DEA Celebrates 50 Years
Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

  • Get Updates
  • Scam Alert
  • Full Menu
  • English
  • Español

Main Menu

Explore DEA
  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Mission
    • History
    • Divisions
    • DEA Museum
    • Wall of Honor
    • Contact Us
  • What We Do
    • Forensic Sciences
    • Law Enforcement
    • Education and Prevention
    • Drug Information
    • News
    • Campaigns
  • Careers
    • Special Agent
    • Diversion Investigator
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
    • Forensic Sciences Careers
    • Professional & Administrative Careers
    • Student & Entry Level Careers
    • Employment Eligibility
    • How to Apply
  • Resources
    • Illegal Online Pharmacies
    • OD Justice
    • Fentanyl Supply Chain
    • Pill Press Resources
    • Recovery Resources
    • Together for Families
    • Data and Statistics
    • FOIA
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • Victim Witness Assistance Program
  • Submit A Tip

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • DEA Celebrates 50 Years

DEA Celebrates 50 Years

Creation of the DEA (July 1, 1973)

Nixon shaking hands with John Bellizzi

Creation of the DEA (July 1, 1973) In 1973, President Richard Nixon declared “an all-out global war on the drug menace” and sent Reorganization Plan No. 2 to Congress. “Right now,” he pointed out, “the federal government is fighting the war on drug abuse under a distinct handicap, for its efforts are those of a loosely confederated alliance facing a resourceful, elusive, worldwide enemy. Certainly, the cold-blooded underworld networks that funnel narcotics from suppliers all over the world are no respecters of the bureaucratic dividing lines that now complicate our anti-drug efforts.”

In the spring and summer of 1973, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate heard months of testimony on President Nixon’s Reorganization Plan Number 2, which proposed the creation of a single federal agency to consolidate and coordinate the government’s drug control activities.

At that time, the BNDD, within the Department of Justice, was responsible for enforcing the federal drug laws. However, the U.S. Customs Service and several other Justice entities (ODALE and the Office of National Narcotics Intelligence) were also responsible for various aspects of federal drug law enforcement. Of great concern to the Administration and the Congress were the growing availability of drugs in most areas of the U.S., the lack of coordination and the perceived lack of cooperation between the U.S. Customs Service and the BNDD, and the need for better intelligence collection on drug trafficking organizations.

According to the final report from the Senate Committee on Government Operations issued on Oct. 16, 1973, the benefits anticipated from the creation of the DEA included:

1. Putting an end to the interagency rivalries that have undermined federal drug law enforcement, especially the rivalry between the BNDD and the U.S. Customs Service;

2. Giving the FBI its first significant role in drug enforcement by requiring that the DEA draw on the FBI’s expertise in combatting organized crime’s role in the trafficking of illicit drugs;

3. Providing a focal point for coordinating federal drug enforcement efforts with those of state and local authorities, as well as with foreign police forces;

4. Placing a single Administrator in charge of federal drug law enforcement in order to make the new DEA more accountable than its component parts had ever been, thereby safeguarding against corruption and enforcement abuses;

5. Consolidating drug enforcement operations in the DEA and establishing the Narcotics Division in Justice to maximize coordination between federal investigation and prosecution efforts and eliminate rivalries within each sphere; and

6. Establishing the DEA as a superagency to provide the momentum needed to coordinate all federal efforts related to drug enforcement outside the Justice Department, especially the gathering of intelligence on international narcotics smuggling.

Learn More About The DEA

Read about how the DEA became the premier drug enforcement organization and the single-mission federal agency dedicated to drug law enforcement.

Anniversary Messages

About Us

DEA History

DEA 50th Anniversary Quiz

50 Years Of DEA: Partnerships and Collaborations

Hosted by the DEA Museum and the first of a series of programs to celebrate DEA’s 50th anniversary, 50 Years of DEA: Partnerships and Collaborations is a panel discussion exploring the important role partnerships and collaborations have played throughout DEA’s history. View the program now below.

SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Locator

  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Domestic Divisions
    • Foreign Offices
    • Contact Us
    • DEA Museum
  • What We Do
    • Forensic Sciences
    • Law Enforcement
    • Drug Prevention
    • Diversion Control Division
    • News
  • Careers
    • Special Agent
    • Diversion Investigator
    • Forensic Sciences
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
    • How to Apply
  • Resources
    • Drug Information
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • FOIA
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • VWAP
  • Doing Business
    with the DEA
    • Overview
    • Current Vendors
    • Prospective Vendors
    • Security Clauses
    • Security Forms
    • Small Business Program
    • Vendor Engagement Request
  • Policies
    • Accessibility & Policy
    • Legal Policies & Disclaimers
    • No FEAR Act
    • Privacy Policy
    • U.S. Department of Justice EEO Policy
    • USA.gov
    • Whistleblower Protection
    • Your Rights as a Federal Employee

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DEA.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice
Facebook X LinkedIn Instagram

DEA Contact Center

(202) 307-1000 info@dea.gov
Contact the Webmaster

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Back
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Careers
  • Resources
Back
  • About
  • Mission
  • History
  • Divisions
  • DEA Museum
  • Wall of Honor
  • Contact Us
Back
  • Domestic Divisions
  • Foreign Divisions
  • Operational Divisions
Back
  • Submit a Tip
  • Extortion Scam
  • Public Affairs
  • Social Media Directory
Back
  • Forensic Sciences
  • Law Enforcement
  • Education and Prevention
  • Drug Information
  • News
  • Campaigns
Back
  • GUARDS
  • Forensic Sciences Policy
  • Forensic Science Organizations
  • Forensic Science Contact
Back
  • DEA Office of Training
  • El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC)
  • Intelligence
  • Operations
Back
  • Office of Training Programs
Back
  • Administrative Law Judges
  • DEA Asset Forfeiture
  • Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program
  • HIDTA
  • OCDETF
Back
  • Family Summit
  • Red Ribbon
  • Kiki and the History of Red Ribbon Week
  • Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community
  • DEA’s Family Summit
  • Operation Engage
  • Community Outreach
  • Just Think Twice
  • Campus Drug Prevention
  • Get Smart About Drugs
  • Operation Prevention
Back
  • Drug Policy
  • Drug Scheduling
  • The Controlled Substances Act
Back
  • Alerts
  • Press Releases
  • Most Wanted Fugitives
  • Stories
  • Events
  • Speeches
  • Testimony
Back
  • All Fugitives
Back
  • One Pill Can Kill
  • DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Back
  • Senior Citizens
  • Partner Toolbox
  • Social Media Campaign
Back
  • Special Agent
  • Diversion Investigator
  • Intelligence Research Specialist
  • Forensic Sciences Careers
  • Professional & Administrative Careers
  • Student & Entry Level Careers
  • Employment Eligibility
  • How to Apply
Back
  • Special Agent FAQs
Back
  • Diversion Investigator Job Announcement
Back
  • Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements
  • Intelligence Research Specialists FAQs
  • Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist
Back
  • How To Claim Veterans' Preference
  • Priority Consideration
  • Benefits
  • Veterans and People With Disabilities
  • Operation Warfighter
Back
  • Illegal Online Pharmacies
  • OD Justice
  • Fentanyl Supply Chain
  • Pill Press Resources
  • Recovery Resources
  • Together for Families
  • Data and Statistics
  • FOIA
  • Publications
  • Media Galleries
  • Victim Witness Assistance Program
Back
  • Domestic Arrests
  • Staffing and Budget
Back
  • About FOIA
  • Contact DEA FOIA
  • Make a Request
  • What Happens After Making a Request
  • Requester Categories
  • Fees Charged
  • Fee Waiver
  • FOIA FAQ
  • FOIA Logs and Reports
  • FOIA Library
  • Additional FOIA Links
  • FOIA Exemptions
  • What Are Exclusions?
  • Privacy Act
  • Privacy Act Exemptions
  • Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems
Back
  • Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources
  • Human Trafficking Prevention
  • Submit A Tip +
  • Get Updates
  • Scam Alert
    • English
    • Español