DRUGS, WAR AND THE DEA

In Bill Steigerwald's column criticizing the war on drugs and not
wishing the Drug Enforcement Administration a happy 35th birthday
("35 years of drug war failure," July 13 and PghTrib.com), the third
from the last paragraph is the only set of words with some truth --
"... it is unfair to dump on the DEA."

To judge the impact of the DEA, one needs to look no further than our
own backyard.

In the past eight years, the DEA with state and local agencies have
been able to dismantle some of the largest criminal enterprises in
the history of Western Pennsylvania.

For example, from 2000 through 2003, the DEA and cooperating agencies
were successful in shutting down a drug-trafficking organization that
put millions of dollars of cocaine and heroin on the streets of our
region daily.

More recently, when fentanyl-laced heroin was killing drug users
throughout the area, it was the intense and immediate efforts of the
Pittsburgh Police and the DEA, with the help of other agencies, that
quickly led to those responsible.

Through and because of the federal system, these local traffickers in
death as well as their out-of-state suppliers were arrested and all
were subsequently convicted.

These individuals along with the hundreds of others who chose to
place dangerous and life-ruining drugs into the hands of our family,
friends and neighbors are paying their just debt to society.

A law enforcement agency's primary mission is to enforce laws. Policy
is left to the politicians.

Jill Watkins

North Side