CNMI mayors ask DEA for more agents to fight meth crisis

The CNMI’s four mayors have joined forces in asking the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to send additional agents and other personnel to the Commonwealth, saying local resources can no longer keep pace with the scale and sophistication of methamphetamine trafficking.

The Department of Public Safety, the CNMI’s local law enforcement agency whose responsibilities include stopping the proliferation of drugs in the community, declined to weigh in on the mayors’ request.

DPS acting public information officer Simon Manacop, speaking on behalf of DPS Commissioner Anthony Macaranas, told Marianas Press: “He will not provide a comment as the matter was not addressed to him nor was he consulted about it.”

In an Aug. 10, 2026, letter addressed to DEA Director Terrence C. Cole, the mayors described methamphetamine as an “urgent and escalating threat” to the health, safety and stability of CNMI communities and sought increased federal assistance.

The undersigned were Saipan Mayor Ramon “RB” Jose Blas Camacho, Rota Mayor Aubry M. Hocog, Tinian and Aguiguan Mayor Edwin P. Aldan, and Northern Islands Mayor Valentino Taisakan Jr.

“Methamphetamine trafficking and abuse have reached levels that our local enforcement and community-support systems can no longer sustain alone,” the mayors wrote.

They said that despite the efforts of local police, community organizations and government agencies, the scale and sophistication of methamphetamine distribution networks operating in the CNMI have “outpaced our available manpower and resources.”

The mayors said the consequences include rising addiction rates, increased property and violent crime, strained social services and the erosion of community well-being.

“As frontline municipal leaders, we witness firsthand the human toll of this crisis,” they wrote.

The mayors specifically asked DEA to deploy additional agents, analysts, and interdiction specialists who could work directly with local law enforcement. They said additional federal personnel could strengthen intelligence gathering and investigative capacity, support joint operations targeting methamphetamine importation and distribution, and enhance interdiction efforts at ports of entry and along maritime routes.

They also asked for training and technical assistance for municipal and CNMI law enforcement and expanded community-based prevention and outreach initiatives.

“We believe that increased DEA engagement in the CNMI will significantly bolster our ability to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable populations, and restore safety and stability in our villages,” the mayors wrote.

The mayors said the CNMI has long valued its partnership with federal agencies and that they are ready to support and collaborate with DEA personnel assigned to the islands. They also invited DEA officials to discuss operational needs, timelines and coordination mechanisms.

“We look forward to working together to confront this crisis with the urgency and resolve it demands,” they wrote.