Brian C. Leardo
Brian C. Leardo serves as the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Field Division, where he leads efforts to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime across the Texas Gulf Coast, East Texas, and South Texas regions. In this capacity, he provides executive oversight of all enforcement, intelligence, regulatory, and administrative operations within the division. He also oversees DEA involvement in the Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) grant program and the Homeland Security Task Force where he coordinates inter-agency efforts to address threats impacting national security and public safety. He assumed this role in January 2026.
A member of the Senior Executive Service since March 2024, Mr. Leardo brings more than 21 years of DEA service and over 27 years of federal law enforcement experience to his position. Prior to his current assignment, he served as Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Field Division, where he directed day-to-day operational activities and provided direct supervision to division leadership across enforcement, intelligence, regulatory, and administrative programs. In this role, he ensured the effective execution of strategic initiatives and coordinated operations for the Houston Division Office and the Galveston and Beaumont Resident Offices.
While assigned to DEA Headquarters, Mr. Leardo served as Section Chief of the Counter Threat Team, where he led a cross-functional initiative to develop an enterprise-wide solution for rapidly triaging intelligence for strategic targeting of national security threats. He also held several leadership roles within the Special Operations Division, a multi-agency coordination and deconfliction center supporting national security and public safety. These roles included Section Chief of the Latin America and Caribbean Section, Executive Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge, and Staff Coordinator in the Mexico, Central America, and Canda Section.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Leardo served in field assignments with the New York Field Division (New York Division Office) and the Miami Field Division (Nassau Country Office), where he investigated complex conspiracy cases targeting transnational criminal organizations and conducted maritime interdiction operations.
Mr. Leardo began his law enforcement career in 1998 with the United States Capitol Police, serving approximately four years before transferring to the Federal Air Marshal Service, where he served for two years.
A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Mr. Leardo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Anselm College.