Acting DEA chief stepping down
Chuck Rosenberg, the acting chief of the Drug Enforcement Administration, will step down on Oct. 1, CBS News' Paula Reid reports.
The circumstances of Rosenberg's departure are unclear. Rosenberg, who became acting DEA head in 2015 under then-President Obama, has been critical of President Trump at times. In August, Rosenberg sent a memo to DEA staff, repudiating comments Mr. Trump made at a law enforcement conference telling police to not be "too nice" with suspects, especially suspects of gang-related crimes.
"The president, in remarks delivered yesterday in New York, condoned police misconduct regarding the treatment of individuals placed under arrest by law enforcement," Rosenberg said in the August memo. "In writing to you, I seek to advance no political, partisan, or personal agenda. Nor do I believe that a Special Agent or Task Force Officer of the DEA would mistreat a defendant. I know that you would not."
Rosenberg has served as DEA head at a time when Attorney General Jeff Sessions has ramped up the war on drugs and taken a tougher stance than the Obama administration employed.
Rosenberg has been vocal about how he fears the opioid epidemic is ravaging American communities and families.
"It scares the hell out of me," he told "CBS This Morning" in March.
It's unclear who will replace Rosenberg.
This is a developing story.
