By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — The rumor mill has Thomas M. Harrigan, chief of DEA operations, as the front runner for the number two spot in the agency, according to people familiar with the situation. The number two spot was held by Michele Leonhart, who has been acting head of the agency, and…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — The DEA on Wednesday announced it was using its “emergency scheduling authority” to temporarily outlaw five chemicals used to make “fake pot” products. The DEA said the move was in response to the increasingly popularity of the products that were harming people. The DEA said plans to oulaw the…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — Many may say it’s long long overdue. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing next week for Michele Leonhart, who was nominated to head the DEA on Feb. 2, according to the website Main Justice. Leonhart has been heading the agency on an interim basis since…
By Allan Lengel For AOL News WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama insulted — albeit inadvertently — the folks at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration today by mentioning the FBI instead of their agency in remarks about the war on drugs. At a town hall meeting in Washington aired on MTV, the president told a group…
Los Angeles Times Editorial When President Obama nominated Michele Leonhart to head the Drug Enforcement Administration last month, those hoping for a sensible federal policy regarding medical marijuana — one that promotes scientific research into its medicinal value and eschews prosecution when it is used in accordance with local laws — shivered. As special agent…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — The death on Wednesday of Mexican drug kingpin Arturo Beltran Leyva, who claimed to be the “boss of bosses”, may be a big victory for the Mexican and American governments, but it certainly won’t spell the end to the violent grip the cartels have on the country. In fact,…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — Could there be an upset in the making for the top post at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration? For weeks now, multiple sources have said the new administrator is likely to be John Pistole, deputy director of the FBI. But one source on Tuesday insisted that the acting administrator…
John Pistole/fbi photo By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — The White House has talked to four candidates about filling the top spot at the Drug Enforcement Administration, including FBI deputy director John S. Pistole, according to a source familiar with the selection process. Pistole has been interviewed for the job along with Michele Leonhart, the…
