12-02-2025
Gov. Youngkin praises pick of Cole to head DEA
RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin praised President Donald Trump's pick of Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Terry Cole to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration Tuesday.
after Trump announced his selection in a post on Truth Social Tuesday.
'This is a great pick by President Trump,' Youngkin said. 'As Virginia's secretary of public safety and homeland security, Terry Cole has done an outstanding job keeping Virginians safe, fighting fentanyl, human trafficking and illegal immigration.
'His leadership of our Operation FREE initiative in Virginia resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of pounds of illicit drugs — including more than 70 million lethal doses of fentanyl — and has become a standard for collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement. He will put the safety and security of Americans first as head of the DEA. It's a great day to be an American and a bad day to be a drug dealer.'
Cole joined the Youngkin administration with over 28 years of law enforcement experience, including 22 years with the DEA, advancing through the ranks and serving in Oklahoma, New York, Texas and Washington, D.C., as well as on foreign assignments in Colombia, Afghanistan, Mexico, and the Middle East.
Before joining the DEA, Cole served as a Naval Academy Blue and Gold Officer.
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