United States Government Accountability Office

Highlights of GAO-24-106281, a report to 

congressional committees

April 2024

COUNTERNARCOTICS

DOD Should Improve Coordination and Assessment 

of Its Activities

What GAO Found

The amount of funding available for Department of Defense (DOD)

counternarcotics and counter–transnational organized crime activities changed

from about $750 million in fiscal year (FY) 2018 to about $580 million in FY 2022. 

In FY 2022, DOD allocated most of the funding to support detection and 

monitoring activities and allocated the remainder to support intelligence activities 

and efforts, such as constructing training facilities, in partner nations. 

DOD’s six geographic combatant commands—DOD components responsible for 

efforts in designated geographic areas—coordinate on activities. However, three

reported varying understandings of their roles in an overlapping joint operation 

area, including confusion over the management of air and naval operations. 

Although DOD required the three commands to develop agreements defining

their responsibilities, the three commands have not fully documented their roles 

in the overlapping joint operation area. Without such agreements, confusion 

about the commands’ responsibilities in the area may continue, reducing DOD’s

ability to disrupt the transport of illicit drugs to the U.S.

Map Showing Overlap of Joint Operation Area

DOD has not assessed the agency-wide effectiveness of its counternarcotics and 

counter–transnational organized crime activities and does not have a plan for 

future assessments. DOD has defined its strategic objectives, strategies, and 

performance goals. But contrary to key practices, it has not identified measurable 

outcomes for each strategic objective. As a result, DOD cannot measure 

progress toward these objectives. Officials also said they intend to assess 

agency-wide progress but have not developed a plan to do so. Assessing 

agency-wide progress toward its strategic objectives would better position DOD 

to make decisions about priorities, resource allocations, and strategies for 

View GAO improvements. -24-106281. For more information, 

contact Chelsa Kenney at (202) 512-2964 or 

kenneyc@gao.gov.

Why GAO Did This Study

The U.S. government has identified 

illicit drugs, as well as the criminal 

organizations that produce and traffic

them, as significant threats to both 

the U.S. and partner nations. DOD is 

the lead department responsible for 

detecting and monitoring the aerial 

and maritime transport of illicit drugs

to the U.S. 

Senate report 117-130 accompanying 

the FY 2023 National Defense 

Authorization Act contains a provision 

for GAO to examine issues related to 

counternarcotics and counter–

transnational organized crime 

activities. This report examines (1) 

funding available for DOD’s activities

and funding allocation in FYs 2018

through 2022; (2) the extent to which 

DOD components coordinate 

activities; and (3) how DOD assessed 

the effectiveness of these activities, 

and the extent to which its future 

assessments align with key practices.

GAO reviewed DOD documents and 

data about its authorities, funding,

and activities, including coordination 

and performance management. GAO 

also interviewed DOD officials,

including officials at headquarters and 

combatant commands.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making four 

recommendations, including that 

DOD develops a plan to assess 

agency-wide progress. DOD partially 

agreed with all recommendations.

GAO maintains that fully 

implementing them is necessary to 

improve DOD’s coordination and 

assessment of activities.