Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)

National Security Section | Appellate Section | Asset Forfeiture Section | Major Crimes | OCDETF

The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering criminal conspiracies. This section performs both legal and investigative functions, including assisting federal, state and local law enforcement agents during the course of investigations, conducting grand jury investigations, and preparing applications for and supervising court-ordered electronic surveillance (including wiretaps). These attorney led investigations target the most serious domestic and international drug trafficking organizations in the region.

The primary objective of the OCDETF program is to target, investigate and prosecute individuals who organize, direct, finance or otherwise engage in illegal drug trafficking enterprises, including large-scale money laundering organizations. The agencies participating in OCDETF are the FBI, DEA, IRS, ATF, HSI, United States Coast Guard, United States Marshals Service, United States Secret Service, Border Patrol, as well as other state and local agencies. Through the collective efforts of these agencies, the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas has charged and prosecuted leaders of some of the world's largest international drug cartels.

OCDETF is a national program consisting of nine regions, which operates across federal, state and national boundaries. The various federal agencies within OCDETF work through their respective coordinators and arrive at decisions by consensus. The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas is a member district of the Southwest Border Region, which covers Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.

The OCDETF Coordinator for the Western District of Texas is located in the San Antonio Division.