Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, sharing concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. However, the DEA has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations both domestically and internationally.
Drug Enforcement Administration | |
---|---|
Drug Enforcement Administration's seal | |
DEA Special Agent badge | |
Flag of the DEA | |
Agency overview | |
Formed | July 1, 1973 |
Preceding agencies | |
Employees | 10,169 (2019) |
Annual budget | US$3.136 billion (FY2019) |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Federal agency | United States |
Operations jurisdiction | United States |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Arlington County, Virginia, U.S. |
Special Agents | 4,924 |
Agency executives |
|
Parent agency | United States Department of Justice |
Website | |
www.dea.gov |
It was established in 1973 as part of the U.S. government's war on drugs. The DEA has an intelligence unit that is also a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community. While the unit is part of the DEA chain-of-command, it also reports to the Director of National Intelligence. The DEA has been criticized for scheduling drugs that have medical uses, and for focusing on operations that allow it to seize money rather than those involving drugs that cause more harm.