Litigation Unit

The NDDS Litigation Unit investigates and prosecutes large-scale, international narco-trafficking and narco-terrorist organizations.  NDDS works with a variety of law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle international drug trafficking organizations by targeting their command-and-control structures.  NDDS conducts complex, often long-term investigations into a variety of drug trafficking activity, including the large-scale manufacture, distribution, importation, and sale of controlled substances intended for U.S. markets.  The narco-trafficking organizations targeted by NDDS include drug cartels, dark web vendors, and other controlled substance supply chains.  

In addition to targeting the drug traffickers themselves, NDDS also investigates individuals and entities that facilitate drug trafficking to the United States.  NDDS investigates and prosecutes money laundering and other financial crimes intended to help drug trafficking organizations disguise the sources of their ill-gotten gains and promote their criminal conduct.  NDDS also prosecutes corrupt politicians who allow drug trafficking organizations to operate with impunity, as well as individuals facilitating bribes to corrupt officials.  Additionally, NDDS targets individuals and entities supplying precursor chemicals, illegal firearms, and other material support to narco-trafficking groups.

The NDDS Litigation Unit primarily focuses on extraterritorial criminal conduct that poses a direct threat to the United States.  NDDS also works with United States Attorney’s Offices around the country to prosecute certain complex domestic drug trafficking cases, including those involving fentanyl and synthetic analogues.