Illegal drugs expected to be top national securi

Illegal drugs are expected to be one of the biggest threats to national security in 2024 as overdose deaths topped 100,000 in the last year, according to the Department of Homeland Security's annual threat study.
In its report released Thursday, DHS said it expects illegal drugs produced in Mexico and sold in the United States will continue to kill more Americans than any other threat.
"While terrorists pose an enduring threat to the Homeland, drugs kill and harm far more people in the United States annually," the report states.
In the past year, traffickers have contributed to more lethal mixes of fentanyl -- an already deadly drug -- on the market and driving an increase in overdose deaths in the U.S., DHS said. It is expected that fentanyl will remain the leading cause of narcotics-related deaths in the U.S. in 2024, according to the report.
The report also notes that illegal drugs impact American communities by "supporting violent criminal enterprises, money laundering and corruption that undermines the rule of law."