Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Explained

In this blog post, we are going to be discussing the DEA. DEA stands for Drug Enforcement Administration. Notice how we wrote Administration - it’s not the Drug Enforcement Agency like a lot of people think. There’s a lot behind the DEA. We’re going to go over what they do, who they are, their missions, capabilities, training, requirements, their Special Response Teams, and much more. Keep reading to know more about the DEA.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): OVERVIEW

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAMS (SRT)

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): THE AVIATION DIVISION

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): EL PASO INTELLIGENCE CENTER (EPIC)

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): CAREER FIELDS

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): TRAINING AND REQUIREMENTS

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): CONCLUSION

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): OVERVIEW

Have you ever seen the show Narcos? Those guys going after the drug kingpins are DEA agents. The DEA has a rich history in combating drug lords and kingpins, ranging from Pablo Escobar to El Chapo.

Established on July 1st, 1973, the Drug Enforcement Administration is a U.S. federal law enforcement agency that falls under the Department of Justice. Its mission is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States, and combat drug trafficking and its distribution. It has the sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations both domestically and abroad.

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAMS (SRT)

The DEA has its Special Response Teams. Stood up in 2016, DEA SRT has been involved in several high-profile operations in recent years, but you’re probably not aware of their presence because a lot is kept under wraps about them. Their predecessors are the DEA FAST teams, which is something you might’ve heard about, but those have been disbanded.

DEA SRT is available to respond to practically any CONUS geographical area with little to no preparation or notification. Some of their missions include high-risk arrests, vehicle assaults, air assault & infiltration, specialized surveillance, custody of high-profile individuals, dignitary and witness protection, tactical surveillance and interdiction, advanced breaching, tactical training to other police units, and urban and rural fugitive searches. These guys are no joke!

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): THE AVIATION DIVISION

The DEA’s Aviation Division employs a fleet of airplanes and helicopters flown by specially trained Special Agent Pilots. Yeah, you can be a pilot for the DEA.

The Aviation Division also supports the DEA’s enforcement efforts through surveillance, photographic reconnaissance, movement of personnel and cargo, and transportation of fugitives and prisoners. Currently, it consists of around 135 Special Agent Pilots and 100 aircraft.

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): EL PASO INTELLIGENCE CENTER (EPIC)

The DEA has what is called EPIC, which stands for El Paso Intelligence Center. Located in - big surprise here - El Paso, EPIC is a DEA-led intelligence center that offers tactical, operational, and strategic intelligence support to Federal, State, local, tribal, and international law enforcement organizations. There are currently 21 agencies that work under EPIC, all working towards the same goal: to identify threats to the nation, with an emphasis on the Southwest U.S. border.

There are 21 domestic divisions in the DEA, but keep in mind that the DEA works around the world, having 91 Foreign Offices in 68 countries.

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The DEA is led by its Administrator and Deputy Administrator, and then there are divisions. There are several divisions that make up the DEA. There’s the Operations Division, Intelligence Division, Information Systems Division, Diversion Control Division, Inspection Division, Operational Support Division, Financial Management Division, and the Human Resources Division.

As you can see from all of those divisions, they have a lot of resources and capabilities available to fight the war on drugs.

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): CAREER FIELDS

In the DEA, you can be a special agent, diversion investigator, intelligence research specialist, forensic scientist, or work in an administrative position such as an accountant or an attorney.

For this blog post, we’ll focus on and go over special agents and diversion investigators, but we encourage you to go check out the DEA’s website if you want to learn more about the other career fields.

Special Agents are what you’d think of a DEA agent, and they make up a bulk of the administration. Their duties are:

- Gather and prepare evidence to help prosecute major violators of U.S. drug laws,
- Partner with other law enforcement agencies to target violent drug offenders in local communities,
- Arrest subjects and seize assets connected to illicit drug trafficking,
- Work with officials in foreign countries to share intelligence and target international criminals, and much more.

Diversion Investigators are responsible for addressing the problem of diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals and regulated chemicals from the legitimate channels in which they are manufactured, distributed, and dispensed. They aid the U.S. pharmaceutical and chemical industries in complying with the Federal Controlled Substances Act and other pertinent laws, as well as international treaties and conventions.

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): TRAINING AND REQUIREMENTS

Becoming a DEA special agent is a long journey. The hiring process alone takes around 12 months. You’ll have to go through the Basic Agent Training Program at the DEA Training Academy. Located in Quantico, Virginia, the training is 18 weeks long. Core instructional areas include confidential source management, undercover operations, surveillance, operational planning, search warrant management, prisoner processing, report writing, evidence handling, interview and interrogation techniques, standards of conduct, DEA mission and history, drug recognition, computer information systems, and legal training. And on top of that, you’ll receive over 127 hours of firearms training. So yeah, there’s a lot you’ll learn if you become a DEA Special Agent, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Prior drug use is a big no-no. You’re trying to join the DEA, duh! But on a real note, they won’t accept you if you have used marijuana in the last three years, or hard drugs within the last ten.

The following are the minimum requirements to become a DEA Special Agent:

- Must be 21 years old, and no older than 36 years old at the time of appointment
- Hold U.S. citizenship
- Possess a valid U.S. driver's license
- Be willing to relocate anywhere in the U.S.
- Able to obtain and retain a Top Secret security clearance
- Be in excellent physical condition
- Be willing and able to carry and handle firearms
- A Bachelor’s degree is highly recommended

You’ll also have to pass the DEA PTA, which stands for Physical Task Assessment. The PTA consists of:

- 1 Minute of Situps
- 300-Meter Sprint
- 1 Minute of Pushups
- 1.5 Mile Run

There’s a ten-minute rest between each event.

In order to pass the PTA, you need to at least get a point in each event, and score a minimum of 12 points.

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA): CONCLUSION

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