Meredith Thompson was one of five Drug Enforcement Administration special agents killed August 27, 1994, in a plane crash during a reconnaissance mission near Santa Lucia, Peru. The mission was part of Operation Snowcap, a cocaine interdiction program in South America. She was 33 years of age at the time of her death.

Special Agent Thompson graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and completed one year of postgraduate work in criminal justice. She joined DEA in the Atlanta Field Division in 1985 and was assigned to the Columbia, South Carolina Resident Office. In 1986, Special Agent Thompson transferred to the Miami Field Division and volunteered for three Operation Snowcap tours, two in Bolivia and her last assignment in Peru. Special Agent Thompson was characterized as a tireless worker—innovative, motivated, and organized. Throughout her career, she received numerous letters of appreciation and commendation from both inside and outside DEA. Her supervisor wrote of her performance as a basic agent class counselor: "She is an excellent role model and through her demonstrated expertise, tact, and devotion, instilled within each trainee a sense of purpose, direction, and pride in DEA."

Special Agent Thompson was survived by her parents, Adelaide and Jack; three sisters, Kimberly, Elizabeth, and Diane; and one brother, Doug. Special Agent Thompson was posthumously awarded the DEA Administrator's Award of Honor on May 17, 1995. A scholarship fund in her name has been established at the University of South Carolina, and an annual fundraising golf tournament benefiting charity is played in her honor.