On October 29, 2004, Task Force Officer John “Jay” Balchunas was fatally wounded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He died from his injuries on November 5, 2004. Officer Balchunas was conducting surveillance as part of the Department of Justice/FBI Fall Threat Initiative prior to the national elections. Read more >

On August 28, 2008, while attending the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, Special Agent Thomas J. Byrne was severely beaten and mugged while walking to his hotel. After multiple surgeries, he succumbed to his injuries on August 30, 2008. Read more >

On November 19, 2008, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Samuel S. Hicks was tragically shot and killed during a joint DEA, FBI, and Pittsburgh Police Department operation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Read more >

Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Michael E. Weston was killed on October 26, 2009, when the U.S. military helicopter he was in crashed while returning from a joint counternarcotics mission in western Afghanistan. Special Agent Weston was assigned to the Kabul, Afghanistan Country Office. He was 37 years of age at the time of his death. Read more >

Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Chad L. Michael was killed on October 26, 2009, when the U.S. military helicopter he was in crashed while returning from a joint counternarcotics mission in western Afghanistan. Special Agent Michael was a member of DEA’s foreign-deployed Advisory and Support Team Alpha, assigned to Afghanistan. He was 30 years of age at the time of his death. Read more >

Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Forrest N. Leamon was killed on October 26, 2009, when the U.S. military helicopter he was in crashed while returning from a joint counternarcotics mission in western Afghanistan. Special Agent Leamon was a member of DEA’s foreign-deployed Advisory and Support Team Echo, assigned to Afghanistan. He was 37 years of age at the time of his death. Read more >

Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Terry Watson was murdered on June 21, 2013, during a robbery attempt in Bogota, Colombia. Special Agent Watson was assigned to the DEA Cartagena, Colombia Resident Office at the time of the incident and was on official travel to Bogota as part of a maritime drug smuggling investigation. After leaving colleagues at a restaurant en route to his hotel, Special Agent Watson hailed a cab and, after entering the cab, was stabbed by members of a robbery crew. He fled the cab but collapsed a short distance away. Bystanders came to his aid, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Read more >