” added San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow. “Increasing funding for HIDTA will get law enforcement agencies like ours the tools we need to keep our communities safe and apprehend drug dealers. I’m grateful for Rep. Harder’s work to expand HIDTA and his commitment to supporting our local law enforcement agencies.”
The Ending Drug Trafficking in Our Communities Act would specifically allow Central Valley HIDTA to be able to expand their programs to include:
Fatal overdose investigation teams – After a fatal overdose, the victim’s last phone call is usually the dealer who supplied the drugs. HIDTA overdose investigation teams are trained to respond to fatal overdoses and pull critical evidence to track down suppliers.
Crime gun intelligence centers – These centers (CGICs) are staffed by federal agents, investigators, forensics experts, intelligence specialists, and other law enforcement members to prevent violent crime and get illegal guns out of communities.
Youth-based prevention efforts – These initiatives have proven to be effective in other HIDTA regions of the country to prevent young people from ever getting involved in illegal drug activities.
Last month, Harder met with over 200 narcotics officers at the National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC) 2025 Delegate Conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss drug trafficking prevention efforts and strategies. Harder also helped pass bipartisan legislation to close a deadly loophole in fentanyl regulation that allows traffickers to evade prosecution.
