President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that he is tapping Republican Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister to serve As Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Chronister would work with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom Trump has chosen to lead the Justice Department, “to secure the border, combat fentanyl and other illegal drugs.” To stop the flow of.” “Southern Border.”
CBS News Miami
bondi was elected by trump Following his previous selection, former Florida representative Matt Gaetz, withdrew his nomination Amid a House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him.
Chronister Used to be Sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, since being appointed to the role by then-Gov. Rick Scott won re-election in 2017, and twice since then. He has been with the department for 32 years. Hillsborough County covers much of the Tampa Bay metro area.
If confirmed by the Senate, he will replace outgoing DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, who has served in the role for almost the entire term of President Biden.
In a statement to a CBS affiliate WTSPChronister called it “the honor of a lifetime to be nominated” and said he was “overwhelmed by this opportunity to serve our country.”
The DEA, which is part of the Justice Department, has approximately 10,000 employees and is tasked with enforcing America's drug laws. Among its key mandates has been addressing the opioid crisis.
In an interview with “60 Minutes” In September, Milgram said that America was “losing a generation” due to fentanyl.
Milgram said, “As complex and big a problem as this is, it is not that big. We know who is responsible for it.” “It's the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel that are based in Mexico. They dominate and control the entire global fentanyl supply chain, starting from China, all the way to Mexico, coming into the United States.”
During his campaign, Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking, and this week, Trump followed through on that by threatening To impose blanket 25% tariffs on both Mexico and Canada until those issues are appropriately addressed to their liking.
In response, Trump spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday. which he described As an “excellent conversation”. On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a surprise visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. where both The men had dinner. Trump described their meeting as “very meaningful”.