How to Become a DEA Agent in Vermont by Meeting Requirements

The nature of the DEA’s war on drugs in Vermont requires agents to be adaptable and work with people from all backgrounds. Marijuana use across the state is rampant, and that is even outpaced by the abuse of prescription drugs such as oxycodone.

DEA agents in Vermont must be able to adapt to rural environments to combat the scourge of meth labs, or be ready for take-down operations to combat the spread of crack-cocaine and ecstasy on the city streets of Burlington, Rutland, or Bennington.

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The DEA’s Recent Operations in Vermont

  • Recently the DEA’s New England Field Division Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team gathered evidence for charges against a Burlington man relating to the attempted production of meth in Hinesburg after police responded to reports of an explosion when the suspect’s meth lab blew up in his father’s residence.
  • The DEA recently participated in a raid that netted 29 people on federal and state firearms and drugs violation charges. The operation took place in Rutland and was supported by 50 police officers as well as agents from 10 other local, state, and federal agencies including the DEA based out of the Vermont office.
  • In Burlington undercover DEA agents arrested the accomplice of a man who is alleged to have smuggled between 50-100 pounds of marijuana into the country from Canada in a recent one-month period. The main suspect escaped on foot after he came to an ostensible drug deal carrying 10 pounds of marijuana and was met by DEA agents.

Vermont Ranks Among the Worst

The DEA in Vermont faces what has been called the nation’s fastest rising epidemic of drug abuse: prescription drugs. In a recent year people in Vermont sought treatment for addiction to opiates, including prescription drugs, more than they did for marijuana, and more than all other drugs combined. Chittendon County, whose shire town is Burlington, has been identified as a high intensity drug trafficking area, being the county with the largest population and city, as well as its location near the border with Canada.

Nationally, Vermont has ranked first in several drug abuse categories including:

  • For those ages 12-17
    • Drug use in the past month
    • Use of marijuana in the past year
    • Use of marijuana in the past month
  • Among adults ages 18-25 the state ranked first for use of cocaine in the past year

Qualifying for DEA Careers in Vermont

The process of how to become a DEA agent in Vermont takes time and only a select few candidates for the jobs are chosen. Prospective candidates must meet certain minimum requirements for DEA jobs in Vermont, which include post-secondary education:

  • At least a B.A in a related field of study
  • M.A., LL.B., or J.D.
  • Studies in:
    • IT
    • Foreign languages
    • Engineering
    • Law

Training with the DEA in Vermont includes:

  • 18-week residency program
  • Physical stamina development
  • Fighting skills
  • Should-fired weapons and other firearms training
  • Planning and execution of drug raids
  • Surveillance techniques

To find out more about DEA careers and jobs in Vermont prospective agents should check out the field office located in Burlington.

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