United States Drug Enforcement Administration
President Richard Nixon established the United States Drug Enforcement Agency in 1973. At this time and point in American history, President Nixon was fixated on creating a “single unified command to combat ‘an all-out global war on the dug menace.’” At its time of creation the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) had only 1,470 special agents and a budget of seventy-five million dollars. Today the DEA has a budget of $2.02 billion and nearly 5,000 special agents. (Vanita, 2010) The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is to “to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction.” (Unknown, 2008) On the government website, the Drug Enforcement Administration spells out nine specific responsibilities for enforcing the controlled substance laws and regulations. These responsibilities include but are not limited to investigating and preparing for the prosecution of violators, enforcement of the provisions in the controlled substances act, and a liaison with the United Nations, Interpol and other organizations on matters relating to international drug control programs. (Unknown, 2008) The Drug Enforcement Administration is separated into three basic components in regards to its leadership structure. At the top of this leadership structure is the administrator and the deputy administrator. (Leonhart, 2013) These two hold precedence over the office of chief counsel and the office of congressional and public affairs. Beneath these two offices sit six divisions of the Drug Enforcement Administration, which are lowest on the “food chain” if you will. These offices include human resources, intelligence, operations, operational support, inspection and financial management. (Leonhart, 2013) On December 22, 2010 the United States Senate unanimously named Michele M. Leonhart the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration after being nominated by President Obama in February. She is currently responsible for over ten thousand employees and a budget of over three billion dollars. (Vanita, 2010) Prior to her appointment as administrator, Michele worked as the Special Agent in charge of the Los Angeles Field Division. On a separate note, the Senate named Thomas H. Harrigan as the Deputy Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration in March of 2012 after his nomination in 2011 by President Obama. Thomas’ duties include overseeing all enforcement, intelligence, administrative, and regulatory operations, and being the principal advisor to the DEA administrator. (Vanita, 2010) There are five main structures in regard to the division of the Drug Enforcement Administration and its powers and assets. The DEA obviously has a very difficult job in trying to eliminate a sixty-four billion dollar a year industry within the United States. (Unknown, 2008) That being said, their resources and organizations cover vast arrays of exclusive and particular objectives. Within the structure of the agency is the administrator, deputy administrator, human resources, career board, board of professional conduct and the office of training. The people involved in these areas have control over their respective fields and oversee all instructive and educational platforms in accordance with the Drug Enforcement Administration. (Unknown, 2008) After these “boardroom leaders” are the men and women in the field itself putting in the hard work to eliminate the use and transport of illegals drugs. This is known as the operations divisions and is separated into six separate divisions. These divisions include aviation, operations management, special operations, diversion control, global enforcement and financial operations. (Unknown, 2008) There is clearly a vast array of divisions and operations set up throughout the Drug Enforcement Administration which are set up specifically and methodically to counter the use and trafficking of illegal drugs throughout the homeland and internationally. (Unknown, 2008) Once again, the Drug Enforcement Administration tries to do their job as quickly and efficiently as possible. Unlike during the time of the creation of the DEA, an important aspect of drug enforcement in current times is the use of technology and intelligence. The Drug Enforcement Administration has set up four offices throughout the country to help aid those men and women in the field with intelligence and technology to help them succeed more proficiently. These four offices are the Office of National Security Intelligence, Office of Special Intelligence, the El Paso Intelligence Center and the OCDETF Fusion center (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.) (Unknown, 2008) The intelligence division is such an integral component of the Drug Enforcement Administration as it aids the whole organization as the globe as a whole begins to adapt in an ever-evolving technological world. (Unknown, 2008) The Drug Enforcement Agency includes three other divisions that are equally as important as the previously stated. These divisions include the financial management division, operational support division and the inspection division. (Unknown, 2008) These three distinctive divisions deal with resources and their management, forensic science and investigative technology, and inspections and professional responsibility. These can be described as what might be under the hood in a car. They may not be the people you see on the news or television arresting criminals or making drug busts but they surely help those men and women that are more visible. They make the collective engine run by working together as a team. (Unknown, 2008)
The Depart of Justice of the United States of America oversees many agencies. One of these agencies is in fact the Drug Enforcement Administration. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries. (Vanita, 2010) The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate and is a member of the Cabinet. The current Attorney General is Eric Holder. (Vanita, 2010)
Over the past couple of years or so, however, there has been talk of re-evaluating how they view and over see such an operation. In a letter to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., Representative Darell Issa, a California Republican accused the Justice Department of dragging its feet in responding to his request more than a month ago for a briefing on the operations, which allow the Drug Enforcement Administration agents to pose as money launderers and smugglers in order to infiltrate drug-trafficking organizations. Mr. Issa wrote that he was concerned about whether there was enough oversight of all operations. He said an examination by his office had revealed evidence of potential offenses against the D.E.A. (Vanita, 2010)
As with most agencies run by the United States government, there is always going to be questions regarding the budget and use of said budget within government agencies. Nothing is different concerning the Drug Enforcement Administration. The D.E.A. budget is directed towards three major goals regarding their mission and goals. They first wanted to demand reduction through education, law-enforcement training, youth programs, support for community-based functions and drug awareness programs. Secondly they focused on drug related crime and violence on a national level. Lastly, they focused most of their multi-billion dollar budget on breaking down and eradicating foreign and domestic supply of illegal drugs. This was done through a process of suppression, domestic enforcement, research, engineering and technical operations.
In 2005, the DEA seized a reported $1.4 billion in drug trade related assets and $477 million worth of drugs itself. According to the Office of Drug Control Policy, the total value of all of the drugs sold in the United States is as much as sixty-four billion dollars a year. (Unknown, 2008) These statistics give the Drug Enforcement Administration an efficiency rating of less then one percent at intercepting and seizing drugs coming onto United States soil. Former Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Success winner, Milton Freidman, took a stance on one of the major critiques of the Drug Enforcement Agency regarding its budget and its methods on. Freidman claims that the demand for illegal drugs is inelastic. (Unknown, 2008) Meaning that the people who are buying drugs will continue to buy them with little regard to price of illegal drugs. Freidman also states that people who are addicted or otherwise will go to any extent to acquire said illegal drugs, which in most cases will cause more crime.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Budget request in 2012 looked like this. Ten million dollars, or 0.4% of the budget was requested for Construction. Three hundred twenty-two million dollars, or 11.3% of the budget was requested for Diversion Control. Forty million dollars, or 1.4% was requested for State and Local administration. Four hundred thirty-three million dollars, or 15.2% was requested for International administration. And last but not least, over two billion dollars, or 71.7% was requested for Domestic administration. These figures clearly show you that the Drug Enforcement Administration is putting its emphasis on controlling domestic affairs regarding drug control. Secondly, the D.E.A are putting their focus and money into international drug affairs. (Unknown, 2008)
As an agency that deals with drug control and enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration is continually creating rules and laws to help themselves and others with the “war on drugs.” One of the more recent incidents in which the Drug Enforcement Administration created a new regulation was in December of 2012. According to the 2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over six million people abuse prescription drugs in the United States. (DEA Public Affairs, 2012) The same study revealed more than seventy percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers got them through friends or relatives. This includes people gaining prescription drugs by raiding medicine cabinets, bathrooms, etc. Medicines that sit unused in homes are highly likely to be misused and abused by drug addicts. The most alarming statistic regarding prescription drug abuse is that the number of those using prescription drugs illegally out number those people using cocaine, hallucinogens and heroin combined. (DEA Public Affairs, 2012) The new rule regarding prescription drugs proposes requirements to secure the disposal of controlled substance medications. The proposed regulations pursue to increase the options available to collect medications from users for the purpose of disposal. Such options include take-back events, mail-back programs and collection box locations throughout the country. (DEA Public Affairs, 2012)
Another law enacted by the Department of Justice and enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration is the Forfeiture law. This law can be defined as “the involuntary relinquishment of money or property without compensation as a consequence of a breach or nonperformance of some legal obligation or the commission of a crime.” (DEA Public Affairs, 2012) If you are found guilty under the provision of any drug law within the United States, the agency has the right to seize all of your assets, whether that is money or property. One of the critiques of this law is that people view it is not the right of the government to seize assets, which may or may not have been obtained illegally. (DEA Public Affairs, 2012) From a different point of view, the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Agency feels as though it is within the Constitutional rights to seize all illegally gained assets.
One of the ways that politics influences the Drug Enforcement Administration is the way in which criminals are charged and sentenced for breaking the law. Just recently, there has been a change made in the way drug offenders are sentenced to jail. In 2010, President Obama signed the Fair Sentencing Act into law. (DEA Public Affairs, 2012) Though this new law retains an indefensible federal sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses, it is a remarkable criminal justice reform measure. “Over ten years ago, advocates working to repeal the notorious 100-to-1 sentencing disparity were thought of as naive.” The passing of the Fair Sentencing Act is one of several recent developments showing us that the political landscape of criminal justice reform truly has shifted. The opportunity to change and reform the way we deal with drug offenders is much different now than it was nearly ten years ago. (DEA Public Affairs, 2012)
The Drug Enforcement Administration is an employer to tens of thousands of people with a multi-billion dollar budget. They mission and goal is to try and prevent the spread of and usage of controlled substances both domestically and foreign. This is clearly not an easy task to accomplish, as you have read by their less than one percent success rate in keeping drugs out of the country. It is wild to think what kind of world we would live in without a strong form of leadership regarding drug prevention. Perhaps the methods and theories are outdated, it is tough to hang their failures on one specific procedure or philosophy within the Administration. Perhaps after so many years of doing things one way, it is time for the Drug Enforcement Administration to take a strong and honest look at themselves and how they go about their work.