United States Drug Enforcement Administration

The HSP (Heroin Signature Program) is one essential component of the DEA’s Intelligence Program to identify trends in heroin trafficking and distribution in the United States. The objective of the program is to identify and quantify the chemical components of heroin seized at U.S. ports of entry (POE), all non-POE heroin seizures weighing more than one kilogram, randomly chosen samples, and special requests for analysis. Samples submitted to the HSP undergo in-depth chemical analysis at the DEA Special Testing and Research Laboratory (SFL1). This chemical analysis allows SFL1 to associate the heroin samples with a production process, or “signature,” which is indicative of a particular geographic source area and processing method.