9NEWS.com | Denver | Colorado's Online News Leader | DEA special agent leaving Denver

DENVER - The man in charge of fighting drug cartels, medical marijuana and drug dealers in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Montana is taking his battle to the East Coast.


Jeff Sweetin, the special agent in charge (SAC) of the DEA's Denver field division, has been promoted to head the international training center in Quantico, Virginia. While he is ready to take on a new challenge after eight years in Colorado, Sweetin says he will really miss Colorado.

"Absolutely the best years of my life; best law enforcement that I've ever worked with," Sweetin said. "I'll always think of myself as a Coloradan even though I wasn't born here."

Sweetin may be best known for his mini war with medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado after the DEA raided a Highlands Ranch grow home and dispensaries in Denver and Colorado Springs. The raids prompted death threats against Sweetin and his wife. He says he has no regrets for what he did. Instead, he only regrets that the issue was never fully and fairly debated in public.

"This has stayed at such an emotional level that we have not been able to debate that and I think this state's worse off for it. I think voters have lost because of it, I think the people I leave behind, and I'm leaving two grown sons here, I think they're worse off because we weren't able to have that debate," Sweetin said.

During his time here, Sweetin has focused on cracking down on the Mexican cartel and the dope and cocaine that's carried into the area. He says that will remain a focus for his successor as well as the growing problem of abuse of pharmaceutical drugs.

The DEA has arrested several members of the drug cartels and extradited them in the last few years. And no agents were killed in the process, Sweetin said.

"I'm proud that we haven't lost anyone in the line of duty since I've been here and that's something to celebrate. Most of that credit goes to the people who work for me. But that's something that I'm taking with me. Is that people have gone home at night," he said.

A successor to Sweetin has not been named. The special agent in charge of training in Quantico resigned, so Sweeney expects to go there within the next couple week to begin work.

-->let's hope for a replacement that realizes they are in Colorado
copobo Reviewed by copobo on . DEA special agent Jeff Sweetin leaving Colorado 9NEWS.com | Denver | Colorado's Online News Leader | DEA special agent leaving Denver DENVER - The man in charge of fighting drug cartels, medical marijuana and drug dealers in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Montana is taking his battle to the East Coast. Jeff Sweetin, the special agent in charge (SAC) of the DEA's Denver field division, has been promoted to head the international training center in Quantico, Virginia. While he is ready to take on a new challenge after eight years in Rating: 5