DEA Honors Fallen Officers and Opens 9/11 Museum Exhibit Marking 25 Years Since Attacks

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently held a ceremony at its headquarters to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The event honored individuals who lost their lives on that day, as well as those who succumbed to 9/11-related illnesses stemming from their service. The commemoration also coincided with the opening of a special, limited-run exhibit at the DEA Museum titled “Never Forget: 25 Years After 9/11.” This exhibit features artifacts from the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the crash site of United Flight 93.

At the ceremony, DEA Administrator Terry Cole added two New York Drug Enforcement Task Force Officers to the agency’s 9/11 memorial: New York State Police Investigator Anthony B. Ashe, who passed away on November 4, 2024, and New York City Police Department Detective James J. Motto, who died on January 12, 2025. The DEA memorial, established in 2022, already bears the names of seven other officers from the New York Drug Task Force who died from illnesses related to their work at Ground Zero. These include Senior Investigator Thomas G. Moran, Jr., Detective Traci L. Tack-Czajkowski, Investigator Paul R. Stuewer, Detective Mark Mkwanazi, Detective Thomas J. Barnitt, Sergeant Robert P. Masci, and Detective Terence P. Mulvey, with their passing dates ranging from 2012 to 2021. The memorial serves as a lasting tribute to the sacrifices made by these individuals and a reminder that the impact of 9/11 continued long after the immediate aftermath for many first responders.

The “Never Forget” initiative represents the DEA’s commitment to preserving the memory of those lost in the line of duty and acknowledging the courage and sacrifice displayed in the critical period following the attacks and in the years that followed. Following the 9/11 attacks, the DEA leveraged its unique authorities and expertise to combat the intersection of drug trafficking and terrorist financing. This led to the establishment of the Foreign-deployed Advisory Support Team (FAST) program, which deployed specialized DEA agents to work alongside U.S. Special Operations Command and NATO forces in Afghanistan. These FAST teams, in collaboration with the DEA Kabul Country Office, were instrumental in identifying and targeting major drug traffickers, disrupting the opium and heroin trade, and dismantling financial networks that supported terrorist organizations linked to the 9/11 attacks. Several members of the current DEA leadership, including Administrator Cole, served with FAST/KCO during this mission, and artifacts from this period are part of the museum exhibit.

The newly opened “Never Forget: 25 Years After 9/11” exhibit provides a comprehensive look at the events and the DEA’s response. For the first time, the museum is displaying artifacts connected to all three attack sites: the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the United Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Visitors can view powerful images, firsthand accounts, and rarely seen items, such as rubble from the Pentagon, metal recovered from the World Trade Center, and objects from the Flight 93 crash site. The exhibit also includes testimonies from retired DEA personnel who were present at DEA Headquarters during the attack on the Pentagon. The exhibit details the DEA’s multifaceted response, including assistance provided at the Pentagon and Ground Zero, the crucial role of the Aviation Division in transporting blood supplies and conducting aerial surveys of Ground Zero, and the voluntary service of over 1,000 DEA Special Agents who were temporarily assigned as Federal Air Marshals. The “Never Forget: 25 Years After 9/11” exhibit will be accessible to the public until October 3, 2026. The DEA Museum and Visitors Center is located at 700 Army Navy Drive in Arlington, Virginia, and admission is free. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additional information can be found at museum.dea.gov.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration press release.

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