DATE: May 8, 2025
INCIDENT: International Narcotics Interdiction Association 2025 Cooperative Effort of the Year Award
LOCATION(S): Chicago, IL
VIDEO: International Narcotics Interdiction Association 2025 Cooperative Effort of the Year Award
SUMMARY: On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Chicago, the International Narcotics Interdiction Association (INIA) presented the LA HIDTA VIPER (Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Vehicle Interdiction Pipeline Enforcement Resource) team with the prestigious Cooperative Effort of the Year Award for their exceptional work in counter-drug efforts, specifically in combatting the trafficking and transportation of narcotics throughout the Southern California area.
The Los Angeles HIDTA VIPER initiative consists of three interdiction teams from San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County. It established itself as a leader in drug interdiction, conducting nearly 6,000 traffic stops during the evaluation period and achieving significant seizures of illicit currency and narcotics. The initiative's intelligence-sharing efforts, including the LA HIDTA INCH/VIPER DHE bulletin, have provided actionable insights to interdiction teams across the nation. Additionally, VIPER has offered hands-on interdiction training to both HIDTA and non-HIDTA agencies, significantly improving operational readiness.
The Los Angeles HIDTA VIPER initiative serves as a model for interagency coordination, innovative enforcement, and intelligence sharing. By combining large-scale operations with critical training and information exchange, VIPER has played an instrumental role in disrupting drug trafficking across California. Collaborating with federal, state, and local partners, VIPER has focused its efforts on targeting drug trafficking activities along key transportation corridors, specifically Interstates 5, 10, 15, and 40. Enforcement activities have spanned Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Kern, Sacramento, and Santa Barbara counties.
Over the course of one year, VIPER's proactive enforcement resulted in significant seizures, including:
- $2,220,260 in illicit U.S. currency
- 2,171.14 pounds of methamphetamine
- 912.9 pounds of cocaine
- 759 pounds of processed marijuana
- 372.94 pounds (1,689,418 pills) of fentanyl pills
- 79.96 pounds of powdered fentanyl
- 43.6 pounds of liquid methamphetamine
- nine pounds of heroin
- eight firearms
These outcomes underscore VIPER's dedication to proactive, intelligence-driven enforcement and its critical role in combating drug trafficking in California.
The Los Angeles HIDTA VIPER initiative has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to the HIDTA program's mission of reducing drug trafficking through collaboration, intelligence sharing, and strategic enforcement. Its impactful operations and extensive training efforts have led to significant achievements in drug and currency seizures while enhancing the safety and effectiveness of interdiction teams nationwide.
Refer: Public Affairs Division
Station: Gangs/Narcotics Division
Phone No. (909) 387-3700
SHANNON D. DICUS, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
