Threat Assessment

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program publishes a threat assessment on June 15th each year. The threat assessment is an annual analysis of drug trafficking and related activities in Oregon and Idaho. The primary purpose is to provide a basis for the development of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program's counter-drug strategy by identifying and describing the organizations that engage in the manufacture, cultivation, importation, transportation, and/or distribution of illegal drugs or the diversion of prescription drugs in and through Oregon and Idaho.

A full-text report may be viewed or downloaded by clicking the button below.

view 2027 Threat Assessment (PDF)

2027 Threat Assessment Executive Summary

Communities in the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA counties continue to face challenges associated with illicit drug use, similar to those observed nationwide. The spread of illegally manufactured fentanyl in powder and pill form, along with high purity methamphetamine, has led to significant increases in both fatal and nonfatal overdoses across the region. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA Information Sharing and Analytical Coordination Center (ISACC) assesses that fentanyl, and methamphetamine will remain the region’s most serious drug threats in 2027.

The primary drug threats impacting the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA region are as follows:

  • Fentanyl and methamphetamine remain the primary threats, driving overdose deaths, impacting community livability, and contributing to drug related criminal activity. In 2025, fentanyl was involved in 68.7% of overdose deaths in Oregon and 38% in Idaho. Methamphetamine was present in 65.6% of Oregon overdose deaths and 38% in Idaho. Overdoses involving both drugs accounted for 44% of deaths in Oregon and 78% in Idaho.

  • Cocaine availability remains stable, reflected in an increase in cocaine seizure incidents and related investigations by HIDTA initiatives in both states. The region continues to serve as a transit corridor for cocaine moving toward Washington and Canada.

  • While heroin remains present in the region, it is most often encountered in smaller quantities as part of polydrug seizures.

  • Oregon continues to be a source state for high potency marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) extract products. Despite regulatory efforts, black and gray market products originating in Oregon continue to be seized nationwide, negatively affecting communities outside the HIDTA region and undermining legal markets in other states. DTOs with leadership ties to China and Mexico continue to influence illicit marijuana cultivation in Oregon, with environmental damage and forced labor remaining ongoing concerns.

  • Illicit use and availability of diverted controlled prescription drugs and designer drugs such as dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy in tablet form, and molly in crystal form, remain low and are not considered significant threats based on current law enforcement and public health reporting.

  • Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) activity in the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA region remains strong, with an average of 125 organizations investigated annually. Multistate DTOs have the most significant impact, followed by locally operated and internationally connected groups. International DTOs tied to Mexican Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCO) supply fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine to regional networks. In recent years, TCOs linked to China have expanded their role in largescale marijuana cultivation and distribution from Oregon.

  • DTOs and Money Laundering Organizations (MLO) continue to rely heavily on bulk cash smuggling to move illicit proceeds to TCOs in source countries. Traffickers increasingly use money service businesses to transfer drug profits and payments, while cash intensive businesses - such as retail stores, restaurants, and used car dealerships - are used to integrate illicit proceeds into legitimate financial streams.

  • Xylazine, nitazenes, and emerging synthetic opioids remain infrequently detected, most often appearing as adulterants in counterfeit pills and powder fentanyl submitted to state or federal laboratories or identified in toxicology data at low rates.

  • The ongoing presence of firearms among drug traffickers continues to pose risks to law enforcement and local communities. Although the region experienced a 5% decrease in firearms seized from 2024 to 2025, HIDTA initiatives have seized an average of 1,004 firearms annually over the past five years.