The DEA Purple Heart Award is an award given by the
United States Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic en ...
to honor individuals who had lost their lives or been seriously injured enforcing the drug laws of the United States.
History
On January 5, 1996, the DEA Purple Heart Award was established to honor individuals who had lost their lives or been seriously injured enforcing the drug laws of the United States. This was a result of the Hispanic Advisory Committee to then DEA Administrator
Thomas A. Constantine suggesting the creation of an award to honor the “thousands of men and women sworn to enforce the drug laws of the United States who deserve the full benefit of our recognition of the inherent dangers of our profession”.
The award is a heart-shaped pendant with a DEA Special Agent's badge embossed a purple background and it suspended form a red, white, and blue ribbon. The award is presented in a glass-front shadowbox and is accompanied by a lapel pin showing a smaller version of the pendant.
In 1998, the DEA's SAC Advisory Committee expanded the awarding of the Purple Heart to state and local
law enforcement officer
A law enforcement officer (LEO), or peace officer in North American English, is a Public sector, public-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the Law enforcement, enforcement of laws. The phrase can include campaign disclosure specialist ...
s who were killed or wounded in the line of duty while working with DEA.
As of 2011, 93 individuals had been awarded the DEA Purple Heart Award.
Eligibility
The following criteria must be met in order to be eligible for the DEA Purple Heart Award:
* Individuals must have been seriously injured or killed during the performance of duties in an official capacity.
* Their injuries or death must have been direct results of hostile or criminal action.
* Their injuries required medical treatment or caused death.
* Individuals must be any active, retired, or deceased employee of the Drug Enforcement Administration (or its predecessor agencies, such as the
Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs
The Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) was a bureau within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and a predecessor agency of the modern Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
History
It was created by § 3 of the Reorganizatio ...
, the
Federal Bureau of Narcotics
The Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) was an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury, established in the Department of the Treasury by an act of June 14, 1930, consolidating the functions of the Federal Narcotics Control Board a ...
, or the
Bureau of Drug Abuse Control
The Bureau of Drug Abuse Control was formed as a part of the United States Food and Drug Administration in February 1966 and existed until 1968 when it was merged with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics to form the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Dr ...
) or a state or local law enforcement officer who was killed or wounded while working with the DEA.
SIU Purple Heart Award
In 2012, the DEA established the DEA SIU Purple Heart Award to honor individuals of foreign law enforcement partners that supported the DEA in Special Investigative (SIU) programs.
Notable recipients of the DEA Special Investigative Purple Heart Award include
Colombian National Police
The National Police of Colombia (Spanish: ''Policía Nacional de Colombia'') is the national police force of the Republic of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the Military Forces of Colombia (Army, Navy, and Air Force), it c ...
Officers Sergio Antonio Castro and Franklin Moreno Lopez (the first two recipients of the award), along with
Peruvian National Police
The Peruvian National Police ( es, Policía Nacional del Perú, PNP) is the national police force of Peru. Its jurisdiction covers the nation's land, sea, and air territories. Formed from the merge of the Investigative Police, the Civil Guard, a ...
officer Edgar Wilber Quispe Rojas.
As of 2017, 23 police officers have been awarded the DEA SIU Purple Heart.
See also
*
Awards and decorations of the United States government
Awards and decorations of the United States government are civilian awards of the U.S. federal government which are typically issued for sustained meritorious service, in a civilian capacity, while serving in the U.S. federal government. Certain ...
*
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...
*
List of wound decorations
This list of wound decorations is an index of articles that describe notable awards given for wounds; usually, though not exclusively, to military personnel during wartime.
See also
* Lists of awards
* List of military decorations
* Wound st ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Recipients of the DEA Purple Heart
Drug Enforcement Administration
Awards and decorations of United States law enforcement agencies
Awards established in 1996
Wound decorations
Awards and decorations of the United States Department of Justice