DEA History is U.S. History! DEA Museum Launches Curated Oral History Project July 1st
The DEA Museum is excited to announce the launch of a new curated oral history project on July 1st. By gathering first person accounts from retired special agents, former leadership, and other personnel who have served across over five decades, museum staff is preserving DEA’s history and legacy. These interviews document how the administration’s mission evolved and the lived experiences behind major enforcement efforts – including the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Through personal narratives and photographs, this curated project aims to strengthen public understanding of DEA’s essential work and to highlight the museum’s efforts to preserve authentic voices from the field for years to come.
DEA Administrator Cole addresses the audience during the 2026 Memorial Service.
On Thursday, May 14, 2026, DEA honored the courage and dedication of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. Each year, during National Police Week, law enforcement and Department of Justice personnel, families, and other VIP guests gather at DEA Headquarters for this solemn ceremony in remembrance of the men and women of DEA and its predecessor agencies who gave their lives in the line of duty.
A wreath-laying ceremony honoring DEA's special agents, intelligence research specialists, diversion investigators, and others enshrined on the Wall of Honor began the day's events. DEA Administrator Terry Cole and Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter addressed the attendees.
To learn more about DEA's fallen heroes, visit: https://museum.dea.gov/wall-honor.
Following the wreath-laying ceremony, the 2026 DEA Memorial Service honored our 89 fallen heroes with a program featuring DEA leadership, representatives from nine Memorial Families, eight former DEA Administrators, officials from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, and other VIPs. Section Chief of DEA Community Outreach and Prevention Support Sean Fearns emceed the event, welcoming attendees and introducing the Arlington Police Department Honor Guard for the Presentation of Colors. Preston Hart sang the national anthem accompanied by DEA Special Agent Zaira DeVon at the piano.
Mother of fallen DEA TFO Jay Balchunas, Dr. Mary Kay Balchunas, gave the invocation, followed by heartfelt remarks from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, ONDCP Director Sara Carter, and Administrator Cole. Per tradition, former DEA Administrators participated in the reading of the Memorial Roll Call, underscoring DEA’s dedication to the sacrifices of our fallen heroes.
The annual DEA Memorial Service, produced by DEA Museum staff, is an important reminder of DEA's steadfast dedication to those who make the ultimate sacrifice. They will never be forgotten.
Click the link below to view the 2026 DEA Memorial Service.
The physical Breaking the Mold exhibit, on display from 2023 to 2024, highlighted three women who were firsts in their roles at DEA. The exhibit was taken down in 2024.
DEA Museum Presents! Breaking the Mold Online Exhibit
The DEA Museum introduces Breaking the Mold, an online exhibit that celebrates the administration’s progress and the remarkable women who have shaped its history. This exhibit highlights three pioneering women—Karen Tandy, Kim McClung, and Mary Buckley—whose leadership continues to inspire current and future generations.
Karen Tandy, DEA’s first female Administrator, served from 2003 to 2007. Kim McClung forged a path as DEA’s first female pilot, and Mary Buckley broke barriers as the first female country attaché in Nigeria. Their stories exemplify the dedication and trailblazing spirit of the DEA workforce.
Each woman’s achievements reflect a deep commitment to public service and demonstrate how they helped shape the DEA's history. Click the link below to learn more about these inspiring women.
Photographs of DEA staff from their time working French Connection cases.
Stories from the Collection:
French Connection
During the 1950’s and 1960’s, DEA discovered and investigated various cases from the French Connection, a term used to refer to a global heroin smuggling network run out of Marseilles, France.
Operated by one of France’s most notorious crime syndicates, the Corsican Mafia, DEA targeted and exposed numerous drug traffickers, revealing illegal opium trade around the world. Click the link below to learn more about DEA’s involvement in the famous investigation.
La Santa Muerte (Saint Death) is a spiritual icon found among members of the Gulf, Sinaloa, and Juarez drug cartels. This statue, seized in 2011 from two women transporting over 700 grams of methamphetamine between Arizona and Minnesota, was painted gold to represent economic power, success, and prosperity.
The DEA Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret the work of DEA employees, and we need your help. Your contribution is vital to our mission. Please consider donating items that are significant to DEA’s evolving history.
The DEA Museum is the caretaker of over 45,000 items donated, transferred, or acquired by our collections staff over decades. Our collections include a wide variety of items, ranging from bamboo booby traps found in Thai marijuana fields, to training photos with Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, to extradition photos with Manuel Noriega, Chapo Guzman, and other kingpins. Over the years we've had all sorts of unique objects transferred to our collection, including a diamond-encrusted dental "grill," jewel-encrusted weapons, and narcoculture artifacts like the Santa Muerte statue above.
Objects must have a direct link to DEA history, be in condition for our staff to reasonably maintain and store and have educational and/or display value for the Museum. Click the link below to learn more about how you can donate and help the Museum fulfill its mission.
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