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Top-left: First responders search the rubble of the World Trade Center, known as Ground Zero, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Photo courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Top-right: Damage to the Pentagon is shown after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, September 2001. Photo courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Bottom-left: President George W. Bush visits Ground Zero. Photo courtesy U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Bottom-right: Weapons, explosive devices, and illicit drugs seized by FAST in Afghanistan. DEA photo.
On September 11, 2001, unprecedented terrorist attacks carried out by Islamic extremists shook the United States — and the world. The coordinated attacks targeted the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and included a failed attempt aimed at Washington, D.C. Nearly 3,000 people were killed and more than 6,000 were wounded. Citizens from over 80 countries were among the victims. The 9/11 attacks changed the course of American history — and the world — forever.
The Islamic extremist group Al-Qaeda, led by its founder Osama bin Laden, claimed responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. At the time, Al-Qaeda was being harbored by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. In response, U.S. President George W. Bush announced the launch of the Global War on Terrorism, a comprehensive strategy to destroy global terrorist organizations worldwide using a combination of legal, military, and economic pressure. On October 7, 2001, the United States began military operations in Afghanistan under Operation Enduring Freedom.
Narcoterrorism — the use of drug trafficking to fund terrorist activity — has long been a key revenue source for groups like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. In 2000, Afghanistan supplied over 70% of the world’s illicit opium, enabling the Taliban to traffic vast quantities of heroin to fund its insurgency and support other terrorist networks. The Taliban also profited by taxing opium production, conversion labs, and distribution networks operated by other drug trafficking organizations. DEA intelligence further revealed that Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were directly involved in heroin financing and facilitation, bolstering both their finances and operational power.
The presence of drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), conversion labs, and dangerous precursor chemicals in Afghanistan's conflict zones posed serious threats to U.S. and allied military operations. Recognizing the need for specialized drug enforcement expertise, U.S. and international commanders turned to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for support.
In 2004, at the request of the Department of Justice, DEA launched the Foreign-deployed Advisory Support Team (FAST) program. Drawing on lessons from Operation Snowcap — a successful counter-narcotics campaign in Latin America during the 1980s and '90s — FAST deployed specially trained DEA agents to work alongside U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and NATO forces.
Working under Operation Enduring Freedom, FAST units partnered with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to identify and dismantle Afghanistan's top drug traffickers, disrupt the opium and heroin trade, and cut off financial pipelines supporting terrorist organizations. The program later expanded to other regions, including Africa, Ukraine, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.