How to Become a DEA Agent in Anchorage, Alaska by Meeting Requirements

DEA Agents based out of the Anchorage District Office face the challenge of illegal drugs from local producers and users as well as from smugglers. The isolation of Anchorage makes DEA jobs easier in some ways, constricting the area of illegal drug use to a specific location, however this very isolation complicates it in other ways, giving those who manufacture and grow drugs in rural areas a sense they are removed from the jurisdiction of the law.

Prospective agents wanting to know how to become employed with the DEA in Anchorage are encouraged to explore special agent career options to learn specific requirements and job duties.

Requirements for DEA Careers in Anchorage

Prospective agents interested in working for the DEA need to meet certain requirements before they can complete the application process and begin training. These include meeting at least one of the following:

  • Previous law/drug enforcement experience including:
    • Arrest and apprehension of suspects
    • Conducting surveillance and undercover operations
    • Collecting and preparing evidence for presentation in court
  • A bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.95 grade point average
  • An M.A., LL.B., or J.D. degree
  • A bachelor’s degree with three years of experience in a strategic field and related coursework:
    • Telecommunications
    • Pilot’s license
    • Engineering
    • Foreign languages
    • Accounting
    • Auditing

Education and Training

Having the right education and training for DEA jobs in Anchorage is essential for a successful application. There are three locations of Alaska’s public higher education institution offering four-year degrees in strategic subjects, as well as one private university and several online institutions. Prospective agents can find out more information from academic advisers or DEA recruiters.

Recent DEA Operations in Anchorage

Recently the Alaska State Trooper’s Drug Enforcement Unit teamed up with the DEA and a K9 unit, discovering 39 grams of heroin hidden inside a mail parcel. Agents resealed the package and allowed it to be delivered to its intended address in Anchorage, upon which time a search warrant was executed of the residence and law enforcement officials arrested a resident at the house in addition to seizing a handgun and other items of evidence.

Eleven people were indicted by a jury in Anchorage on charges relating to the selling and distribution of oxycodone, marijuana, and cocaine. Agents from the DEA’s Anchorage District Office worked in cooperation with other local, state, and federal law enforcement officials to disrupt a drug distribution ring stretching between Anchorage and Fairbanks to Atlanta and Rochester. Aliases used by the suspects include the names, “Creep,” “Baydilla,” Fatboy,” “Wookie,” “Peanut,” “Young Monkey,” and, “Dredhead.” The suspects were also part of a local rap group whose song lyrics referenced drug trafficking.

DEA agents working out of Anchorage in cooperation with local and federal law enforcement agencies recently interdicted 23 pounds of Mexican methamphetamine – the largest-known shipment to Alaska on record. In a complex operation, agents noticed an old 1990 Chevy pickup truck being continuously shipped back and forth from Alaska to Seattle on a boat. Upon searching the vehicle they found $12,000 cash, at which point they began tailing the truck, discovering its owner and accomplices who were making trips to Mexico. On the return shipment to Anchorage, agents discovered a trap door in the truck containing 23 pounds of meth, which they replaced with a false drug while installing a silent alarm that would notify agents when the mechanism was opened. The operation resulted in four arrests and the seizure of 16 firearms, four pounds of marijuana, body armor, and 3000 bullets.

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