Michael Brown - Former DEA agent - The drug scene today

05/05/22 • 40 min

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The Addiction Podcast-Point of No Return

After College, Michael Brown was assigned to the DEA Detroit, Michigan Field Division Office. Director participated in several high-profile narcotics investigations and later volunteered for the first DEA Detroit Field Office Mobile Enforcement Team as the primary undercover agent and liaison officer with local and state law enforcement agencies.

Director Brown (1991-1996) after successfully graduating from the Ranger Training Battalion was accepted into the DOJ- DEA’s special operations program, Operation Snowcap, serving four tours of duty in Central and South America.

During Director Brown's assignment he worked closely with Bolivian Counterdrug Special Forces units and was responsible for managing combat assault operations targeting clandestine narcotics manufacturing laboratories, clandestine air strips, illicit precursor chemical storage locations, locating fugitives and the development of counter-drug intelligence.

During additional assignments in Pakistan, Director Brown worked in conjunction with the British Serious Organized Crime Agency and the British Special Air Service (SAS) Units pertaining joint counter-drug operations with the Pakistani Anti-Narcotics Special Investigative Intelligence Unit based in Quetta, Pakistan. Director Brown managed all joint undercover operations with Pakistan counterdrug units and developed operational field training programs.

During 1999-2000, Director Brown volunteered for a six-month Tour-of-Duty to Port-a-Prince, Haiti, acting as the principal training officer for the Haitian Counterdrug Maritime Unit. In 2004, Director Brown was transferred to the DEA Houston Field Division, where he was responsible for managing DEA investigations, participating in undercover street operations, and coordinating enforcement actions with other Federal/State law enforcement agencies.

During 2019 to 2021 Director Brown was transferred to the DEA headquarters in Washington D.C. Director Brown was assigned as Staff Coordinator for the DEA Office of Foreign Operations (OFE) for Middle East-Europe-Afghanistan-India.

During June 1, 2021, Director Brown, retired after 32 years as a special agent for DEA and started his new position with Rigaku Analytical Devices as the Director of Counter-Narcotics Interdiction Partnerships. Rigaku is the leader in the development of specialized counter-narcotics analyzers for the identification of unknown substances. In this new role, Director Brown is responsible for designing and implementing strategic planning to enhance the ability of law enforcement agencies using advanced technology to identify and mitigate the threat posed by Transnational Organized Criminal groups and their proxies related to trafficking in dangerous narcotics and illicit precursor chemicals. Director Brown’s vision incorporates the use of advanced law enforcement technology as a critical tool in combating the evolution of Transnational Organized Crime groups as they progress in the development of new precursor and pre-precursor chemicals essential to clandestine drug production and international drug distribution.

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Nadia Davis - Finding the Home Within after Addiction

Nadia Davis is the recipient of multiple state and national public service awards and has been a public figure in California for over two decades. As a young high-profile lawyer, Nadia served on the school board and represented the wrongfully convicted. She then led local and state efforts to improve collaboration of services for victims of interpersonal violence and was elected as county supervisor. She is the former long-time spouse of Bill Lockyer, California’s former Attorney General and Treasurer, with whom she now happily co-parents. Her experience with PTSD and addiction in the trenches of a highly publicized abusive relationship led Davis through the challenges of public shaming, injustice, arrests, mandated treatment, and a total lack of privacy for personal issues.

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Lea Lauks - Living with an Alcoholic Spouse - Finding the Light

I'm Lea, a speech-language pathologist, mother, wife and teletherapy content developer. After two years of recovery and sobriety, I took the deep dive to write the book I needed to hear while I was neck deep in the darkness and despair of my husband's active addiction. I needed to hear the true story of someone who overcame incredible odds and came out better, stronger, and happier from their struggles. I never found the book I needed so I had no choice but to write it myself. With the help of copious amounts of coffee, my Al-Anon group, friends, and family, a fantastic editor and a graphic designer, I made my dream into print, audibook and e-reader form. But honestly I wanted to give up. I only stuck with it because I wanted to tell my story with the hope that someone would feel less alone. Feeling alone is the absolute worst feeling.

I love to write and spend my time editing a state park newsletter (save the red bellied turtles!), teaching literacy to kindergarteners as a volunteer in my son's classroom, developing teletherapy content for use with children with special needs, and posting on social media about recovery and checking on my senior neighbors.