Hero
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The Museum Collection
A picture of the first DEA training class. Green platform shoes. Programs on drug smuggling. With more than 5,000 objects, 40,000 photographs, and an online video archive, the Museum’s collection brings the history of drug law enforcement to life.
Content
Collection Spotlight
No matter how big or small, every artifact tells a story. While only a fraction of the objects and images in the Museum's collection, these eye-catching artifacts capture significant moments in the history of drugs and drug law enforcement.
Green Platform Shoes
A DEA special agent wore these shoes during an undercover investigation of a cocaine ring in the 1970s.
Tablet Press
A mechanical device that compresses powder into tablets of uniform size and weight.
Bureau of Narcotics Credentials
Credentials issued in 1944 to Robert S. O'Brien, Agent, Federal Bureau of Narcotics.
La Santa Muerte Statue
A spiritual icon found among members of the Gulf, Sinaloa, and Juarez drug cartels.
Explore the Collection
From hundred-year-old medicine bottles to a seized Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the Museum’s collection is a trove of artifacts and images that chronicle DEA’s past and the history of drug use in the United States. Click here to examine notable artifacts and more.
video archive
The Museum hosts a variety of programs and events that captivate domestic and international audiences. Artifact talks, memorials, and interviews with special guests are only some of the videos you can explore in this interactive archive.
Stories from the Collection: Cross – Border Smuggling Tunnels
In this episode of “Stories from the Collection,” the DEA Museum highlights material seized from a cross-border smuggling tunnels discovered by the San Diego Tunnel Task Force.
Bayer Heroin Bottle
In this episode of “Stories from the Collection,” the DEA Museum highlights the history of Bayer’s creation and marketing of their drug called Heroin in the early 20th century.
Stories from the Collection: 19th Century Pill Machine
In this episode of “Stories from the Collection,” the DEA Museum highlights the history of early pill machines and pharmaceutical industrialization.