This Thursday, October 24th, two agents of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) came to our school to speak with students about the importance of drug prevention and the field of law enforcement. Agents Rob and Kyla were here in co-operation with the Red Ribbon Week Campaign, an organization founded in honor of one of their fellow DEA agents, Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.
The Red Ribbon Week Campaign aims to raise awareness of the destruction that drugs and drug trafficking have on the United States. Red Ribbon Week takes place from October 21-31st annually, the first one taking place in 1988.
The campaign began as a response from the community, deeply hurt by the death of Enrique Camarena. Being an agent of the DEA, Camarena was kidnapped and killed while in Mexico working to stop the flow of drugs into our country. Now, citizens around the world wear red ribbons in Camarena’s honor to raise awareness on illegal substances.
While presenting, Agent Rob went over the current statistics for illegal drug use in the United States. He explained how Fentanyl is a rising concern for our nation, and how the DEA is very involved in stopping the trafficking of Fentanyl into the country. Currently, Fentanyl is the number one drug that people overdose on.
As illegal and unregulated drugs begin to pose more of a threat on the American public, both agents spoke about the importance of awareness when it comes to the effects these substances and habits can have on everyday people.
One of the campaigns that the DEA is currently promoting is the One Pill Can Kill Campaign with the slogan: “Nobody is Immune.”
This campaign aims to provide outreach for the DEA and their support systems, as well as promote drug awareness to the youth.
Agent Rob explains that “kids fall into drugs because it provides a good feeling [and] once kids fall into drugs it causes mental health issues and addiction in the future”.
During their presentation, Agent Rob and Agent Kyla also explained to students what it takes to become an agent themselves. The DEA requires at least a four-year degree or prior law enforcement or military service to become an agent, as well as a minimum 21 years of age.
It doesn’t matter what major you choose to pursue, however, as Agent Kyla explained that hers fell under the Dental Hygenics category. After working in the dental field for some time, she had become a DEA Agent after her father, who had also served as an agent.
Agent Rob, however, never imagined himself becoming a DEA Agent due to his upbringing in the Bronx. Originally, he had gone to law school and became a prosecutor working on several notable cases. However, he was itching to be part of the action and do more with his career, prompting him to join the DEA.
The DEA falls under the Department of Justice (DOJ), which is one of the enforcement branches of the federal government. The DEA is also one of the only law enforcement agencies that does everything themselves including arrests, warrants, wiretaps, undercover operations, and intelligence gathering.
Though agents like Rob or Kyla may experience more of the “action” in the field, law enforcement and especially the DEA offer many roles and career paths for interested people to go into.
The department includes not only special agents, but also intel analysts, diversion investigators, forensic chemists, and support staff that are integral to the prevention and cessation of illegal drug distribution and manufacturing.
For the respect of Agent Rob and Agent Kyla, the Red and Black, has not included any photographs of them or their faces, so as not to compromise their position as undercover operatives.
We thank the DEA for giving us the opportunity to learn more about the importance of drug awareness. The many students who attended the conference were sure to walk away with a valuable lesson to carry with them.
As the Red Ribbon Week slogan for 2024 states, “Life is a Movie, Film Drug Free”.
