The city of Reno, Nevada is known as “the biggest small city in the world,” with a city population of 225,221 residents and a metropolitan area of more than 500,000. Located in the Northern section of Nevada, it is home to one of two Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) locationsin the state (the other being in Las Vegas,) and the office operates under the supervision of the division office in Los Angeles, California. The location of Reno, which has access to large cities like San Francisco, Oakland and San Francisco, makes it a popular drug smuggling and trafficking route for people looking to transport drugs into large urban areas, where they are consumed the most.
The largest drug problems in Reno, Nevada include marijuana and cocaine, but crystal meth is the fastest emerging drug epidemic in the area and prescription drug use is also on the rise in the area. Crystal meth in particular is one of the most problematic drug epidemics in the region because of the isolated rural nature of the areas that surround the city of Reno, Nevada which are attractive to people looking to create crystal meth labs.
Reno DEA Activity
The primary responsibility of the DEA is to deter drug smuggling and distribution operations that are happening in and around the city of Reno, Nevada. The following is a list of some of the most recent, and most notable, drug busts conducted by the Reno DEA office:
- September 2012: The DEA in Reno took over the reigns of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) operations in the region because of a rift between the ATF and the Reno Police Department over alleged misconduct.
- October 2009: The Reno DEA conducted surveillance on a group of drug smugglers and distributors who were working in coordination with Mexican drug cartels in order to smuggle crystal meth into the Reno metropolitan area. The La Familia drug cartel was responsible for smuggling drugs over the Mexico border, bringing them into Reno and then also continuing onto Sacramento to distribute more drugs in the region.
Reno DEA Jobs and Careers
When considering how to become a DEA agent in Reno by meeting requirements, prospective applicants must first review the list and then also have one of the following types of experience:
- A Bachelor’s Degree with a 2.95 GPA
- A LL. B or J.D. Degree (no GPA requirement)
- Fluency in a foreign language
- Specialized experience and training with narcotics investigations
- Three years experience with Maritime/ pilot, accounting/ auditing, military and mechanical/ technical ability in combination with a Bachelor’s Degree (no GPA requirement)
Applicants looking for a job must also think about how to become a DEA agent in Reno through training, which requires enrollment in a training academy before being hired on as a special agent.