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Fifty years ago on Aug. 5, the roof collapsed on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) downtown Miami office killing seven and injuring 15 DEA employees. DEA Miami Field Division hosted current and former employees to reflect on that tragic event and honor those who lost their lives.
The collapse was partial, and when it was over more than six tons of rubble covered the area. According to news articles following the tragic event, DEA agents from around the country were called to Miami to dig through the debris in search of survivors.
For retired DEA Agent Jack Swift, who made the trek from Stuart, Fla., it was emotional. He reconnected with agents he knew back in the 70s. As the presentation wound down, the moderator invited the retired agents to make remarks and share memories of that fateful day.
Swift said he walked into the building Aug. 5, 1974, at around 9 a.m. He intended to go to the front of the building to check on someone he knew but got delayed speaking with a couple of group assistants. That delay likely saved his life as at 10:22 a.m. the front of the building collapsed.
“Get out of the building, get out of the building! It’s falling apart! It’s falling apart!” Swift heard a receptionist scream. “We all went out of the emergency exit, ran around the building and it was just mass chaos. Everybody who was in the building and had made it out didn’t know what to do. Absolutely did not know what to do. It was a very, very trying day. They’re lucky they had a task force set up on Biscayne Boulevard because the building was gone. There was no communication whatsoever.”
DEA personnel from around the U.S. worked tirelessly so Miami agents could continue to work the streets and make drug busts. Swift said it was important to keep making busts to give the media something positive to report about the Miami division.
“The overriding theme was DEA is down, but they are not out,” said Swift.
It took a selfless group effort and an indominable spirit to get through this tragedy.
“I got here about noon that morning and it was a mess,” said Retired DEA Agent Chuck Dodge. “It was awful. Everyone was in a stupor. But we kept pushing forward.”
For Swift, there was no getting away as he was staying in an adjacent hotel that looked directly onto the rubble.
“I woke up every morning for a month looking at the building,” said Swift. “It was just terrible.”
DEA Miami Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter spoke at the event and realized its impact.
“Seeing these retired agents and the camaraderie they share was inspiring,” said Reuter. “They spoke of that day and I got the sense that a weight was lifted. It was special to be a part of.”
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