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Nixon photograph

On December 14, 1970, at the White House, the International Narcotic Enforcement Officers’ Association (INEOA) presented to President Nixon a “certificate of special honor in recognition of the outstanding loyalty and contribution to support narcotic law enforcement.” Standing with President Nixon were (from left) John E. Ingersoll, Director of BNDD; John Bellizzi, Executive Director of INEOA; and Matthew O'Conner, President of INEOA.



John E. Ingersoll
Director, BNDD
1968 - 1973

John E. Ingersoll served as Director of the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) from 1968 until 1973. He began his career as a patrolman and then sergeant for the Oakland, California, Police Department from 1956 until 1961, when he became the Director of Field Services for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). He served with the IACP until 1966, when he became the chief of police for Charlotte, North Carolina, until his appointment as Director of BNDD in 1973. He was also the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs from 1969 to 1973. From 1973 to 1993, Mr. Ingersoll worked for the IBM Corporation, serving as Director of Security for IBM's International Business Unit and the IBM World Trade Subsidiary. Since April 1993, he has worked as an independent consultant to business and government.

A Tradition of Excellence: A History of the DEA

Beginnings

In 1968, with the introduction into Congress of Reorganization Plan No. 1, President Johnson proposed combining two agencies into a third new drug enforcement agency. The action merged the Bureau of Narcotics, in the Treasury Department, which was responsible for the control of marijuana and narcotics such as heroin, with the Bureau of Drug Abuse Control (BDAC), in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which was responsible for the control of dangerous drugs, including depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens, such as LSD. The new agency, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD), was placed under the Department of Justice, which is the government agency primarily concerned with federal law enforcement.

According to the Reorganization Plan, "the Attorney General will have full authority and responsibility for enforcing the federal laws relating to narcotics and dangerous drugs. The BNDD, headed by a Director appointed by the Attorney General, would:

  1. consolidate the authority and preserve the experience and manpower of the Bureau of Narcotics and Bureau of Drug Abuse Control;
  2. work with state and local governments in their crackdown on illegal trade in drugs and narcotics, and help to train local agents and investigators;
  3. maintain worldwide operations, working closely with other nations, to suppress the trade in illicit narcotics and marijuana; and
  4. conduct an extensive campaign of research and a nationwide public education program on drug abuse and its tragic effects.

The BNDD became the primary drug law enforcement agency and concentrated its efforts on both international and interstate activities. By 1970, the BNDD had nine foreign offices—in Italy, Turkey, Panama, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, France, and Colombia—to respond to the dynamics of the drug trade. Domestically, the agency initiated a task force approach involving federal, state, and local officers. The first such task force was set up in New York City.

In addition, the BNDD established Metropolitan Enforcement Groups, which were based on the regional enforcement concept that provided for sharing undercover personnel, equipment, and other resources from different jurisdictions. The BNDD provided training and operational support for these units. By February 1972, the BNDD’s agent strength had grown to 1,361, its budget had more than quadrupled, and its foreign and domestic arrest totals had doubled. In addition, the BNDD had regulatory control over more than 500,000 registrants licensed to distribute licit drugs, and it had six sophisticated forensic labs.

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