Jon C. DeLena currently serves as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Manchester District Office, overseeing DEA operations in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. Mr. DeLena is in his 25th year of Law Enforcement.
In his role as DEA’s ASAC in Northern New England, Mr. DeLena was instrumental in initiating several vital programs to combat the opioid epidemic, including the STAMP OUT FENTANYL/HEROIN initiative, organization of the Manchester Fentanyl/Heroin Initiative Strike Force and coordination of the First Responder Overdose Death Training. Mr. DeLena was also critical in the area of fentanyl awareness efforts for law enforcement. Mr. DeLena has made numerous public appearances on behalf of DEA, speaking on the topic of opioids and law enforcement efforts. Mr. DeLena has oversight of the DEA 360 Manchester Program which is a crucial effort to reduce the harm of opioids in the Manchester, NH region. Mr. DeLena organized the largest ever, Youth Summit on Opioids which was attended by over 8,500 New Hampshire students and live streamed to over 35,000 people across the country. The Attorney General of the United States, Jeff Sessions attended and called the event the “beginning of a National movement”.
Prior to this assignment, Mr. DeLena served as the Executive Assistant to the DEA’s Chief of Operations, in Washington, DC. In Mr. DeLena’s role as the Executive Assistant, he was responsible for assisting the Chief of Operations with daily DEA-wide operational issues. In this capacity, he conducted briefings, met with working groups and participated in meetings involving multifaceted matters under the global authority of the Chief of Operations.
Before becoming the Executive Assistant for the Chief of Operations, Mr. DeLena held the same position for the Deputy Chief of Operations focusing on DEA’s role with the Department of Defense and the Inter-Agency. Specifically, Mr. DeLena worked on matters relating to DEA’s Drug Flow Attack Strategy; Foreign deployed Advisory/Support Teams and Personnel Recovery; all military and inter-agency liaison personnel; Strategic Planning and Support, Sensitive Investigative Units and the International Drug Enforcement Conference.
Additional positions which Mr. DeLena has held include DEA Section Chief for DEA HQS Strategic Planning & Support Section; DEA Liaison to the Narcotics and Transnational Crime Support Center while assigned to DEA HQS, Staff Coordinator in the Strategic Planning & Support Section; DEA Group Supervisor in both Miami and West Palm Beach; Special Agent in both the Fort Lauderdale District Office and Glenwood Springs, Colorado Resident Office.
A native Bostonian, Mr. DeLena grew up in Revere, Massachusetts. Mr. DeLena graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Sciences, Sociology from the University of South Florida before working as a Deputy Sheriff and Detective in Collier County, Florida prior to beginning his career with DEA.
Jon joins The CopDoc Podcast on August 9th, 2021.