The Trump administration is conducting a broad overhaul of multiple intelligence and defense agencies as part of a push to eliminate perceived politicization and focus more directly on national security threats.

The restructuring spearheaded by the Trump administration involves widespread staffing reductions, elimination of diversity-related initiatives, and a redirection of resources toward combating foreign threats, particularly drug cartels in Latin America, as the Daily Caller reports.

The reforms are centered around the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which is now led by Tulsi Gabbard. Her office has launched the Director’s Initiatives Group, or DIG, aimed at increasing transparency and terminating what she referred to as political misuse of intelligence resources. As of April, Gabbard implemented a 25% reduction in ODNI staff, affecting both regular employees and those stationed there temporarily from other agencies.

John Ratcliffe, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, also rolled out structural changes to remove elements he believes had politicized the agency. This includes terminating diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, policies and aligning the agency's work more directly with President Trump’s national defense agenda. Internal memos guided staff to concentrate resources where they provide the highest value.

Michael Ellis, deputy director at the CIA, had cautioned analysts in February to stay focused on the agency’s core objectives. In addition, Ratcliffe announced that the CIA would be downsizing over the next several years, with around 1,200 positions expected to be cut. These shifts come as the agency shifts its lens away from long-standing focus areas like the Middle East and towards Latin American threats, especially organized narcotics operations.

CIA expands mission against narcotics cartels

In April, the CIA merged its Western Hemisphere Mission Center and Counternarcotics Center into a newly formed Americas and Counternarcotics Mission Center. This consolidation reflects the agency’s refocused effort against drug cartels, which President Trump previously designated as foreign terrorist organizations.

The agency is reportedly operating a covert drone program to target fentanyl laboratories in Mexico and is even weighing the option of direct kinetic action against high-level cartel leadership.

Further efficiency measures have included removing DEI-related material from the CIA website and dismissing staff linked to vaccine policies from the previous administration. According to a spokesperson, the agency is prioritizing merit-based staffing and the operational demands of current threats over internal social initiatives. Ratcliffe emphasized the importance of reducing tasks that no longer align with these updated priorities.

Gabbard, in her role as ODNI chief, echoed this stance by shuttering the Intelligence Community’s Human Capital Office, which she described as wasteful. More than 100 intelligence staffers were dismissed over what she called inappropriate conduct within internal chat programs. She has repeatedly criticized what she refers to as "deep state actors" who she says are undermining reform efforts.

NSA faces leadership changes, job cuts

Over at the National Security Agency, leadership also changed hands after President Trump dismissed Biden-era Director Timothy Haugh in April. The NSA is facing potential cuts of up to 2,000 civilian jobs as it shifts operations to match newly outlined defense goals. A Defense Department representative confirmed that the agency remains committed to supporting core missions in signals intelligence and cybersecurity amid staff realignments.

The Defense Department itself, now directed by Secretary Pete Hegseth, has begun implementing broad changes through a plan titled "Less Generals More GIs." These reforms task the military with trimming at least 20% of its senior leadership positions -- which include four-star generals -- across service branches. The Department is also cutting $5.1 billion in operations deemed inefficient or unnecessary, following reviews led by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

Despite these internal efficiencies, Trump has proposed a new defense budget of nearly $1 trillion -- the largest on record. The Pentagon’s spending has continued to face scrutiny due to repeated failures in passing financial audits. Nonetheless, senior officials maintain that shifting resources away from administrative layers will bolster frontline capabilities.

FBI adjusts budget, disbands DEI office

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also part of the broader national realignment. A proposed reduction of $545 million in its upcoming fiscal year budget is targeting DEI initiatives and overlapping operational expenses, according to agency plans. While current Director Kash Patel initially pushed back on the budget size, he later told lawmakers that the FBI will adapt to the assigned funding levels.

During a May 8 appearance before the House Appropriations Committee, Patel stated that the Bureau is intensifying its efforts to root out inefficiencies and act as a conscientious manager of public funding. Patel added that although he had requested additional funds to expand operations, the FBI would make do under the existing financial framework. When asked about potential personnel cuts, he noted that no formal decision had yet been made on who would be let go.

One of the earliest moves in the Trump administration’s FBI reform came in December 2024 when it closed the Bureau’s DEI office. This action mirrored the steps taken by the CIA and ODNI in disbanding similar diversity-focused entities. Patel said the shift was part of a broader plan to eliminate waste, rather than focus on any single office or program.

Aiming for long-term impact

Former CIA Director William Burns, who served under President Joe Biden, had placed a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion during his tenure. Officials said this strategy has been completely reversed under Ratcliffe's leadership, where institutional missions have replaced social objectives as top priorities. Websites for the CIA, FBI, ODNI, and NSA no longer feature DEI-related language or programs.

As these structural changes continue to roll out across the intelligence apparatus, administration officials say the overarching goal is to reorient the U.S. intelligence community toward modern national security challenges. Trump’s appointments and executive orders have emphasized combating narcotics smuggling, addressing the perceived influence of entrenched bureaucrats, and reducing bloated government staffing.

Leaders such as Gabbard and Hegseth have been vocal in their support of these efforts, describing them as overdue course corrections. Within the administration, officials argue that the reorganization brings sharper mission clarity and reduces taxpayer burden. Whether these changes realize their intended goals remains to be seen, but they represent one of the most sweeping overhauls of the intelligence and defense sectors in recent history.