[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18589]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF MR. ANTHONY P. PLACIDO ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 
                               RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 1, 2010

  Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, today I pay tribute to Mr. Anthony P. 
Placido on his retirement from public service at the end of this month 
after more than 30 distinguished years in law enforcement.
  Mr. Placido began his law enforcement career with the U.S. Customs 
Service, but he later joined the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration 
and quickly rose through the ranks, using his foreign affairs 
experience and leadership skills to manage counter-narcotics efforts 
both in domestic and foreign posts. In his time with DEA, he acted, 
among other things, as a Team Leader for the Tactical Intelligence Unit 
in Peru, a Senior Inspector with the Office of Professional 
Responsibility, and a Country Attache for Bolivia.
  In his two years as the Regional Director for the Mexico-Central 
America Division, supervising and coordinating DEA operations across 
eight countries, Mr. Placido was credited with dismantling and 
disrupting several major drug trafficking cartels. His success earned 
him an appointment to serve as the Special Agent in Charge of DEA's New 
York Field Office, where he established the first Organized Crime Drug 
Enforcement Strike Force in the nation.
  Mr. Placido's focus on multi-agency joint missions made him the right 
person to serve as the founding Director of the Organized Crime Drug 
Enforcement Fusion Center, where he continued to emphasize the 
necessity of interagency cooperation and information sharing in the 
fight against transnational criminal organizations.
  As Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 
I have had the opportunity most recently to work closely with Mr. 
Placido in his current role as Chief of Intelligence for the DEA. 
During this time, I have come to appreciate his professionalism, 
expertise, and candor, as well as his work to cultivate extensive 
relationships and collaborative partnerships with other elements of the 
intelligence and law enforcement communities.
  In particular, Mr. Placido has dedicated himself to promoting the El 
Paso Information Center (EPIC) as a frontline resource for law 
enforcement organizations. He has been an enthusiastic advocate for 
bringing the wide ranging expertise of federal, state, local, and 
tribal law enforcement officers to bear in a variety of crucial 
national missions, from counternarcotics operations to counterterrorism 
investigations. Under his leadership, EPIC has become a world class 
clearinghouse for tracking, investigating, and disrupting international 
drug operations.
  Over the course of his career, Mr. Placido has seen the DEA's mission 
evolve and expand. It is truly a testament to his integrity and 
dedication that he has met the challenges of an increasingly complex 
set of national security threats, without losing sight of the needs of 
the officers patrolling our streets.
  The Nation is better and safer as a result of Mr. Placido's service. 
For that, I pay tribute to him.

                          ____________________