The DEA in Virginia faces the challenge of two regions rife with drug trafficking as well as a growing drug abuse problem throughout the remainder of the state. Because of their location to the Washington-Baltimore area, the Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover, Prince William, and Prince George have been identified as high-intensity drug trafficking areas, as well as the cities of Richmond, Alexandria, and Petersburg. In this urban setting marijuana, crack-cocaine, heroin, and synthetic drugs such as bath salts, are all popular.
On the other side of the state the DEA faces the prospect of the Appalachian high-intensity drug trafficking area. This is a poverty-stricken area where OxyContin is rated as the street drug of choice. Across the rest of Virginia, interstate highways such as I-85, I-95, and I-81 are the arteries of smuggling routes between Mexico and the rest of the East Coast and Canada. Just recently, the DEA in Virginia have been involved in several significant busts.
Meeting the Requirements for Virginia DEA Jobs
The procedure on how to become a DEA agent in Virginia involves meeting stringent requirements, being highly qualified, and making it through the training process. At minimum, prospective agents will need to have previous law enforcement experience dealing with illicit drugs, OR a bachelor’s degree or higher with 2.95 GPA, OR other qualifying experience as specified by the agency in combination with a bachelor’s degree.
The training involved in becoming a DEA agent in Virginia is extensive. Once hired, agents begin with an 18-week training course to be followed by instruction in:
- Shoulder-fired weapons
- Physical fitness
- Surveillance
- Prisoner processing
- Mental conditioning
- Conducting search and arrest warrants
- Intelligence gathering
For more information about Virginia DEA jobs and careers, prospective agents should check with a recruiter at one of the DEA offices located throughout the state in:
- Winchester
- Richmond
- Roanoke
- Norfolk
- Bristol
- Hampton
DEA Busts in Virginia
- The DEA recently revealed that a restaurant in Virginia Beach had been acting as a front for one of the largest drug rings in the area for the past decade. The owner of the restaurant was arrested in connection with selling over 244 pounds of cocaine obtained from Miami, Texas, and North Carolina in the culmination of a two-year investigation conducted by the DEA in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.
- In a recent nationwide crackdown on synthetic drugs such as spice, bath salts, and K2, DEA agents and local law enforcement officials arrested 91 people and seized $36 million in cash. This included arrests and business shut downs in Augusta, Waynesboro, Staunton, and Harrisonburg counties.
- Seven enrolled students from Hampden-Sydney College were arrested after an investigation conducted by the DEA in cooperation with the Farmville Police Department, the Prince Edward County Sheriff’s Department, and the Virginia State Police. Their charges range from distribution of cocaine powder to distribution of marijuana.