The Drug Enforcement Agency or DEA was established in 1973 by President Richard Nixon as part of the Justice Department. This united a number of federal drug agencies that had often worked at cross-purposes. The mission of the agency is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States of America and to bring the organizations who are involved in the growing, manufacture and distribution of controlled substances and members of such organizations to the criminal and civil justice system. In addition to fighting drug-related crimes within the U.S., the DEA has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations abroad.

What is Drug Enforcement Agency??

Apart from drug smuggling, the Drug Enforcement Agency concentrates on investigating and prosecuting organizations and their members who are involved in the cultivation, production, distribution and diversion of controlled substances in or destined for the United States. The agency seeks to disrupt these organizations by arresting their members, confiscating their drugs, and seizing their assets. It creates, manages, and supports enforcement-related programs, both domestically and internationally, aimed at reducing the availability of and demands for controlled substances. This effort requires the ongoing management of a national narcotics intelligence system, the fruits of which are shared with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities.

The DEA has increasingly put its energies to international enforcement programs. This is due to the fact that the importation of controlled substances is the main source of illegal drugs. Currently, it has offices in 56 foreign countries and it maintains contact with the United Nations and Interpol among other international drug enforcement agencies.

Training DEA agents and other law enforcement personnel on the intricacies of the drug trade has led the DEA to create rigorous educational courses. It provides training to DEA agents and support personnel, as well as to state and local police, international law enforcement officials, and other law enforcement employees on a wide range of critical subject matter. In 1999, this effort took a significant step forward with the opening of the DEA Justice Training Center in Quantico, Virginia. Apart from training, the DEA also conducts an international visitor program. The agency briefs foreign officials and U.S. diplomats on drug trafficking developments and new enforcement initiatives.