Law Enforcement and Investigations - Drug Control Program

A Forest Service law enforcement officer standing next to his patrol vehicle out in a New Mexico forest. — Law Enforcement Officer – Cibola National Forest, Victor Morales is seen in Cibola National Park in Albuquerque, NM. (*Forest Service photo by Andy McMillan, Team Pathways2Solutions*)

Mission and Authority

The Law Enforcement and Investigations (LE&I) branch protects the public, employees, and natural resources. It enforces U.S. Criminal Law and provides expertise to agency managers.

Under the National Forest System Drug Control Act of 1986 and Title 16 of the U.S. Code, the Forest Service has the authority to enforce drug laws on National Forest System (NFS) lands.

Hazards of Illegal Drug Production

Illegal drug production on public lands creates severe safety and environmental hazards:

Booby Traps: Drug growers often booby-trap and protect their cultivation sites, threatening visitors, employees, and officers.
Environmental Damage: Illegal operations damage sensitive waterways, harm or kill wildlife, and destroy habitats.

Cultivation and Lab Trends

Drug trafficking organizations are actively operating on public lands and moving from the West Coast to the East and North.

Marijuana: Between 1996 and 1999, the Forest Service eradicated over 1.4 million marijuana plants (about 3.2 million pounds) across 19,380 sites. The Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky accounts for nearly half of all seized plants, while California forests are seeing a sharp rise in larger grow sites.
Methamphetamine Labs: Clandestine labs and dump sites are increasing. Officers found 107 sites in 1999, up from 41 sites in 1996.

A Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer and K-9 dog alerting on a suspect vehicle. — USDA Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations at work on the Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest near Salt Lake City..Here, Law Enforcement Officer Darren Schiedel and K-9 Diesel make a traffic stop. (*Forest Service photo by Preston Keres*)

Border Smuggling

Drug smuggling is rising across national forests that touch international borders:

Southwest Border: High volumes of undocumented crossings and drug smuggling persist.
Canadian Border: Smuggling is rising rapidly across hundreds of remote forest areas.

Joint Enforcement Strategy

The Forest Service works with the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to meet National Drug Control Strategy goals. To stop drug cultivation, dismantle labs, and curb border smuggling, LE&I uses several resources:

Military and National Guard support.
Multi-agency task forces through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.