Yakima DEA agents face the problem of drug abuse and distribution in a remote city with over 20 percent of its population living below the poverty line. Because of the sparse population in the surrounding area, rich soil, and backcountry mountain roads, the area is also becoming increasingly popular for the cultivation of marijuana and manufacture of methamphetamine.
DEA jobs in Yakima, Washington are obtained by completing a lengthy application process designed so only the top-qualifying candidates will remain at the end. These candidates will receive the training necessary to effectively to combat the growing drug problems in Yakima and throughout the rest of the nation.
Yakima Busts and Collaborations
Recently the DEA spearheaded a Yakima operation in close cooperation with the Yakima Valley Narcotics Task Force that resulted in the closing of 17 identified drug distribution houses. Arrests were made and methamphetamine, weapons, cash, and drug paraphernalia were seized. The operation targeted street-level and medium-sized drug operations in an effort by federal and local authorities to curb drug abuse and protect the young and vulnerable populations of Yakima.
In an operation tracing smuggled heroin from Mexico to the streets of Yakima, DEA agents arrested six people involved in the delivery of eight ounces of the drug to undercover DEA agents. Using information gained from the arrests, agents searched a car arriving in Yakima three days later, discovering 15 pounds of Mexican black-tar heroin hidden in a secret compartment.
15 people were arrested in early-morning raids carried out by Yakima DEA agents working in cooperation with local law enforcement in an operation targeting a major methamphetamine ring. The special agent in charge noted how the meth ring had ruined peoples’ lives for the profits brought to the dealers by the poison. Before the raids the Yakima DEA Resident Office had been working with 12 other law enforcement agencies in an investigation lasting several months.
How to Become a DEA Special Agent
The training and requirements needed to become a DEA agent are extensive. A minimum requirement is having either previous experience, education, or both. Qualifying applicants will have at least on of the following:
- A bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.95 GPA, an M.A., an LL.B., or a J.D.
- Law enforcement experience involving:
- Drug interdiction
- Undercover operations
- Surveillance
- Gathering and preparation of evidence
- Arrest and detention of suspects
- Three years of experience and related coursework with a B.A. in strategic fields such as:
- Military operations
- Foreign languages
- Chinese
- Urdu
- Russian
- Arabic
- Macedonian
- Serbian
- IT and Information Systems
- Pilot’s license
- Engineering
- Accounting
Education
Having education in fields identified as strategically important can make your candidacy for DEA jobs and careers stronger. Being centrally located in Washington State, the seven public institutions of higher education are never too far away, not to mention the even larger number of private and online schools offering degrees in strategic fields. It is never too late to make inquiries with learning institutions or DEA field recruiting officers.