For 20 years, Brian Shanahan worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under the United States Department of Justice. Initially joining the organization as a case agent after completing his training at the DEA Academy, he worked his way up the organization and became a back-up group supervisor for the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and eventually, a supervisory special agent. Up until his retirement in 2018, Brian Shanahan was responsible for a range of responsibilities at the DEA, including conducting joint investigations with international and local law enforcement agencies, overseeing over 10 special agents involved in drug trafficking and money laundering investigations, and providing guidance on funding and other issues.
In 2016, Mr. Shanahan participated in the Third Counter-Narcotics Technical Exchange between Cuba and the United States, which included delegations from the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of State, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations. It was at this meeting that a Counter-Narcotics Arrangement was signed, which facilitated cooperation and information sharing between the U.S. and Cuba to aid both countries’ efforts in ending illegal narcotics trafficking and advancing public security and safety.