United States Drug Enforcement Administration

“A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or perhaps both.  Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."—President James Madison

This week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) celebrates Sunshine Week – a national effort promoting open government and freedom of information.  The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has played a key role in advancing government transparency.  Enacted in 1966, the FOIA grants individuals the right to access information held by the federal government.  The basic function of the FOIA is to ensure informed citizens, vital to the functioning of a democratic society.  The public’s right to know creates accountability and keeps citizens informed about how their government is operating. 

To celebrate Sunshine Week 2023, DEA’s Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Unit has prepared the following information about the agency’s FOIA process.  For more information about the FOIA, please visit the DEA.gov FOIA webpage.

DEA’s Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Unit

FOIA Statistics

DEA ranks in the top six of all 31 Department of Justice components for the number of FOIA requests received per year.  In Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, DEA received 1,603 FOIA/Privacy Act (PA) requests.  For more information see the Department of Justice’s Annual FOIA Reports. 

Submitting a FOIA Request to DEA 

DEA has enhanced its FOIA website on DEA.gov and has introduced initiatives to make DEA records more accessible to the public.  Prior to submitting a FOIA request, we encourage you to review the information contained in the FOIA Library available at: https://www.dea.gov/foia/foia-library.  The records you seek may already be publicly available in the FOIA Library.  The FOIA Library contains a wealth of information regarding DEA’s mission and functions, policies, drug statistics, annual reports, demand reduction initiatives, and more. 

If the records you seek are not available in the FOIA Library, you may submit a formal FOIA request to DEA.  FOIA requests must be submitted to DEA in writing.  The FOIA request should describe the records sought in sufficient detail so they can be located with a reasonable amount of effort.  Individuals may submit a FOIA request for any agency records; however, the records may be exempt from release by one of nine FOIA exemptions which protect interests such as personal privacy, national security, and certain law enforcement information. 

The FOIA does not require that DEA do research, analyze data, answer written questions, or create records in response to a request.  The FOIA applies only to existing agency records, whether in paper or electronic format, within the agency’s record systems.