Helicopter delivers anti drug message to middle schools

The Texas National Guard Counter Drug Task Force and DEA visited Dripping Springs Middle School and Sycamore Springs Middle School with an anti-drug message.

DEA agents Todd Davis and Mario Sotelo arrived at both middle schools in dramatic fashion: in a Lakota LUH-72 Texas National Guard Helicopter, as students looked on. After landing, the students were hurried back indoors into their respective gyms and heard agents Davis and Sotelo speak to them about the consequences of recreational and illegal drugs.

“I know some of you have already experimented with drugs in some fashion, maybe pot or something else,” Davis told the DSMS students. “But there are consequences to bad choices in your life, and these are bad choices. It’s better to never start, or to stop now.”

After making their first stop at DSMS, the Lakota took off and landed a few minutes later at SSMS where they were met by Colonel Miguel Torres of the Texas National Guard who joined them for their anti-drug presentation to the student body. “I think these programs are very good,” Colonel Torres said. “They capture the attention of our young people and increase the chance of the message being heard.”

At each stop, during their talk, Davis and Sotelo ask children to take a pledge to be drug free.

The helicopter visit was part of anti-drug efforts being done during the month of October’s Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, drug, and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually. It began as a tribute to DEA special agent Enrique (Kiki) Camerena who was slain by Mexican Cartels in 1985.

“In one of his last letters to his mother, Kiki told his mother that while he knew he was placing his life in danger, if he could save one kid from drug addiction, then it was worth it,” DEA agent Davis told students.