Mr. Paul Knierim began his career with DEA in 1991 as a Special Agent in the Denver Field Division. Since then, he has served with distinction in both foreign and domestic DEA offices, including Quito, Ecuador; San Jose, Costa Rica; Mexico City, Mexico; Miami, Florida; and Dallas, Texas.

In July 2015, Mr. Knierim was appointed Deputy Chief of Operations, Office of Special Projects, and was later named Deputy Chief of Operations, Office of Global Enforcement in March 2017. Mr. Knierim served as Acting Chief of Operations from January 2019 until May 2019. Mr. Knierim was appointed Assistant Administrator, Chief of Intelligence in June 2019. In this role, he was the Principal Advisor to the DEA Administrator on all matters pertaining to the formulation, direction, coordination, and management of DEA’s worldwide drug intelligence program.

Mr. Knierim retired from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in December 2021, having served for more than 30 years.

Mr. Knierim graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with a certificate in criminology and corrections. He has received numerous awards and commendations.