What is the Average DEA Informant Salary?
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a US federal law enforcement agency responsible for combating drug trafficking within and outside the country. Since drug trafficking is a major criminal offence, the DEA often hires civilian informants to help them collect information and provide leads for drug-related cases.
You might be wondering, what is the average DEA informant salary? Well, the short answer is – it depends. The DEA offers different types of programs for informants, including Confidential Source program, DEA Specialized Operations Division (SOD) program, and Pharmaceutical Diversion Investigators (PDI) program. Each program has unique requirements, roles, and remuneration plans for its informants.
Confidential Source Program
The Confidential Source Program is the most common way for DEA to recruit informants. The program is designed to incentivize individuals who can provide valuable information about drug trafficking. In this program, the DEA pays informants based on their level of risk, reliability, and the level of information they provide.
According to recent reports, DEA informants working under the Confidential Source Program can receive anywhere between $500 and $500,000 per case. The amount of money paid to an informant depends on the severity of the case, the level of risk involved in providing information, and the degree of assistance required by the DEA.
DEA Specialized Operations Division (SOD) Program
The DEA Specialized Operations Division (SOD) program is a highly specialized program focusing on high-level narco-traffickers. The DEA recruits informants for this program who have substantial knowledge of drug trafficking networks and are willing to provide information. However, the program is not available for everyone.
Typically, individuals recruited under the SOD program must have exceptional skills and expertise in the drug-trafficking field. As such, the DEA offers higher remuneration than other informant programs. According to reports, informants working under the SOD program can earn anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 per year, depending on the level of their contribution to DEA operations.
Pharmaceutical Diversion Investigators (PDI) Program
The Pharmaceutical Diversion Investigators (PDI) program is another informant program that focuses on pharmaceutical drug diversion. In this program, the DEA hires informants to help them investigate and collect information about illegal pharmaceutical trade. The program is aimed at combating the growing opioid crisis in the United States.
Informants working under the PDI program receive payment based on the level of their contribution to DEA operations. The payment rate varies depending on the nature of the case, the level of involvement required, and the informant’s reliability. According to recent reports, informants working under the PDI program can earn anywhere between $50,000 to $200,000 per year.
Conclusion
In summary, the DEA hires informants under various programs to help it collect information and provide leads for drug-related cases. The salary paid to informants depends on the program they are recruited under, their level of contribution to DEA operations, and the severity of the case they are working on.
The Confidential Source program is the most common informant program, with informants receiving anywhere from $500 to $500,000 per case. The DEA SOD program is a specialized program that offers higher salaries to informants who have exceptional skills and expertise in the drug-trafficking field. Informants working under this program can earn anywhere between $100,000 to $500,000 per year. Lastly, the PDI program focuses on pharmaceutical drug diversion and can earn informants anywhere between $50,000 to $200,000 per year.
Overall, being a DEA informant can be rewarding, but it also has significant risks and responsibilities. If you want to become a DEA informant, it’s essential to understand the requirements, roles, and remuneration plans of different informant programs before applying.
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