By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
A former DEA agent has uncovered fascinating details of his undercover career in a book entitled, “The Dar Art: Inside the World’s Most Dangerous Narco-Terrorist Organization.”
Ed Follis talked with St. Louis Public radio about the book.
“The book was cathartic,” Follis said. “I finally looked back on all those days and the stuff we did.”
Follis’ career with the DEA spans nearly 30 years when he pursued drug traffickers.
Follis said the war on drugs would be more successful if law enforcement targeted the bigger dealers.
“The war on drugs is somewhat like a number of other wars that we’ve advanced since Vietnam,” Follis said. “I’m not quite sure that we’re pressing in as hard as we should. I did, personally, as an agent. But the war on drugs has to focus emphatically on the larger figures. I never pursued people that were addicted. They’re not victims, but they are in need of extreme assistance. It’s those who exploit them … They’re not concerned about the addicts and the people that are hopelessly addicted.”
Follis said he never used drugs in his career and got by on two things.
“Number one, beyond anything else, you have to have the right access. That’s through informants, of course, because they already have standing with these people. Number two, you have to be like them, because once they trust you, they don’t want to disbelieve their trust with you.”
