Opioid/Fentanyl Detection Project 

FIGHTING THE OPIOID THREAT 

Through Executive Order 13784, the Commission on 

Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis was 

established to counter the public health crisis responsible 

for 47,600 overdose deaths in 2017. In direct response, 

the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and 

Technology Directorate (S&T) has established a program 

in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

(CBP) to deliver improved drug detection capabilities 

within 12-18 months. 

PROGRAM OVERVIEW 

The Opioid/Fentanyl Detection Project will identify and 

develop capabilities to better detect and interdict 

synthetic opioids like fentanyl entering the United States 

through international mail and parcel shipments. This 

program will provide advanced detection technologies 

and analytics that increase screening capacity at 

international mail facilities, without unduly impacting the 

flow of legitimate trade. This program aims to increase 

the number of interdictions of illicit drugs, reducing the 

overall supply entering the United States. 

TECHNICAL APPROACH FOR RAPID 

INNOVATION 

To accelerate technology development and delivery of 

solutions, S&T is leveraging innovative business tools like 

the Silicon Valley Innovation Program, Long Range Broad 

Agency Announcement and Small Business Innovation 

Research programs to engage industry partners. S&T 

and CBP have also partnered with the Office of National 

Drug Control Policy and U.S. Postal Inspection Service 

(USPIS) to execute a $1.55 million prize competition, 

challenging innovators to develop novel, high-throughput 

screening capabilities. S&T’s Transportation Security 

Laboratory is evaluating how equipment currently used by 

the Transportation Security Administration for explosives 

detection performs when used for synthetic opioid 

detection and is beginning work with industry partners to 

expand existing threat libraries and develop detection 

algorithms for those technologies. 

SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION USING DATA 

ANALYTICS 

In partnership with CBP, Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement, and USPIS, S&T is working to develop 

technical methods for exposing illegal mail transfers of 

opioid materials from foreign countries for distribution in 

the United States. S&T is focused on examining data 

related to international mail to understand the networks of 

production and consumption. These data-driven 

capabilities will help the government work with its 

partners to increase barriers to illicit opioid trafficking. 

ILLICIT DRUG DETECTION WORKING GROUP 

S&T is also leading the interagency Illicit Drug Detection 

Working Group to coordinate communications between 

various government stakeholders, including DHS 

Components, Department of Defense, Drug Enforcement 

Agency and Department of Justice, on synthetic opioid 

seizure, profile data approaches and standards for 

detection and best practices for safe handling. 

CURRENT PROGRAM ACTIVITIES 

 Capabilities & Requirements Analysis Working Group

 Tech Scouting and Market Research

 Detection Standards Development

 Developmental Test and Evaluation

 Opioid Detection Prize Competition

 Opioid Supply Chain and Research Analytics

Contact Us: sandt.bordersmaritime@hq.dhs.gov scitech.dhs.gov dhsscitech 

01-2020