There were more than 106,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2021. More than 80,000 of these deaths involved opioids. To help combat the ongoing opioid crisis, our Office of Investigations created four strike force teams during fiscal year 2021. Each team consists of four OIG special agents who collaborate with federal, state, and local law enforcement narcotics task forces to investigate Postal Service employees who misuse their position and collude with drug trafficking organizations to distribute their illegal goods.
Four of our field offices each have a strike force team in place. We strategically selected the field offices based on their established working relationships with local law enforcement partners and the adverse impact of opioid abuse in nearby communities.
