1st woman to lead Chicago DEA field office vows to take on cartels, fentanyl crisis

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The highest-ranking federal drug officer in town is making history as the first woman to hold the title. She's vowing to make a difference as fentanyl deaths spiral out of control and drug cartels continue brisk business in the Chicago area.

Sheila Lyons is in the process of hanging up mementos and keepsakes from her 31-year career in the Drug Enforcement Administration as she moves into the big corner office. Lyons has just been named the first woman Special Agent-in-Charge of Chicago's field office.

"What it really means to me is women can really do anything they can set their minds to," Lyons said. "This wasn't how I planned the trajectory of my career."

A Chicago native and Bradley University graduate, Lyons planned to become a lawyer, but law school was too expensive. A college career day led her to apply to government agencies the DEA called and Lyons found her calling.

"Here I am almost 31 years later, honored to be able to lead a division I started out in all those years ago as an intelligence analyst," Lyons said.

Lyons has worked her way up, spending time as an agent in different cities and countries before making her way back to her hometown. Often, she was the only woman in the office. Lyons takes over during what she says is the most challenging time for the DEA: the fentanyl crisis.

"This is the worst drug crisis I've ever seen in my entire career," she said.

Opioids are the leading cause of death for 18 to 45-year-olds. Lyons said the administration's number one goal is to defeat and destroy the cartels bringing the drug into the United States.

"They are the two cartels that are driving the fentanyl overdose deaths poisoning in the U.S. today and both of those cartels are alive and well and present and active in the city of Chicago," Lyons said.

Lyons' second goal is education. Because the cartels are lacing fentanyl in other drugs and pressing it into fake pills, the DEA has launched a "One Pill Can Kill" campaign.

Lyons said people are dying at catastrophic rates by taking just one pill. Lyons admits the crisis is a huge challenge, but, she is ready.

"I feel like it's an overwhelming challenge, but I'm a type of person that will refuse to give up that there is hope," Lyons said.

The DEA's mandatory retirement age is 57 years old. At 53, Lyons said she plans to stay on the job as long as she is effective.