New DEA lab to speed up drug evidence analysis in New England

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has begun construction on a new, state-of-the-art investigative laboratory in New England to improve the region's ability to analyze drug evidence and respond to emerging threats.

The facility is located in Londonderry, New Hampshire and will be the eighth regional DEA laboratory specializing in drug chemistry and latent fingerprint identification.

The lab is scheduled to open in April 2026. The DEA expects the lab to analyze over 5,000 pieces of drug evidence annually and employ over 50 people.

Evidence analysis conducted at the new facility – which operates in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and upstate New York – will be used to prosecute drug offenses.

It also allows the DEA to identify new and emerging trends in the region's drug supply.

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“The New Hampshire lab will analyze evidence to help dismantle the two cartels responsible for thousands of drug poisonings across the country. It will help us stay ahead of the emerging drug threat and save lives,” DEA Director Anne Milgram said in a statement.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fatal drug overdoses—about 70% of which are fentanyl—are the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45.

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With the introduction of synthetic fentanyl, Milgram said, modern forensic laboratories with highly trained chemists would “help protect our communities.”

Stephen Belleau, DEA assistant special agent in charge of the New England Field Division, said the New Hampshire lab will provide rapid analysis and help dismantle drug trafficking organizations “more quickly.”

“In addition, emerging drug threats are identified more quickly, resulting in a better informed and safer public,” he said.