On January 23, 2002, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created through the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The Act provides grants award authority for DHS to award grants, cooperative agreements and other assistance to non- Federal entities in order to assist them with homeland security and disaster preparedness, security, migration and recovery measures. The primary mission of the Department is to prevent terrorist attacks within the Unites States; reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism; minimize damage, and assist in the recovery from terrorist attacks that do occur within the United States; carry out all the functions of entities transferred to the Department, including by acting as focal point regarding natural and manmade crises and emergency planning; ensure that the function of the agencies and subdivisions within the Department that are not related directly to securing the homeland are not diminished or neglected except by a specific explicit Act of Congress; and monitor connection between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism, coordinate efforts to serve such connections, and otherwise contribute to efforts to interdict illegal drug trafficking.