Amid a targeted lobbying effort, Congress weakened the DEAs ability to go after drug distributors, even as opioid-related deaths continue to rise, a Washington Post and 60 Minutes investigation finds. In April 2016, at the height of the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history, Congress effectively stripped the Drug Enforcement Administration of its most potent weapon against large drug companies suspected of spilling prescription narcotics onto the nations streets.