Former agents challenge the suitability of Trump's DEA nominee amidst allegations of his involvement in violent incidents abroad
Rewritten Article
Years ago, the DEA faced two tragedies overseas: a failed operation that left 10 local officers dead in Colombia, and a cartel's brutal retaliation in a small Mexican town that claimed dozens of lives. A key figure in both incidents was Terrance Cole, the nominee for DEA Administrator under Donald Trump.
CNN spoke with more than a dozen former DEA officials who claimed Cole was involved in these incidents. However, the DEA has kept two internal reports regarding these cases under wraps, making it difficult to determine the exact nature of Cole's role.
Recent concerns about Cole's nomination have led former DEA officers to send an unsigned letter to lawmakers, questioning his actions in the Colombia and Mexico cases, as well as his overall record with the agency. Roughly a dozen ex-DEA agents contributed to the letter, with half of them speaking with CNN. Most of the critics have served in executive-level positions and directly worked with Cole.
Senator Dick Durbin, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has been speaking with some of these critics. "Sen. Durbin's staff has been in contact with multiple concerned parties about Terry Cole's nomination," said a spokesman for Durbin. "The Senator will continue to scrutinize Cole's record at his hearing."
Three former DEA agents who support Cole deny any fault found in the internal reports regarding the Colombian and Mexican incidents. They claim that Cole bore no blame for the violence that occurred in these countries, which were hotspots in the global drug wars. These agents declined to share the internal reports with CNN to verify their findings.
Cole, 55, former DEA agent, is currently Virginia's Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security under Governor Glenn Youngkin. Trump praised Cole for his work in overseeing 11 state public safety agencies and more than 19,000 employees.
However, Cole's first overseas incident occurred in Bogota, Colombia, where he was a special agent. In 2006, an elite anti-narcotics police squad wearing green vests and ballcaps arrived at a psychiatric facility, only to be met with a hail of bullets. Tragically, all 10 officers, plus the civilian informant, were killed. The attack was carried out by a platoon of military soldiers, who were later convicted for acting on orders from drug traffickers.
Cole's critics allege that he failed to properly oversee the unit before the killings and missed the deadly raid because he was "distracted." Cole's defenders strongly reject this contention, stating it lacks credibility due to its anonymity. The White House confirmed that Cole had no direct role in the failed operation and that the DEA had "no knowledge" of the police operation.
The drug wars claimed more lives in Mexico five years later. Cole was working in Dallas, supervising an investigation into the leadership of the powerful Zetas cartel. Unfortunately, the Zetas responded with a brutal massacre shortly after receiving intelligence from an agent Cole supervised. Senator Dick Durbin's staff has been in contact with the critics of Cole's nomination regarding these incidents.
Sources:[1] CNN article: Terrance C. "Terry" Cole[2] Fox News interview with Harry Fields[3] DEA background: Terrance Cole
- The DEA nominee Terrance Cole, under scrutiny for his past actions, is facing criticism over his involvement in two tragic incidents in Colombia and Mexico during his tenure as a DEA agent.
- Recent concerns about Cole's nomination as the DEA Administrator have led to an unsigned letter being sent to lawmakers, questioning his actions in the Colombia and Mexico cases, as well as his overall record with the agency.
- The DEA has kept two internal reports regarding the Colombian and Mexican incidents under wraps, making it difficult to determine the exact nature of Cole's role in these instances.
- Senator Dick Durbin, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is continuing to scrutinize Cole's record at his hearing, having been in contact with multiple concerned parties about Cole's nomination.
