United States Drug Enforcement Administration

LOS ANGELES – Today the United States Drug Enforcement Administration launched a new comprehensive law enforcement and prevention initiative aimed at reducing drug use, abuse, and overdose deaths.  “Operation Engage” allows participating field divisions to focus on the biggest drug threat and resulting violence in their respective geographic areas. The initiative builds on and replaces DEA’s 360 Strategy, which aimed its resources specifically at opioids, and allows field divisions to customize plans and direct resources to target the drug that presents the greatest threat to public health and safety in their jurisdictions.

Goals of Operation Engage:

• Identify the drugs that affect individuals and families in the designated areas
• Identify evidence-informed strategies that best fit community needs
• Identify and eliminate local drug threats in every field division
• Support and contribute to local drug use prevention efforts
• Bridge local public safety and public health efforts
• Build on the success of DEA 360 and expand Operation Engage nationwide in 2022

Los Angeles Field Division submitted one of the 11 proposals approved in the initial round of funding and will focus its Operation Engage efforts on opioids and fentanyl.

In the greater Los Angeles area there has been a high volume of opioids, especially fentanyl, which is coinciding with the increase of drug-caused deaths. Fentanyl is now involved in approximately 49% of the drug-caused deaths in Los Angeles County and approximately 42% of the drug-caused deaths in Riverside County.  In 2017, the Los Angeles Field Division seized just under 120,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills which were in fact fentanyl pills. In 2020, that number increased tenfold to 1.2 million pills.  Many of these tablets/pills have been manufactured to simulate the appearance of 30-milligram, oxycodone and are stamped or impressed with some variation of the “M-30” designation.

“We will continue to view distribution of drugs resulting in overdose death as a crime of violence.  However, the reality is law enforcement alone will not be able to reduce drug harm sufficiently to protect our families,” said Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner.  “We need the help of the community to increase awareness about the effects and dangers of fentanyl and other opioids and we need to educate and empower our young people so they can make intelligent, informed decisions about drug use.  Our goal with Operation Engage is to empower communities through information and prevention.” 

“Fentanyl is cheap, potent, and deadly.  The demand for it and other opioids remains high and, as a result, Southern California faces an ever-increasing number of overdose deaths,” said Acting United States Attorney Tracy Wilkison.  “The DEA’s community-based effort to prevent opioid use through education and outreach is a key complement to our shared law enforcement mission.  We are prepared to fully support Operation Engage, which brings together the DEA, local governments, and community groups to address this complex and evolving crisis.”

“The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner has been troubled by the stark rise in fentanyl-related deaths over the last year, and we are committed to assisting in any way we can to address this lethal problem affecting our communities,” said Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner Dr. Jonathan Lucas.

“As a mother of five children, I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child to drug poisoning,” said California Senator Melissa Melendez. “This pandemic has led to a devastating rise in fentanyl-induced deaths across California.” 

Recent statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control show an alarming rise in drug overdose deaths, with synthetic opioids driving record-high fatalities. The vast majority of deaths involve illicitly manufactured fentanyl, including fentanyl analogs.

Overdose deaths involving methamphetamine increased almost 35% in the past year and now exceed the number of cocaine-involved overdose deaths, which increased by 26.5%. The record number of overdose deaths represents an 18 percent increase year over year. While this increase began prior to the COVID-19 health emergency, it accelerated significantly during the first months of the pandemic. These deaths are likely linked to the co-use or contamination of cocaine and synthetic opioids.

DEA works every day to target and take down the drug trafficking organizations flooding American communities with illegal drugs. But confronting this public health crisis requires a strategy to reduce demand in those communities.

The Operation Engage initiative encourages partnerships with healthcare professionals, as well as engagement with community and social service organizations best positioned to provide long-term assistance and support for building drug-free communities. 

For more information, visit the Los Angeles Field Division Operation Engage webpage at https://www.dea.gov/engage/operation-engage-southern-california

B-Roll Link to Fentanyl/counterfeit pill press video: https://vimeo.com/508628528

List of #OpEngageSoCal community stakeholders:

Drug Enforcement Citizen’s Academy

California National Guard, Counterdrug Task Force, Drug Demand Reduction Team.

Los Angeles Sparks

Helpline Youth Counseling, Inc.

Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner

Milken Institute Center for Public Health

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.  

Watts Healthcare Corporation 

Department of Youth Education and Prevention Program (YEPP)

Mentor Foundation USA 

Los Angeles County Office of Education- Friday Night Lights

Asian American Drug Abuse Program, Inc. | AADAP, Inc.

Behavioral Health Advisory Board Prevention Committee – Ventura Behavioral Health

South Bay Communities Creating Change Behavioral Health Services Inc. (BHS)

Cambodian Association of America (CAA)

South Bay Prevention - Behavioral Health Services Inc. (BHS)

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Day One (Youth Organization in Ventura)

Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc.

Antelope Valley Marijuana Alcohol and Pharmaceutical Prevention Coalition

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

Andrea Moiseve

                                                                                                                 ###

 Los Angeles Field Division is the 2nd largest division in DEA and responsible for the seven largest counties in Southern California—Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, as well as the states of Nevada (Las Vegas/Reno), and Hawaii (Oahu/Maui), and the U. S. Territories of Guam and Saipan.