President Donald Trump has nominated Terrance C. “Terry” Cole to serve as the next administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), replacing Acting Administrator Derek Maltz.
Cole, a seasoned law enforcement professional with over 28 years of experience, including 22 years at the DEA, has held numerous leadership roles within the agency. He currently serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
During his tenure with the DEA, Cole advanced through various domestic assignments in Oklahoma, New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C., as well as international postings in Colombia, Afghanistan, Mexico, and the Middle East. He served in several key positions, including Chief of Staff and Executive Officer at the DEA’s Special Operations Division, DEA representative to the National Security Council, and Chief of Global Operations. Before retiring from federal service in 2020, he held the position of Acting Regional Director for Mexico, Canada, and Central America.
Following his retirement, Cole transitioned to the private sector, leading divisions at Apeira Solutions, Inc., a Dallas-based software and regulatory compliance firm. He later joined the administration of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin as the state’s Public Safety Secretary.
Cole holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology and has completed leadership programs at the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame. He has also studied artificial intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and blockchain technology at Cornell University.
Cole’s nomination comes as the agency continues a process that could lead to marijuana being rescheduled to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, away from its current status as a Schedule I drug.
In a post on Truth Social announcing the nominee, Trump said:
I am pleased to announce that Terry Cole will be the next Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator. Terry is a DEA Veteran of 21 years, with tours in Colombia, Afghanistan, and Mexico City, who currently serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, leading 11 State Public Safety Agencies, with more than 19,000 employees. Terry graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a B.A., Liberal Arts/Criminal Justice, and holds Leadership Certificates from University of Virginia, University of Notre Dame, Mendoza School of Business, and MIT Sloan Executive School for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
Together, we will save lives, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Congratulations Terry!
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