As the Corpus Christi is located very near the Mexico border, and has a history of gang problems, it is a destination for drug smugglers looking to travel along the coast and into the major Texan metropolitan areas of Houston and Dallas/ Forth Worth. The location of the city also is ideal for drug smugglers looking to enter the state of Louisiana and transporting drugs deeper into the Southern interior of the United States, and eventually up the east coast to New York City and other large cities where narcotics are easy to distribute and sell.
As of 2012, local authorities have identified almost 1,000 gang members in the city, many of which are working in coordination with Mexican drug cartels across the border and assisting the cartels with drug distribution and selling. It is the responsibility of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Corpus Christi to assist local police and other federal agencies in curbing the selling, smuggling and distribution of drugs through the city and on the city highways that span across the state and into other states. The DEA in Corpus Christi is supervised by the division office in Houston.
DEA Activity in Corpus Christi
Along with conducting drug investigations, seizures and busts in Corpus Christi, Texas, the DEA also works with the community in terms of drug education at elementary schools and creating neighborhood crime watch programs to curb drug use and drug selling in the city. But, the most important aspect of the DEA is to capture drug smugglers and dealers and to destroy drug rings and large scale operations that go much deeper than just the city boundaries of Corpus Christi. The following is a list of some of the most significant drug busts in the city’s history:
- April 2013: The DEA seized 25 grams of cocaine, 50 grams of synthetic marijuana and an undetermined amount of marijuana from a Corpus Christi man. The DEA was contacted via multiple tips from neighbors of the man due to a high amount of traffic coming and going from the house. Synthetic marijuana has been an increasingly popular drug in the area and is often abused by high school students and criminals on probation because it does not appear in drug tests.
- April 2013: The DEA busted a Walgreens store in Corpus Christi in connection with a prescription drug ring operating out of the store. The investigation is still underway, but it is believed that a local gang may be involved with the distribution of the pills. Four people were arrested.
Jobs with the Corpus Christi DEA
In order to get a job with the Corpus Christi DEA, applicants must meet multiple requirements, as well as go through a series of interviews, examinations, tests, checks and extensive training programs. Along with the basic requirements, applicants must also have one of the following sets of experience:
- A bachelor’s degree with a 2.95 GPA or a LL. B or J.D. Degree
- Extensive experience with narcotics investigations, including testifying in court, making arrests and conducting surveillance and intelligence gathering operations
- At least 3 years experience in maritime/ pilot, technical/ mechanical, military, foreign language fluency or accounting and auditing practices; plus a bachelor’s degree at minimum