Management Advisory Memorandum – Notification of Concerns Relating to the DEA’s Untimely Reporting of Potential Human Rights Violations by Foreign Law Enforcement

Management Advisory Memorandum – Notification of Concerns Relating to the DEA's Untimely Reporting of Potential Human Rights Violations by Foreign Law Enforcement Read Report Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced today the release of a Management Advisory Memorandum to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identifying concerns related to the DEA's untimely reporting of potential human rights violations to the U.S. Department of State (State Department).   The Leahy Law refers to statutory provisions that prohibit the U.S. government from providing assistance to a unit of a foreign security force where there is credible information that such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights (GVHR). When a foreign security force unit or individual is found to be credibly implicated in a GVHR by the State Department, that group or individual is prohibited by the Leahy Law from receiving U.S. training, equipment, or other forms of assistance, and are entered into a system that tracks this information. Untimely reporting of such violations undermines the law's intent.   The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) identified five instances where the DEA did not notify, within a reasonable period of time, the proper authorities at the State Department and respective U.S. Embassies of evidence of potential GVHR admitted to by foreign law enforcement officials. We found that the DEA waited between 51 and 266 days to report these incidents. For example, in January 2023, a foreign law enforcement officer from a Central American country was polygraphed as part of the vetting process to join a DEA Vetted Unit. During the examination, the individual admitted to being a witness or participating in approximately 40 potential GVHR between 2015 and 2018 while serving on a foreign police unit. However, we determined that official notification of the evidence of potential GVHR violations was not reported by the DEA until October 2023, 266 days later. Six months prior to the DEA reporting the incident, this individual was Leahy vetted and approved to receive training from another U.S. agency.   The DOJ OIG made three recommendations to improve the DEA's reporting of GVHR. The DEA concurred with all of the recommendations. Read Report You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to OIG Reports - Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for U.S. Department of Justice.  Follow the DOJ Office of the Inspector General on X @JusticeOIG.

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