How to Become a DEA Agent in South Dakota by Meeting Requirements

The Drug Enforcement Agency in South Dakota is actively working to halt the spread of the nation’s fastest-growing drug problem: the illicit use of prescription drugs. Besides this, South Dakota has a high percentage of rural drug use that predominantly includes stimulants such as methamphetamine, not to mention the urban vice of cocaine and bath salts.

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DEA careers in South Dakota are often spent conducting investigations that last for months or years, and that often result in the arrest of multiple individuals involved in the trafficking and possession of large amounts of drugs. Some recent cases in South Dakota are:

  • Nine people arrested in Sioux Falls for involvement in a drug ring responsible for distributing meth, cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana. Over $9,000 was seized along with multiple vehicles and a 9mm Beretta.
  • DEA agents in South Dakota recently charged four people with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after a father, son, and two business partners were discovered to have been producing of bath salts and spice and distributing them throughout the country. Agents discovered more than one ton of chemicals used in the operation.
  • A tobacco shop on Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls was raided by DEA agents as part of the nationwide Operation Log Jam, an action against synthetic drugs often marketed as plant food, bath salts, or incense. All three of the tobacco chain’s stores in the city were closed until further notice.

DEA Partnerships in South Dakota

In South Dakota, DEA jobs will also offer the chance for inter-agency collaboration. Currently-identified illicit drug problem areas have warranted partnerships with the DEA:

  • DHE-South Dakota Interdiction: Supports the highway interdiction of contraband on pre-identified highway trafficking routes.
  • Sioux Falls Drug Task Force: Targets importation, distribution, and manufacture of illicit drugs in the city and surrounding area.
  • Pennington County Drug Task Force: Rapid City and other Pennington county areas are provided with extra resources to combat their drug hotspots.

South Dakota DEA Training and Requirements

Requirements to become a DEA agent in South Dakota include having a mostly clean criminal record and the right qualifications. The training for South Dakota DEA agents is extensive and involves an 18-week basic training course as well as:

  • Firearms training including tactical shooting and shoulder-fired weapons
  • Practical applications training that includes operational planning and surveillance techniques
  • Tactical training including self-defense, conducting vehicle stops, and drug raids
  • Legal training
  • Intelligence training

In South Dakota, DEA jobs require prospective agents to have some higher education. This includes:

  • B.A. or M.A. in a relevant field
  • Law degrees, either LL.B. or J.D.
  • Subject areas of study including
    • Auditing
    • Accounting
    • Information technology
    • Foreign languages
    • Engineering

If DEA careers in South Dakota sound appealing then check in with a local recruiter. Offices are located in Rapid City and Sioux Falls.

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