The Charlotte District Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is under the direction of the Atlanta Field Division and not only covers Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina, but the Western portion of the state as well.
Among the DEA’s top priorities in Charlotte and the surrounding regions is investigating and halting the distribution of black tar heroin by the Mexican drug cartels. With Charlotte’s transportation infrastructure and location, the city is viewed as one of the top U.S. locations for selling and distributing black tar heroin.
Another priority in Charlotte, as in many areas, is halting the illegal distribution of prescription pain pills. In a 2012 statement from the Charlotte District DEA Office announcing the sentencing of the leader of a oxycodone trafficking ring from Statesville, N.C., U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins commented that during 2012, more than 1,000 individuals died in North Carolina from prescription drug abuse.
The Job of A DEA Agent in Charlotte
The Charlotte District DEA Office often works jointly with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), along with federal and state law enforcement. Among the results in the DEA’s efforts against illegal drug activity:
- In January of 2013, a six-month joint investigation dubbed “Operation Enderly Park” was conducted by the DEA and the CMPD, resulting in the arrest of nine Charlotte individuals who were charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine, marijuana and cocaine.
- More than two million dollars’ worth of cocaine was seized in Monroe, which is part of the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC metro area in May, 2011.
- Members of a black tar heroin drug trafficking organization have been arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to federal prison in May, 2012.
Charlotte DEA Careers: How to Become a DEA Agent in Charlotte
DEA agents in Charlotte must go through the Drug Enforcement Agency’s hiring process, which can take up to a year. Potential candidates should be aware that the DEA’s standards of employment are high and applicants face significant competition.
Candidates have a higher chance of becoming a DEA agent if they possess a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, preferably in criminal justice or law. The GPA for a Bachelor’s degree should be at least 2.95, unless accompanied by at least three years of special skills experience that includes everything from piloting an aircraft to linguistics
Candidates may also be viewed favorably if they possess a degree or coursework in the areas of finance, accounting, information systems, and computer science. Law enforcement and military experience is also considered a plus, as is fluency in foreign languages. More information about qualifications can be found here.
The age limit for DEA agents is between 21 to 36 years old.
Recruitment for the Charlotte District Office is handled from the DEA Atlanta Division headquarters:
75 Spring Street SW
Room 800/Recruitment
Atlanta, GA 30303-3311
Contact (404) 893-7122, or email Atlanta.Division.Recruiting@usdoj.gov. The Atlanta Division Recruitment Unit message hot line has additional information at (404) 893-7001.
The steps of the year-long hiring process and qualifications are available here.