Usually, DEA officers must keep enforcement activities to situations involving federal drug crimes, but now they can interrogate and arrest protesters.
The U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has given Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) temporary power to „conduct covert surveillance“ and intelligence gathering to enforce any federal crimes committed by people protesting the death of George Floyd, the black man killed in police custody on May 25.
The two-page DOJ memorandum first reported on by Buzzfeed News gives the DEA 14 days to assist law enforcement officers during the ongoing police brutality protests. The sweeping powers were authorized by U. S. Attorney General William Barr.
Usually, DEA officers are legally constrained to keep their enforcement activities to situations involving federal drug crimes.
However, according to the memo, DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers are now allowed to conduct „covert surveillance“ and „protect against threats to public safety;“ share intelligence with federal state, local and tribal legal authorities; intervene as federal law enforcement officers to protect both participants and spectators in the protests; and engage in investigative and enforcement activities including but not limited to conducting interviews, conducting searches and making arrests for violations of federal law.
