On Wednesday, October 7, 2020, DEA’s Acting Administrator Timothy Shea visited with the DEA Jacksonville [Florida] District Office as one of several stops on a Florida trip that also included Tallahassee. In Jacksonville, Shea met with the DEA District Office staff and shared his vision for DEA’s drug law enforcement and regulatory mission in their area of responsibility. In recent months, northern Florida has seen a surge of methamphetamine trafficking and drug related violence while the COVID-19 threat has impacted but not slowed DEA’s work in the area. Shea also met with Jacksonville Sherriff Mike Williams, conducted an on-camera interview with a local news station and met one of DEA’s four-legged assets, “Aragon,” who is a drug-sniffing dog that helps investigators locate concealed illegal drugs.
DEA’s Acting Administrator Timothy Shea visited Tallahassee, Florida Oct 6, to participate in a law enforcement round table with Florida’s Attorney General, Ashley Moody, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Lawrence Keefe and the Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Miami Field Division, Keith Weis. The roundtable focused on the illegal drug threat in Northern Florida and DEA’s partnerships with state and local law enforcement. Following the round table, Shea, Moody, Keefe and Weis participated in a pooled press conference where they recognized the work of DEA Special Agent Justin Duralia and members of the U.S. Attorney’s office who helped disrupt and dismantle significant methamphetamine drug trafficking organizations in North Florida. Additionally, in Atlanta, DEA’s Operation Crystal Shield took down a major source of supply of methamphetamine for North Florida. A link to his comments is here. Acting Administrator Shea wrapped up his day with a visit to the DEA’s Regional Office in Tallahassee.
