The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has a post of duty in the western part of North Carolina located in Asheville, a popular tourist attraction with the Biltmore House nearby. The area also serves as a gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Asheville DEA office is considered part of the Atlanta Field Division of the DEA.
The Job of A DEA Agent in Asheville
This idyllic community of Asheville, which was once a mecca to the Vanderbilt, is also home to crack cocaine. The DEA targets street level drug activity in Asheville and its surrounding areas. For example, the DEA, in cooperation with local law enforcement, conducted an investigation in the region that spanned several years, resulting in convictions of more than two dozen individuals for distributing significant amounts of crack cocaine in McDowell and Buncombe Counties.
Abusing prescription drugs is also on the DEA’s radar in Asheville. The agency recognizes that too many times, those that use drugs such as crack cocaine start by first abusing prescription drugs. The Asheville DEA, in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies in Western North Carolina, holds an annual “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.” Typically held in September, the Asheville area residents have an opportunity to safely get rid of prescription drug medications that have expired or no longer needed at designated locations.
Asheville DEA Careers: How to Become a DEA Agent in Asheville
The DEA office in Asheville is located at 100 Otis St, Asheville, NC 28801, phone 828-259-0657. However, hiring is handled through the Atlanta Field Division of the DEA. Here are some points to keep in mind:
- The entire hiring process can take up to a year.
- Before applying, candidates should review the DEA drug policy and complete the DEA Drug Questionnaire and Drug Use Statement.
- Candidates will be required to take demanding physical task test. It’s a good idea to be familiar with the requirements by downloading a copy of the PTT training booklet (1.9 MB PDF*).
- Candidates are advised to attend an orientation sessions when one is held at the Atlanta DEA Field Division Office location:
75 Spring Street SW
Room 800/Recruitment
Atlanta, GA 30303-3311
(404) 893-7000
There is a possibility that candidates living outside of Atlanta can have a screening and orientation conducted by phone.
- Education qualifications generally include possessing a bachelor’s or master’s degree or a LL.B. or J.D. degree. Candidates with law enforcement or a military background, foreign language proficiency and special skills, such as a pilot license or computer science and telecommunications engineering backgrounds, are also recruited as highly qualified candidates.