News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2002

DEA DIRECTOR APPOINTS JEROME HARRIS TO
LEAD THE CARIBBEAN DIVISION
Harris will Replace Rogelio Guevara who was promoted to
DEA Chief of Operations in Washington, D.C.

Asa Hutchinson, Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), recently announced the appointment of Jerome M. Harris as Special Agent in Charge of the Caribbean Field Division in San Juan, PR and his promotion into the Senior Executive Service. Administrator Hutchinson selected Mr. Harris to succeed Rogelio Guevara, whom Administrator Hutchinson promoted to be the DEA Chief of Operations at DEA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Harris began his law enforcement career in 1972 as a narcotics detective for the Philadelphia Police Department. He was hired by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1979, working as a Special Agent at the Los Angeles Division in various enforcement and task force groups, later becoming part of the Riverside Resident Office.

In 1985, Mr. Harris was assigned to the San Juan District Office, where he worked as a Special Agent for five years. He was then assigned as Assistant Country Attaché in Kingston, Jamaica, where he focused on enforcement, intelligence gathering and training. In 1993, Mr. Harris was promoted to Country Attaché of Bridgetown, Barbados. During his tenure, Mr. Harris established successful counter-narcotics programs with host nation counterparts in the eight countries that composed the Barbados Country Office's area of responsibility.

While working as Country Attaché, Mr. Harris received the State Department's Meritorious Honor Award for his leadership and liaison abilities with the host nation counterparts in the area of narcotics enforcement. He remained in Barbados until 1997, when he was assigned as Unit Chief to the International Chemical Investigations Unit of the Office of Diversion. As Unit Chief, he managed DEA's international investigations targeting illegal chemical shipments, and worked with several international organizations in the implementation of chemical control legislation. In 1999, Mr. Harris was assigned to the Office of Inspections.

In May of 2000, Mr. Harris was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Caribbean Field Division. In his role as ASAC III, Mr. Harris participated in various committees to enhance the quality of life of federal employees in the Caribbean. Mr. Harris managed and directed all administrative, financial and technical aspects of the Caribbean Division. Under Mr. Harris' leadership, the Caribbean Division acquired and implemented the latest technological innovations applicable to law enforcement greatly enhancing the collection of evidence and intelligence against drug trafficking organizations operating in the region.

In July of 2002, Mr. Harris was promoted to the Senior Executive Service when he was selected as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Caribbean Field Division. As the head of the Caribbean Field Division, SAC Harris has responsibility over domestic operations in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, as well as six foreign offices which include Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, and Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. Mr. Harris is also the Chairperson for the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Executive Board, which coordinates drug law enforcement activity for twenty state and federal law enforcement agencies in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

For additional information, please contact Special Agent Waldo Santiago, News Media Representative, at the DEA Caribbean Field Division at 787-775-1727.