President-elect Donald Trump announced that he will appoint Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said Chronister — who has served the Tampa, Florida, area for more than 32 years — will work with his top attorney. Pam BondiTo help secure the US-Mexico border.
DEA administrator is a Senate-confirmed position.
“As DEA Administrator, Chad will work with our great Attorney General Pam Bondi to secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl and other illegal drugs across the Southern border, and SAVE LIVES,” Trump wrote.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister
Hillsborough County Sheriff
Chronister was appointed to lead the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office by then-Florida Governor Rick Scott in 2017 and has been elected twice by voters.
He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice from San Leo University and is a graduate of the 260th session of the FBI National Academy.
Chronister is married to Nikki DeBartolo and has two sons.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody took over X on Saturday to congratulate Chronister on her appointment and to praise her experience fighting on the “front lines” of the opioid crisis.
“Chad has fought on the front lines of the opioid crisis, and I know his leadership and decades of experience will be invaluable as we work to combat the flow of fentanyl from Mexico into our county,” Moody wrote.
