Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan

DEA Wall of honor, DEA Hqs


While we were mourning the loss of 14 Americans lost in separate helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, it was learned that three of them were DEA agents working with the military in anti-drug operations. Afghanistan is the world's largest supplier of opium, which is used to produce heroin, and the opium crop has become a huge source of revenue for the insurgents. Accordingly, DEA has sent a large number of agents to that country in a parallel effort to combat the heroin traffic.

DEA is a relatively small agency compared to the FBI. When we lose an agent in the line of duty, we learn of it immediately all over the world, wherever we are. In many cases, we personally know the agents killed. Since I have been retired 14 years, it is likely I did not know any of them. Their names have not yet been released.

I salute these brave agents just as I salute their comrades in the military who died with them. As always, I am proud that I was a DEA agent.