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Louis Palombella is a retired Section Chief / Special Agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), after having served as a federal agent for 21 years in Detroit, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois and Washington D.C. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Louis Palombella comes to IST with 32 years of law enforcement experience in operations, supervision, management, technical operations strategy, and leadership. Lou has served as a Section Chief, Group Supervisor and Special Agent during his 21 years with the DEA. Prior to his service with the DEA, Lou worked as a Detective and police officer with the Roselle, Illinois Police Department. Lou received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984 from Lewis University.

While working as a special agent in the Detroit Field Division from 1987 to 1990, Lou served as the case agent and coordinated and led the then, largest cocaine conspiracy case in Michigan history. Lou has received numerous awards and commendations for his work in this case and other DEA matters.

Promoted to Group Supervisor in 1996, Lou supervised the Technical Operations Groups in Chicago and later, the Airport Interdiction Group. In 2000, Lou was transferred to DEA Headquarters / Office of Investigative Technology where he served as the Unit Chief of Technical Training Programs and Program Coordinator for Audio Surveillance devices and research. Lou was transferred to Chicago in late 2003, were he served as the Group Supervisor for the “street money laundering group”, the SSU Group Supervisor, and DEA Regional Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Coordinator, before being promoted to Section Chief and returning to DEA Headquarters.

In his most recent and final position with the DEA, Lou served as Section Chief of the DEA’s Office of Investigative Technology. Lou was responsible for all aspects of DEA’s radio communications systems, oversight of the polygraph program, and technical training programs for DEA special agent and support personnel, both domestically and internationally.