Border Czar Tom Homan stated at the Conservative Political Action Conference that Mexican cartels are facing severe financial pressure due to the Trump administration's border enforcement operations. Homan said cartels are 'going broke' and shifting focus to Europe and Asia as it has become harder to operate in the US. Sara Carter, director of the National Drug Control Policy, reported a 56 to 57 percent decrease in fentanyl entering the country. The comments, first reported by The Epoch Times, attribute the decline to tightened border security, pressure on precursor chemical supply chains from China, and intensified DEA enforcement. Supporting data from the DEA shows that in fiscal year 2025, only 29 percent of analyzed fentanyl pills contained a potentially lethal dose, down from 76 percent two years earlier. Fentanyl powder purity dropped to 10.3 percent from 19.5 percent. These changes align with a downward trend in opioid deaths that began in mid-2023. Officials described the efforts as part of a broader strategy including Operation Southern Spear targeting drug runners in the Caribbean. The Epoch Times article cites both officials and the DEA laboratory findings as evidence of disrupted cartel business models.