CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE URGES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PRESERVE CRITICAL PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM
Morelle demands DOJ, FBI rescind decision cutting task force designed to reduce organized crime and keep illicit narcotics off our streets
(Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle, Vice Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced he has taken action to protect the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Morelle urged U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to preserve—and even expand—the program in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
“OCDETF serves as the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational organized crime and reduce the availability of illicit narcotics throughout the nation,” wrote Congressman Joe Morelle in his letter. “Just this week, an OCDETF-led operation in my district of Rochester, New York, resulted in the removal of 210 grams of fentanyl from our streets—enough to kill thousands. Nationally, some of the Department of Justice’s most notable successes against drug cartels would not have been possible without the investigations and prosecutions of the OCDETF. Dismantling this program is not just shortsighted; it is dangerous.”
Earlier this month, President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, which calls for a $163 billion—or roughly 23 percent—reduction in non-defense spending, while increasing defense spending by 13 percent. New reporting this week suggested the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) would inexplicably be on the chopping block despite the fact that the task force seized more $2 billion from criminal organizations in the past two years.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) was established in 1982 and is the cornerstone of the Attorney General’s efforts to combat transnational organized crime and curb the supply of illegal drugs. OCDETF employs a prosecutor-led, multi-agency strategy. It brings together the capabilities and resources of various partner agencies to conduct focused, coordinated, and long-term investigations targeting major drug trafficking operations, money laundering schemes, and global criminal networks.
Through his role on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, Congressman Morelle was able to ask FBI Director Kash Patel about the OCDETF program and its continued operation.
Watch Rep. Morelle challenge Director Patel to adhere to his oath of office and duty to uphold the U.S. Constitution here.
The full text of Congressman Morelle’s letter to U.S. Attorney General Bondi can be found here.
###