This website is an independent educational resource and NOT affiliated with any official U.S. government agency.
Drug Enforcement Administration
ABOUT DEA
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is the lead agency for federal narcotics investigations (Title 21) and has exclusive jurisdiction in pursuing U.S. drug investigations abroad. With approximately 4,900+ special agents, DEA has 239 domestic offices and 91 attache offices in 68 countries.
Proper test preparation is among the *most* important steps that applicants need to take if they are seriously considering a career with the DEA. After careful research and review, I have selected one of the best and most highly reviewed courses available on the market. READ MY TEST PREP BLOG
DEA General Information
The DEA was created through an Executive Order in July 1973 to establish a unified command. This created a single federal agency to enforce the federal drug as well as consolidate and coordinate the government’s drug control activities. As a result, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD), the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE), and other federal offices merged to create the modern day DEA.
DEA Special Agents are very specialized criminal investigators. Their entire career is focused on narcotics investigations and are often considered subject matter experts. DEA aggressively uses informants, buy/walks, surveillance operations, & wiretapping to pursue narcotics dealers and traffickers. Conducting narcotics investigations is a very dangerous speciality and DEA special agents are well trained for the task. The journeyman level for a Special Agent is GS-13. DEA also maintains a robust presence overseas and hosts many narcotics task forces.
DEA Special Agents maintain an expansive network of informants, are considered wiretap experts and maintain a large task force officer program to augment their ranks. This is a tough & well respected 1811 law enforcement agency.
I would encourage all applicants to read this Congressional Report (Oversight of the Drug Enforcement Administration) dated June 2014 for additional information concerning DEA operations.
Straight Talk
The DEA runs a para-military style training academy and also has some of the toughest fitness standards among the 1811 agencies. New hires can expect a grueling pace involving traditional narcotics investigation techniques with an emphasis on informants. The narrow authority can feel limiting at times but new DEA special agents soon learn that narcotics are among the root causes of societal ills and embrace their crime-fighting roles. DEA also enjoys name recognition, is among the larger 1811 agencies and has a relatively well established overseas presence. This is another fantastic agency for candidates interested in an aggressive mission area.
DEA Hiring Process
DEA has one of the longest hiring processes but it is very well coordinated by regional recruiters who are actual special agents. Expect the application process to take at least two years.
Each agency has a qualifications preference and DEA is no exception. Visit the DEA Qualifications site to learn more. Obviously, if you have a history of drug use, you are unlikely to pass the DEA applicant screening process.
Potential Applicants must first contact their local
DEA Recruitment Office
and attend a Special Agent orientation session. This provides a realistic job preview and Q&A session. Applicants must then wait for a limited time vacancy announcement to open on their website and USA Jobs.gov. Once the announcement is closed, applicants are evaluated as listed below.
General Hiring Process
Qualifications Review
Written Assessment and Panel Interview
Medical Examination
Polygraph Examination
Psychological Assessment
Full-field Background Investigation
Final Hiring Decision
Applicants must successfully complete all phases of the hiring process, and remain among the Most Competitive candidates to receive a final offer of employment. DEA now offers final duty locations in advance of academy acceptance.
Keep in mind that DEA also has one of the most difficult fitness tests for special agents. All potential applicants should read the fitness test brochure and prepare appropriately.
The DEA has made their hiring preferences painfully obvious for those who care to thoroughly read their latest vacancy announcement. Like many agencies, DEA uses Schedule A hiring authority for those with unique skills (i.e. foreign language, technical, military, aviation, accounting, maritime, etc.) and Schedule B hiring authority for applicants that meet minimum OPM standards.
For those interested, a 2023 OIG Report documents some issues with the polygraph program, particularly in dealing with failures and candidates with indicators of deception.
DEA New Hires
Newly hired DEA Special Agent Trainees are hired in the GL-7 to GL-11 range, depending on their individual qualifications. DEA has special hiring authorities for specialized skills (i.e. pilot, foreign language, maritime, accounting & military).
Initial appointment to the position will be via Excepted Service Appointment using Schedule A (5 C.F.R. Section 213.3110) or Schedule B (5 C.F.R. Section 213.3210) appointing authorities. Applicants who qualify under the OPM qualifications standards for the 1811 series will be appointed under Schedule B. Applicants who qualify based on unique skills or experience will be appointed under Schedule A. Employees appointed under Schedule A may be converted to Schedule B appointments following satisfactory performance during their trial period. Employees appointed under Schedule B appointments may be converted to Career Status appointments in three to four years.
Learn more at the DEA Announcement.
DEA Academy
New special agent trainees must complete an intense 18 week in-residence training program at the DEA Academy in Quantico, VA. This is a very para-military type stress academy, which is unique in federal law enforcement. DEA is also one of the few remaining federal agencies with a separate academy. See the link for additional information about the DEA Academy.
The DEA Basic Agent Training Program is an 18-week entry-level training program designed to prepare DEA Special Agents for field assignments nationwide. 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. Students receive over 127 hours of firearms training. The physical fitness and defensive tactics regimen is designed to help students prevail in compliant and non-compliant arrest situations.
DEA Internship Program
The DEA maintains an unpaid student internship program and entry level career opportunities for students. Applicants need to contact their local office or use below link for additional information.
DEA Lecture Series
Learn more about the job of a DEA special agent by watching four actual DEA criminal investigators share their career path and experiences.
Game of Crimes Podcast
Hosts Steve Murphy (DEA Narcos on Netflix) and Morgan Wright (State Trooper) take you inside the most intense and fascinating true crime stories in the world. Real life tales from the most notorious cases everyone knows and some you've probably never heard of from those who broke the law and those who were sworn to enforce it. Murph and Morgan ask the questions and get into the true stories from the real life players in the biggest game of all -- the Game of Crimes.

The General Cienfuegos Affair
"Two years ago, the DEA arrested a Mexican general, hoping to lay bare the high-level corruption at the heart of organized crime. Then the case fell apart — and took down U.S.-Mexican cooperation on drug policy with it." Read More at ProPublica
Mexico stops DEA Cooperation
Reuters just confirmed that the Government of Mexico has forced DEA to relocate its surveillance aircraft back to the United States, effectively slamming shut the lid on cooperating in narcotics investigations. This is in addition to closing the elite vetted Mexican police units trained by DEA. This new era in U.S. and Mexico law enforcement relations drastically increases the power of drug cartels.
Rafael Caro Quintero Captured
One of the last leaders of the cartel responsible for the kidnapping, torture and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, was finally captured after being a fugitive for almost ten years. An extradition to the US is now pending. I hope all future 1811s learn about the story of SA Camarena.
In History
Manuel Noriega
For those of you that do not recall, on January 3rd, 1990, then president of Panama, General Manuel Noriega, was apprehended by U.S. Special Operations forces pursuant to a narcotics indictment issued by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This is one of the most historically significant federal prosecutions in U.S. History and was announced by then President George Bush.

One of the many successes attributed to the DEA:
Read DEA 1985-1990 History to learn more.
Murder of DEA SA
Mike Garbo
10/4/21: A DEA Special Agent Michael Garbo was killed in the line of duty due to gunfire during a drug interdiction operation on an Amtrak train in Tucson, AZ. A second DEA Special Agent and a Task Force Officer were also injured in the shooting.
A "Mike Garbo Memorial Fund" has been setup for his family. Additionally, The DEA Survivors Benefit Fund and Tunnels to Towers Foundation are routinely involved in dispersing benefits during such unfortunate events.
From all accounts, SA Garbo was an amazing man and a dedicated Special Agent. A memorial slideshow can be accessed via the link below and will be permanently posted in his memory.
El Chapo Manhunt
The hunt, initial capture and re-capture of drug kingpin "El Chapo" was a true inter-agency partnership between HSI & DEA. SA's working in border offices stood up numerous wiretaps and fed that intel to Mexico.
The Betrayal
Legendary undercover special agent Robert Mazur brings another story to life with his new book. "On US soil, drug money in route to Mazur was seized. He started to notice an unsettling shift in the cartel’s inner circle. Contacts were being assassinated, and Mazur was being tailed. His identity had been compromised."
In the News
-
![]()
Undercover
UC -
![]()
-
![]()
-
![]()
Feds Save Informant
In 1999, DEA SA Joe Debois (US Mexico Office) was leading a mission with FBI SA Daniel Fuentes (Houston Office) and an Informant in Matamoros, Mexico. Cartel gunmen led by notorious kingpin "Cardenas" ambushed the government vehicle and demanded the agents turn over the Informant. With nothing but a handgun and his wits, SA Fuentes refused.
DEA vs. Felix Cartel
The larger than life true story of the DEA investigation which led to the dismantlement of the violent Arellano-Felix Drug Cartel.
Special Agents in History
Murder of DEA
SA "Kiki" Camarena 1985
The kidnapping, torture and brutal murder of DEA Special Agent Kiki Camarena is a pivotal moment in U.S. History. (Camarena's story is featured prominently in Narcos Mexico.) Another mini series documenting Kiki's story, "The Last Narc," was released in 2020. In the immediate aftermath of the kidnapping, the US took the unprecedented step of closing the border and began one of the largest manhunts in history. The subsequent murder investigation (Operation Leyenda) resulted in the dismantlement of the Guadalajara Cartel. DEA honors Kiki's sacrifice every year.
F.A.S.T. Disbanded
The Foreign-Deployed Advisory & Support Teams were highly regarded by the law enforcement community and offered para-military capabilities in hostile environments.
Unfortunately, due to a series of high profile shootings in Central America, coupled with the difficulties of after-action investigations in foreign countries, F.A.S.T. was permanently disbanded. No other 1811 team has yet to match their legendary capabilities, which included close air support.
EPIC
El Paso Intelligence Center
Led by the DEA, the El Paso Intelligence Center is the national support entity for narcotics investigations. They have excellent deconfliction and intelligence support services for all law enforcement agencies.
Criminals
Crypto
&
DEA
DEA Special Agent Patrick O'Kain provides his thoughts on crypto-currency, online financial crimes and DEA's role in disrupting drug dealers using the illegal online marketplace. SA O'Kain also shares his experience as a trainee and DEA criminal investigator.
The Undercovers
Podcast
This is a new podcast by Ed O'Neil (author of The Dark Art) that focuses on the excellent undercover operations conducted by federal law enforcement officers.
Season One highlights former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Edward Follis, who spent a career dismantling narco-terrorists. A bit theatrical but ultimately informative series.
The Undercovers Podcast Site
In History
DEA SA James Watson
DEA Special Agent James Terry Watson was assigned to the Cartagena, Columbia Office and on official travel in Bogota as part of a maritime drug smuggling investigation. On June 21, 2013, while leaving colleagues at a restaurant and returning to his hotel via a taxi, he was suddenly attacked by a robbery crew.
SA Watson was fatally stabbed and shocked with a stun gun during the robbery and fled the cab, however, he collapsed due his wounds and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The incident was caught on video camera and the resulting investigation led to the arrest and extradition of several involved suspects.
SA Watson was a 13 year DEA Veteran, a member of the FAST Team and a US Army Veteran. He was 43 years old and survived by his wife.
In 2011, while deployed to Afghanistan as a member of DEA F.A.S.T., SA Joseph Piersante was shot in the head during a shootout with narco-terrorists. Listen to his podcast interview on the Jocko Podcast E. 326.
SA Piersante suffered severe injuries and was left legally blind. SA Piersante persevered and went on to earn the SECDEF Medal for the Defense of Freedom.