W. Michael Furgason, Sr., Chief of Operations

As DEA Chief of Operations, W. Michael Furgason, Sr. is responsible for the overall direction of the worldwide drug enforcement operations of the agency, and is a principal advisor to the DEA Administrator and Deputy Administrator on all enforcement-related matters.

Mr. Furgason began his career in law enforcement in 1976 as a police officer with the New Orleans Police Department. Prior to his career in law enforcement, Mr. Furgason served in the U.S. Navy from 1973 - 1976.

In 1983, Mr. Furgason joined the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Special Agent and was assigned to enforcement groups in New Orleans and San Antonio. In 1990, Mr. Furgason was promoted to Group Supervisor in the Los Angeles Field Division, where he was in charge of a task force comprised of federal, state and local investigators in the Los Angeles HIDTA's newly formed Southern California Drug Task Force. His enforcement group investigated many significant Colombian and Mexican based organizations. One of the more noteworthy was a two-year investigation know as Operation Foxhunt, which focused on a major Cali, Colombia cocaine transportation organization operating from Los Angeles. By the time the investigation concluded, 6.5 tons of cocaine and over $13.5 million was seized, and 191 suspects were arrested.

In July 1995, Mr. Furgason was transferred to DEA Headquarters where he was selected as a Staff Coordinator in the Special Operations Division (SOD). There he coordinated some of DEA's most complex international investigations under Operations Zorro II, Reciprocity, Limelight and Meta. In July 1996, he was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Special Operations Division's Southwest Border Initiative.

In October 1997, Mr. Furgason was selected as the Section Chief for Mexico and Central America in DEA's Office of International Operations, where he administered DEA's international operations for 15 offices functioning in eight countries.

In June 1999, Mr. Furgason was promoted to DEA's Senior Executive Service as the Associate Special Agent in Charge in the Houston Field Division, where he was responsible for managing the administrative and enforcement activities for nine offices located along the southwest border, as well as the Division's Diversion Program.

In November 2000, Mr. Furgason returned to Washington, D.C., when he was promoted to the Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division. He was responsible for directing SOD operations involving the dissemination of intelligence derived from worldwide multi-agency elements in direct support of joint operations relating to DEA, FBI, BICE, IRS, and various intelligence agencies throughout the world.

In June 2002, Mr. Furgason was reassigned to the position of Associate Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division where he served until his appointment in October 2002, as the Special Agent in Charge. In that capacity he commanded all aspects of DEA's operations for 22 offices throughout Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Mr. Furgason grew up in New Orleans, LA, and attended Loyola University where he graduated with a B.A. degree.