The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Tennessee District Office is located in Nashville, positioned in the middle district of Tennessee. Drug trafficking is not confined to large metropolitan areas, and the DEA is vigilant in investigating and pursuing the sale and traffic of illegal drugs such as cocaine and crack cocaine, heroin, as well as prescription drugs that are distributed illegally.
The Job of A DEA Agent in Nashville
To investigate and apprehend those who illegally traffic in prescription drugs, as well as so-called street drugs, Nashville-based DEA agents often work in cooperation with other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, as well as Tennessee law enforcement agencies such as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and local police and sheriff departments.
As an example of cooperation between Federal, state and local law enforcement, during 2011 more than 30 individuals were arrested who were the target of an investigation for illegally obtaining pharmaceuticals from pharmacies and hospitals and then distributing a range of drugs:
- Oxycodone
- OxyContin
- Percocet
- Roxicodone
- Vicodin
- Lortab
- Xanax
As for the agency’s presence in rural areas, the DEA was instrumental in apprehending one of the largest drug trafficking conspiracies in Giles County, located just 58 miles south of Nashville. According to the DEA announcement in 2013, the defendant obtained large quantities of cocaine and marijuana and then cooked some of the cocaine into crack cocaine. The drugs were distributed in rural areas in Tennessee and Alabama.
Nashville DEA Careers: How to Become a DEA Agent in Nashville
Candidates must meet education requirements that include attaining a bachelor’s degree (with a minimum 2.95 grade point average) or master’s degree, J.D. or LL.B. Special consideration may be given to applicants with higher education credentials in fields such as criminal justice, police science, law, law enforcement, accounting, auditing, computer science, information systems, and communications systems.
The overall hiring process can take 12 months, covering written and oral examinations and interviews, physical and psychological examinations, background investigations and drug testing.
For those interested in a career in Tennessee with the Drug Enforcement Administration, special agents are recruited through the DEA Atlanta Division office.
The Atlanta Division Recruitment Unit periodically holds orientation sessions and career fairs for special agent positions.
However, taking the DEA Special Agent online eligibility quiz and providing responses to questions about medical, experience, and education background can provide an overall view of the required qualifications.