Don York
Donald York, RAC
Drug Enforcement Administration (Retired)
Career Highlights
- Nominated for “Rookie of the Year” - Houston Police Department -1992
- Accident/Reconstruction/ DRE
- International Narcotics Officer Association Award -2001
- DEA Administrator award – 2004/2007/2010
- National OCDETF Award – 2007
- US Attorney’s Office NDTX -Successful OCDETF case – 2010
- US Attorney “Operation Crushed Ice – 2017
- US Attorney’s Office EDTX “Golden Eagle” award -2015
- Promoted to RAC, Waco, Texas
Don York began his career in law enforcement while attending college at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, as a dispatcher with the University Police Department. Don graduated and relocated back to his hometown of Houston, Texas. Don joined the Houston Police Department and served in the Patrol Division, Traffic/Accident Division and DWI Task Force. While there, Don gained extensive in-service training and certifications and courtroom experience. Don was recognized numerous times by the Judiciary in Harris County, Texas.
Searching for career enhancement, Don was accepted to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and graduated from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. As a Special Agent, Don began his career in the Dallas Field Division, Dallas, Texas. Don quickly became adept at conducting Title III wiretap investigations while serving at the newly formed North Texas HIDTA. Don continued to improve his wiretap skills and has since authored over 150 Title III Federal wiretap affidavits.
While as a Special Agent in Dallas, following leads and conspirators, Don travelled and assisted agents in Panama, Monterrey, Mexico, and Bogota, Colombia on numerous occasions. Don has assisted the Bogota, Colombia, DEA office in a “Kingpin” statute investigation, which numerous Colombian drug traffickers were prosecuted and extradited to Plano, Texas in the Eastern District of Texas for prosecution.
In 2015, Don was promoted to Group Supervisor and transferred to Greensboro, N.C. There, Don was in charge of a high performing group, where he promoted his wire tap skills to his group. The group began doing State supported wiretaps and two Federal wiretaps, which were extremely successful. One such wiretap intercept yielded a seizure of $1.1 million dollars in US Currency. While in Greensboro, the area experienced a spike in Heroin/Fentanyl overdoses which resulted in hundreds of deaths. Don and his management team consulted with State and Federal prosecutors and developed a “Best Practices” policy for first responders to assist investigators and agents in prosecuting Heroin dealers.
In 2017, Don was promoted again and returned to Texas, as a Resident Agent in Charge (RAC). Don was stationed in Waco, Texas, and supervised a team of State and Local officers and five DEA agents. Don retired in December 2020 from the DEA and resides on a small ranch in the Waco, Texas area. Having a passion for teaching his acquired skills and promoting a team concept, Don is excited to continue his law enforcement career by being an instructor for PLET.