America’s frontline soldiers in the battle against illegal drugs are agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Beginning in 1973 with 1,470 agents and a budget of $74.9 million, the administration was created by President Nixon as a single, unified command to fight what he called
an all-out global war on the drug menace.
Today, the DEA has 5,235 agents, a budget of more than $2.3 billion, and 87 foreign offices around the world. Drug Enforcement Administration details the numerous fronts in the unit’s ever-expanding fight against drug traffickers and describes the tactics used to bring them to justice.