News Release [print friendly page]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2003

DEA Administrator Karen Tandy

Dignitaries, Friends and
DEA Staff
Celebrated DEA’s 30th Anniversary

DEA has been America’s primary drug law enforcement agency since its creation by an Executive Order from President Nixon in 1973. Yesterday, an anniversary event celebrated DEA’s accomplishments in stopping illegal drug traffic, and paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of its employees through the years.

Attorney General John Ashcroft, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director John Walters, Deputy Attorney General James Comey, and former ONDCP Director and Secretary of Education William Bennett joined Administrator Karen P. Tandy and the men and women of the DEA in celebrating the Agency’s 30th Anniversary. DEA was also honored by the comments of Kate Patton, a mother from Illinois whose daughter died from an Ecstasy overdose in 1999. Ms. Patton's words served as a reminder of the importance of protecting America's youth from drugs. Audience members were also treated to a music performance by the 4th graders from Poplar Tree Elementary School in Chantilly, Virginia. The kids were especially requested by Administrator Tandy after she saw them perform anti-drug songs at a Red Ribon event earlier this year.

• DEA Former Administrators
• DEA Genealogy
• Staffing & Budget throughout the years
• DEA in Pictures - A Look Back Over the Past 30 Years