News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 30, 2003

Special Agent John B. Brown, III Named Acting DEA Administrator

On Wednesday, January 29, 2003 career DEA agent John B. Brown, III became Acting Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Mr. Brown had been serving as DEA Deputy Administrator since his swearing in on May 24, 2002.

With over 30 years of law enforcement experience, Mr. Brown, known throughout the law enforcement community as an "agent's agent" brings street smarts and a strong belief in the DEA's mission, stemming the flow of illegal drugs and making the cities and towns of America safer for all.

In response to becoming Acting Administrator, Mr.Brown stressed as he has so many times before, "In spite of my new title, I am nothing more than just a special agent in the DEA, just like my colleagues, working every day to try to make a difference."

Special Agent Brown began his law enforcement career in 1969 as an Officer in the Brockport, New York Police Department. He entered on duty as a Special Agent with DEA's predecessor agency, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) at the Buffalo, New York District Office in 1972.

In 1984, Mr. Brown was assigned to the DEA Resident Office in Mazalan, Sinaloa, Mexico. In 1985, he became the Resident Agent in Charge of DEA's Resident Office in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. In 1988, he was assigned to the DEA Miami Division as Group Supervisor in the Florida Joint Task Force, and subsequently was assigned as Group Supervisor of the Caribbean Enforcement Group in Miami.

He later served as Inspector and Senior Inspector in the DEA Office of Professional Responsibility, Southeast Office. In 1995, he was assigned to DEA Headquarters where he served as the agency's Deciding Official for Disciplinary Matters.

Early in 1997, Mr. Brown was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and was selected to serve as the Director of the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) in El Paso, Texas. EPIC is a unique cooperative effort, staffed by representative from 15 participating Federal agencies, established to collect, analyze and disseminate information on illicit drug trafficking operations.

Late in 2000, Brown was selected to be the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division and was responsible for overseeing DEA enforcement and intelligence operations in Northern Texas and throughout the state of Oklahoma.

Mr. Brown holds a Bachelor's Degree in English and Literature, received in 1968 from the State University of New York at Brockport. He is married and has two grown sons.

Brown takes over DEA's reigns from Asa Hutchinson who was sworn in as Undersecretary of Transportation and Border Security at the Department of Homeland Security on the 29th.

If you have questions or need further information, contact at DEA's Office of Public Affairs at 202-307-7977, and visit our web site at www.dea.gov for updates and more DEA news.