Broward Criminal Attorney Discusses Relocation of DEA
After three decades in Miami-Dade County, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has relocated to a vacant pharmaceutical office complex near Weston Road in Weston. The DEA was evicted from its old headquarters in Doral, which is being converted into a city center.
Affordability of rent and convenient access to South Florida’s highways were both factors in the decision to relocate to Broward County; however the new geography of South Florida’s drug trade was also a consideration. Drug activity in South Florida is no longer centered around Miami, as it has spread to the suburbs of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
In fact, when federal authorities arrested the leader of a Colombian drug ring three years ago, their raids took them to a Weston storage unit. Family members of the drug lord were living quietly in Broward County, according to prosecutors.
However, some worry that the DEA will out of place in Weston, since there are no prisons or courthouses nearby. However, the DEA will also maintain outposts in Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. A city commissioner for Weston said he predicts that the move will be an economic boon for the town.
DEA moves to Weston: In upscale Broward city, the new neighbors are narcs, South Florida Sun Sentinel, May 5, 2009
Contact the offices of Leifert & Leifert, South Florida criminal defense attorneys, if you have been arrested and charged with drug possession or trafficking.