United States Drug Enforcement Administration

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office of Forensic Sciences laboratory system is comprised of eight regional laboratories distributed across the United States. Heroin seizures ranging in weight from residue to multiple kilograms are routinely analyzed in these laboratories. The analytical protocol typically requires the identification of heroin, other controlled substances, and non-controlled adulterants. Diluents are not identified in the regional laboratories. In addition, a quantitative analysis of heroin is conducted on most purchased exhibits. The information on the following pages summarizes the results of heroin seizures analyzed in the regional laboratories; all seized in 2024. Trends for the last five years are also reported.