Washington Division Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Rothermund are pleased to announce that Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland have been chosen for Operation Engage 2023. 

As we all know, there are far too many non-fatal and fatal drug overdoses and poisonings affecting our communities, and sadly, these numbers are increasing each year. In response, DEA has moved toward community-level collaborative efforts to help reduce these numbers through education and awareness, using our wide range of resources. 

DEA’s Operation Engage focuses on community-based solutions involving drug prevention approaches with multiple audience demographics, i.e. adults, youth, schools, media, and the workplace. The Washington Division will center efforts around opioids, with emphasis on fentanyl, since it accounts for a majority of poisonings and deaths and it is the biggest threat for the DC/PG County metropolitan area community members.

The main strategic components of Operation Engage include:

• Stakeholder/Community Gatherings: Establish and engage with local government and various sectors of the community to implement evidence-based environmental strategies with a primary focus on changing policies, influencing social norms related to substance use and misuse through quarterly/bi-annual stakeholder meetings, in anticipation of networking, collaborating, mobilizing, and disseminating information among the youth. This comprehensive approach will draw on existing human, financial, and material resources to strengthen self-help and community participation in drug prevention initiatives.
• Adult/Community Engagement: In order to create a sense of community, it is imperative to hear the voices of the community to generate positive changes. In that spirit, many important functions will be proposed for Operation Engage Year Three to include various community events and a Family Summit.
• The DEA Citizens Academy: We recognize the importance of forging strong alliances with local communities and maintain collaborative relationships with community leaders. The DEA Citizens Academy offers participants the opportunity to understand the world of federal drug law enforcement and the important role the DEA and the community together play in combating drug trafficking, drug misuse, and related violence.
• Youth Engagement: Engage youth in positive activities with guided mentorship to promote self-care, leadership, and the importance of remaining drug-free.
• Community Outreach Programs: The DEA, along with stakeholder involvement, will concentrate efforts in the neighborhoods most affected by fentanyl and methamphetamine use. In those targeted communities, our Team will participate in facilitating prevention strategies to include, but not limited to, drug prevention, training, and technical assistance for communities, coalition outreach, and schools townhalls, to name a few.
• Workplace Engagement: The Washington Division will partner with local government and private business organizations to facilitate Local Healthy Workplace Discussions for employers and employees to understand the dynamic of substance use disorders in the workplace. Utilizing local partnerships, the understanding of current laws, stigma, and professional advice, we will be discussing these topics interactively between participants from the Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas.

These are only a few of the many resources and opportunities we have available to share with our communities. 

We invite you and your families to explore our Operation Engage webpage to learn about the many resources we have available. Learning as a family, early on, is the first step in avoiding drug experimentation, drug misuse, drug addiction, and all related behaviors that are plaguing our communities.

• The coalition has provided naloxone training to more than 150 people in the two beach communities, directly educated more than 800 people on opioid/opiate misuse, provided outreach information to more than 5,500 people, and removed more than five pounds of unused prescription drugs from the two communities.
• After almost eight years of grassroots efforts to provide additional opportunities for Narcan training, connect people with addiction resources, raise awareness, and reduce stigma about the opioid crisis in their communities, in collaboration with county partners, they have realized a marked positive effect. The number of people who overdosed on opioids in the twin beaches declined from a high of 31 with 6 fatalities in 2018 to 8 overdoses with no fatalities in 2023, an approximate 74% reduction according to the Calvert County Sheriff's Office.

The DEA Washington Division will be hosting a number of community events for and with our partners across the DMV this year under Operation Engage.

Baseball
When: March 17, 21, and 24, 2025
Where: Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, 4103 Benning Road NE Washington, D.C. 20019

Culinary Program
When: March 8, 15, 22, 29; April 5 and 12, 2025
Where: Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy PCS, 1404 Jackson Street NE, Washington, DC 20017

Martial Arts
When: March 4, 11, 18, and 25; April 1, 8, 22, and 29; May 6, 13, and 20, 2025
Where: Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy PCS, 1404 Jackson Street NE, Washington, DC 20017

Day of Play
When: April 16, 2025 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: The Fields at RFK Campus, 401 Oklahoma Ave NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 
Register: https://eventsdc.com/events/events-dc-day-play-rfk

Contact Community Outreach Specialist Esthela Sandoval at Esthela.M.Sandoval@dea.gov for more information about these events.

Interested in partnering with us for an event in your community? Email Special Agent Tyrone Guyse at Tyrone.K.Guyse@dea.gov with inquiries or for more information.

Looking for prevention resources specifically for young people? Go to the teen-focused site www.justthinktwice.com/. Here, they'll be able to get facts about drug use and learn ways to live a drug-free life.

Families play a key role in preventing and responding to substance use. Too many families are grieving the death of a loved one due to substance use or coping with the stress that comes from loving a person affected by substance use or misuse. Fortunately, there are thousands of professionals and volunteers involved in all types of organizations who are in positions to help families help their loved one. The Drug Enforcement Administration is honored to partner with these organizations at the state, national and local level. Together for Families seeks to be a place where you can find information that helps you wherever you are on your journey. Visit https://dea.gov/togetherforfamilies.

Check out our local partners below:

• A Bright Idea
• CADCA
• DC Prevention Center 7 &8
• DC Prevention Center Wards 5 & 6
• DC Public Middle Schools
• DEA Educational Foundation
• Fairfax County Public Schools
• First Baptist Church of Glenarden
• Maryland Coalition of Families
• Metropolitan Police Department
• National Prevention Network
• Prince George’s County Board of Health
• Prince George’s County Police Department
• Prince George’s County Prevention, Recovery and Tobacco Program
• Prince George’s County Public Middle Schools
• Prince George’s County- Health and Human Services and Education
• The Milken Institution
• The Rendon Group
• United States Attorney's Office/Eastern District of Virginia - "Silent No More Program"
• Ward 5 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 5A-E
• Ward 7 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 7B-7F
• Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 8A-8E
• Washington East Foundation 

Find treatment in your area. Go to FindTreatment.gov to search for general drug treatment facilities in your area. On this site, you can find facilities that offer various payment options (including free and no-cost care), youth treatment facilities, special programs for Veterans, plus more.

Otherwise, enter your zipcode below to find substance abuse treatment facilities in your area.