9781422280218

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T he D rug E nforcement A dministration

T he D rug E nforcement A dministration

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Series Titles C itizen S oldiers : T he N ational G uard

C ustoms and B order P rotection D efending the S kies : T he A ir F orce D efending the G round : T he A rmy D efending the S eas : T he N avy T he D rug E nforcement A dministration H omeland S ecurity T he N ational C ounterterrorism C enter P rotecting A gainst B iological and C hemical A ttack P utting O ut F ires : F irefighters

R escuing H ostages : T he FBI S topping C rime : T he P olice

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T he D rug E nforcement A dministration

F oreword by M anny G omez , E sq ., S ecurity and T errorism E xpert

B y C live S omerville

MASON CREST

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2018 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3759-5 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4222-3765-6 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-8021-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Somerville, Clive, author.

Title: The Drug Enforcement Administration / foreword by Manny Gomez, Esq.,  Security and Terrorism Expert ; by Clive Somerville. Description: Broomall, PA : Mason Crest, [2018] | Series: Defending our nation | Includes index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016053118| ISBN 9781422237656 (hardback) | ISBN  9781422237595 (series) | ISBN 9781422280218 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: United States. Drug Enforcement Administration--Juvenile  literature. | Drug control--United States--Juvenile literature. | Drug  traffic--United States--Juvenile literature. Classification: LCC HV5825 .S584 2018 | DDC 363.450973--dc23

Developed and Produced by Print Matters Productions, Inc. (www.printmattersinc.com) Cover and Interior Design: Bill Madrid, Madrid Design Additional Text: Kelly Kagamas Tomkies

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C ontents

F oreword by M anny G omez , E sq . …….…… 6

S eries G lossary …….…….…….…….……70

1 W hat I s the DEA? …….…….…….…… 8

C hronology … .…….…….…….…….……74

2 T he H istory of the DEA …….…….……18

F urther R esource …….…….…….…….76

3 T he DEA at H ome …….…….…….……26

I ndex …….…….…….…….…….…….……78

4 T he DEA A broad …….…….…….…….38

A bout the A uthor and P icture C redits ……80

5 DEA’ s M ost W anted … .…….…….……52

6 T he DEA in Y our C ommunity …….…….60

V igilance F oreword

W e live in a world where we have to have a constant state of awareness—about our surroundings and who is around us. Law enforcement and the intelligence community cannot predict or stop the next terrorist attack alone. They need the citizenry of America, of the world, to act as a force multiplier in order to help deter, detect, and ultimately defeat a terrorist attack. Technology is ever evolving and is a great weapon in the fight against terrorism. We have facial recognition, we have technology that is able to detect electronic communications through algorithms that may be related to terrorist activity—we also have drones that could spy on com- munities and bomb them without them ever knowing that a drone was there and with no cost of life to us. But ultimately it’s human intelligence and inside information that will help defeat a potential attack. It’s people being aware of what’s going on around them: if a family member, neighbor, coworker has suddenly changed in a manner where he or she is suddenly spouting violent anti- Western rhetoric or radical Islamic fundamentalism, those who notice it have a duty to report it to authorities so that they can do a proper investigation. In turn, the trend since 9/11 has been for international communication as well as federal and local communication. Gone are the days when law enforcement or intelligence organizations kept information to themselves and didn’t dare share it for fear that it might compromise the integrity of the information or for fear that the other organization would get equal credit. So the NYPD wouldn’t tell anything to the FBI, the FBI wouldn’t tell the CIA, and the CIA wouldn’t tell the British counterin- telligence agency, MI6, as an example. Improved as things are, we could do better. We also have to improve global propaganda. Instead of dropping bombs, drop education on individuals who are even considering joining ISIS. Education is salvation. We have the greatest

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production means in the world through Hollywood and so on, so why don’t we match ISIS materi- als? We tried it once but the government itself tried to produce it. This is something that should definitely be privatized.We also need to match the energy of cyber attackers—and we need savvy youth for that. There are numerous ways that you could help in the fight against terror—joining law en- forcement, the military, or not-for-profit organizations like the Peace Corps. If making the world a safer place appeals to you, draw on your particular strengths and put them to use where they are needed. But everybody should serve and be part of this global fight against terrorism in some small way. Certainly, everybody should be a part of the fight by simply being aware of their sur- roundings and knowing when something is not right and acting on that sense. In the investigation after most successful attacks, we know that somebody or some persons or people knew that there was something wrong with the person or persons who perpetrated the attack. Although it feels awkward to tell the authorities that you believe somebody is acting suspicious and may be a terrorist sympathizer or even a terrorist, we have a higher duty not only to society as a whole but to our family, friends, and ultimately ourselves to do something to ultimately stop the next attack. It’s not if there is going to be another attack, but where, when, and how. So being vigilant and being proactive are the orders of the day.

Manny Gomez, Esq. President of MG Security Services,

Chairman of the National Law Enforcement Association, former FBI Special Agent, U.S. Marine, and NYPD Sergeant

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C hapter 1

W hat I s the DEA?

Drugs, guns, and money form the basis of the criminal enterprises that the DEA works against.

T he DEA, or Drug Enforcement Administration, is the drug-busting arm of the Depart- ment of Justice and is responsible for carrying out the drug laws and regulations of the United States, laid down by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The DEA’s role is to enforce these laws, bringing illegal drug dealers and manufacturers to justice. This, of course, includes working to reduce the amount of drugs finding their way into the United States from foreign countries. Drugs are a danger whether produced at home or abroad. Indeed, the DEA’s mission statement makes this clear: The mission of the DEA is to • enforce the controlled-substances laws and regulations of the United States; • bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, organizations and principal members of organizations involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and • recommend and support nonenforcement programs aimed at reducing the avail- ability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets. How the DEA Is Organized The DEA employs more than 5,000 people and has a federal budget of $2.03 billion. It works with state, federal, and foreign agencies to spread these resources in the worldwide battle against drugs.

Words to Understand Assets: Items owned by a person or company. Euphoria: Feeling of well-being or elation. Trafficking: Illegal commercial activity.

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The DEA employs special agents, division investiga- tors, intelligence research specialists, and chemists. Since May 15, 2013, the person in charge of it all has been the DEA acting administrator, Chuck Rosenberg, who had been chief of staff and senior counselor to FBI director James Comey. Prior to working for Director Comey, Rosenberg was a partner in a Washington, DC, law firm. Before that he served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and he has held several leadership positions with the Department of Justice, such as chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General James Comey (2004–2005), counselor to Attorney General John Ashcroft (2003–2004), and counsel to FBI director Robert Mueller (2002–2003).

The badge of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Combating Drugs Combining several strategies to carry out its mission, the DEA seeks to bring to justice powerful national and interna- tional drug dealers, as well as drug gangs, who use fear and violence to terrorize people in their communities. The DEA

Inside the Drug Enforcement Administration.

also works with state, federal, and foreign agencies to investigate those making and supplying drugs and bring them to justice. It helps these agencies destroy illegal drug laboratories and il- legal drug crops, seeking to replace these with legal crops. And the DEA trains foreign agencies to deal with drugs in their own countries. This all helps reduce the amount of drugs supplied to the United States.

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The DEA seizes the assets of drug dealers, such as money, cars, boats, and houses, to prevent them from carrying on their activities. It also runs community programs to help users kick the habit and to educate younger people about the dangers of drugs to discourage them from using drugs before they ever start. Throughout this book, you will learn how the DEA puts these methods into practice and how its high-tech methods and constant vigilance are winning the war on drugs. The Problem with Drugs You may have heard people your own age say they have taken drugs. They usually start because of peer pressure. Someone in their group of friends suggests they try it and—not wanting to look different or scared—they join in. If they are honest, most people’s first experience of taking a drug is not pleasant. They may cough violently, choke, and have watery eyes or a runny nose. But if they keep taking it, their body learns to tolerate the drug, and eventually to crave it until they cannot do without it. In other words, they become addicted. They may also begin to enjoy the effects of drugs, many of which produce feelings of excitement, euphoria , or even hallucinations , but only for a short time. Meanwhile, these drugs

are damaging the body. Gradu- ally, drug users’ physical and mental powers become weaker and weaker, and they feel ill and confused most of the time. Fam- ily and friends may find it hard to recognize them. Eventually, the drugs could kill their users; indeed, it is all-too-easy to take an overdose by mistake.

Many young people feel pressured by their friends to try drugs.

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Summary of Dangerous Drugs Drug Also known as . . .

Effect

What is it made from and how is it taken?

Marijuana

Pot, grass, weed, reefer, Acapulco gold, Mary Jane

Sedative/Depressant

Dried leaves and tops of the cannabis plant, smoked in cigarettes or eaten

Cocaine

Coke, flake, snow, crack

Stimulant (the most potent natural stimulant known)

A fine white powder, made from the coca plant, sniffed, smoked, injected, or eaten

Heroin

Horse, smack

Sedative/depressant

A white powder with a bitter taste, made from the opium poppy plant and injected or smoked

Ecstasy

MDMA, XTC

Stimulant/hallucinogenic

A combination of chemicals swallowed as a tablet

Stimulant

Solvents are inhaled from a soaked rag, sometimes from inside a bag, held to the face

Inhalants

Various solvents found in glue, hair spray, lighter fluid, paints, other household items

Rohypnol ®

Flunitrazepam, roofies, date rape drug

Sedative

Tablets, available legally outside the U.S. to treat insomnia

Methamphet- amine

Speed, ice, crystal meth

Stimulant

Chemicals formed into a white powder or rocklike crystals, smoked, eaten, or injected

Acid, tabs, microdots, trips, blotter, cid, doses (more than 80 street names)

Hallucinogenic (the strongest known)

Chemicals diluted into a liquid, soaked onto quarter-inch square tabs of blotting paper (tabs) or sugar cubes, and eaten; also made in tablet form (microdots)

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

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Why do people take it?

What are the dangers of taking it?

Is it addictive?

Possibly

Fatigue, hunger, paranoia, lack of coordination, risk of smoking-related diseases (e.g., lung cancer, heart disease), risk to immune system Anxiety; irritability; increased body temperature, blood pressure, and pulse rate; insomnia; internal and nasal bleeding; appetite loss; heart failure, hemorrhaging, death possible with overdose Watery eyes, runny nose, clammy skin, fatigue, appetite loss, irritability, panic, chills, cramps, nausea, depression; risk of HIV from infected needles; risk of shallow breathing, convulsions, coma, death with overdose Nausea, chills, paranoia, blurred vision, teeth clenching, rise in body temperature; possible sleep and memory loss and emotional instability from brain damage; possible death by heart failure and/or heat stroke with overdose Headaches, vomiting, wheezing, skin rashes, hearing loss, brain and organ damage, lung damage causing suffocation and death

Relaxed feeling of well-being, disorientation, and sometimes hallucinations Increased awareness, hyperactivity, euphoria, disorientation; may cause hallucinations

Yes

Yes

Euphoria, drowsiness, overwhelming sense of well-being

Possibly

Hyperactivity, extreme sense of well-being and empathy for others

Possibly

Similar to alcohol—feelings of well-being and dizziness

Lethargy, dizziness, lack of coordination, confusion, amnesia, stomach problems

Yes

Drowsiness, amnesia, loss of inhibitions; enhances other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, alcohol

Yes—over-use leads to cravings to reach the previous “high,” which cannot be achieved

Increased alertness, euphoria, a false sense of increased energy levels

Apathy, fatigue, depression, irritability, violent/erratic behavior, paranoia, schizophrenia, increased blood pressure and pulse rate; convulsions and death possible with overdose

Not known

Nausea, lower body temperature, sweating, rapid heart rate, mood swings; flashbacks of previous hallucinations, even months later; intense trips, psychosis, death possible with overdose

Powerful illusions and hallucinations; altered perception of time, distance, color, sound, and touch

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And, of course, drugs cost money, often a lot of money. When their own money runs out, drug users may begin stealing from family and friends, or when desperate, they may even rob or mug people in the street. And if a user owes a drug dealer money, the drug dealer will not wait. First, he threatens, then he attacks to get his money. It may not be the user he attacks, but the user’s family. Soon, the drug user is simply trying to survive. Chances are that others are also running scared. Drug dealers threaten entire communi- ties, menacing users and fighting other drug gangs. Violent turf wars erupt as different gangs battle to take over a neighborhood, or to protect the one they control. When guns are used, innocent people can also be wounded or killed. And what was once a safe community—the kind of place where children could play in the street safely and parents did not worry if their children were gone a bit longer than they said they would be—becomes a place threatened by potential violence and terror. Figures prove that, where the DEA has stopped a drug gang from operating in a community, both gun-related violence and the overall crime rate drop dramatically. Why? Because much of the violence and crime in communities is drug-related. More- over, that violence can extend nationwide, even worldwide. It is probable that the ter- rorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were funded by drugs. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which published a report on the link between drugs and terrorist attacks in 2007, “drug trafficking has provided funding for insurgency and those who use terrorist violence in various regions throughout the world, including in transit regions. In some cases, drugs have even been the currency used in the com- mission of terrorist attacks, as was the case in the Madrid bombings {train bombings of 2004}.” Many of these drugs are sold through trafficking in the United States and Europe. There has never been a better reason to just say no to drugs—and help in the war against terrorism.

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