Deputy Administrator, DEA
Deputy Administrator
Office of the Deputy Administrator
12 reports
Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration organizational structure
Government · Hybrid structure · 10K employees · Arlington, VA
2
Agency head span
↓ tighter than peers (avg 14)
5
Avg span
wide
3
Max depth
3 levels
Interactive org chart
Drug Enforcement Administration organizational chart
Explore the agency leadership model, component structure, and reporting layers from official public sources.
Open editable chart
Take this model into your AI workspace Use AI to reason through the model, then bring the scenario back into Creately Atlas.
Choose a prompt, then open an AI app and paste.
Download the CSV data instead
DEA organizational structure based on DOJ Organization, Mission and Functions Manual and official DEA organizational chart text version approved March 25, 2019. No individual officeholder names listed in source.
What to model
Use the chart to test org decisions, not just view reporting lines
Start with the public baseline, then use the scenario views and source-backed changes to ask what happens when leadership, span, or team ownership shifts.
Scenario views in the chart
- Add Chief Data & AI Office Model adding a cross-cutting Chief Data and AI Office under the Deputy Administrator to coordinate analytics, AI tools, and data governance across intelligence and operations.
- Move Office of Compliance Evaluate moving the Office of Compliance to report directly to the Administrator to strengthen independent oversight.
Atlas work this supports
- Compare public operating models Use this official-source baseline to compare agencies, components, reporting layers, and field-office networks.
- Model vacancies and transitions Create planning scenarios for acting leaders, new offices, component moves, and cross-agency coordination changes.
- Keep an official source trail Track source URLs, leadership updates, and agency structure changes in one Atlas workspace for review.
The people
Key leaders and offices
3 senior leadership roles or offices from official public sources. Use this section as a current agency-leadership index, not a private-company filing table.
Administrator, DEA
Administrator
Office of the Administrator
14 reports
Office of Administrative Law Judges
Office of Administrative Law Judges
Office of Administrative Law Judges
0 reports
The operating model
How Drug Enforcement Administration divides the work
4 offices, branches, or components organize the agency mission. Tile size scales with estimated staff where public estimates exist.
Operations Division
dea_ops
Leads domestic and international drug enforcement investigations and field operations.
Intelligence Division
dea_intel
Manages national and international drug intelligence collection, analysis, and sharing.
Diversion Control Division
dea_diversion
Regulates and investigates diversion of controlled substances and listed chemicals.
Operational Support Division
dea_ops_support
Provides technology, forensic, and logistical support to DEA operations.
The agency brief
What this U.S. agency structure tells us
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a federal law enforcement component of the U.S. Department of Justice charged with enforcing the nation’s controlled substances laws. Led by an Administrator who reports to the Attorney General, the DEA combines domestic and international operations, intelligence, regulatory oversight, and diversion control within a single agency. Structurally, the DEA is distinctive for its strong field orientation, with operational divisions supporting a large network of domestic field offices and overseas posts, while headquarters divisions provide intelligence, regulatory, legal, technology, and administrative authorities in support of mission execution and interagency coordination.
- Single Administrator-led bureau within DOJ
- Integrated intelligence and regulatory diversion functions
- Strong domestic and overseas field orientation
The comparison
Compare with related agencies
Compared with the FBI, the DEA is more narrowly focused on drug-related crime and diversion control but operates with similarly global reach. Relative to ATF, DEA has a larger international intelligence and regulatory role. As a DOJ component, its centralized Administrator model contrasts with DHS agencies that often …
Senior office count
Drug Enforcement Administration
3
Reporting depth
Drug Enforcement Administration
3 levels
4 levels
Current signals
What changed recently
No recent leadership changes documented in the supplied official source text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leads the Drug Enforcement Administration?
The Drug Enforcement Administration is led by an Administrator, who reports to the Attorney General of the United States.
What does the Drug Enforcement Administration do?
The DEA enforces U.S. controlled substances laws, investigates drug trafficking organizations, regulates controlled substances, and supports domestic and international counter-drug efforts.
What are the major offices or components of the Drug Enforcement Administration?
Major components include the Operations Division, Intelligence Division, Diversion Control Division, Operational Support Division, and several headquarters support offices.
Who does the Drug Enforcement Administration report to?
The DEA is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice and ultimately reports to the Attorney General.
How can this org chart be used for planning or analysis?
The org chart helps analysts understand authority, reporting lines, and how operational and support functions are aligned across DEA headquarters and field operations.
Sources
Reference
Cite this page
If you reference this page in research, analysis, or news writing, use one of the formats below. Citation includes the SEC filing source where applicable.
APA 7th
Creately. (2026). Drug Enforcement Administration organizational structure. Creately. Retrieved , from https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/drug-enforcement-administration/MLA 9th
"Drug Enforcement Administration Organizational Structure." Creately, April 1, 2026, https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/drug-enforcement-administration/. Accessed .Chicago 17
Creately. "Drug Enforcement Administration Organizational Structure." Last modified April 1, 2026. https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/drug-enforcement-administration/.Permanent URL: https://creately.com/org-chart/us-government/drug-enforcement-administration/ · last updated 2026-04-01