The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is the United States Department of Justice federal law enforcement agency assigned with fighting the illegal drug trade. Max Payne leaves NYPD and starts working for the DEA after his family gets slaughtered by what at the time appeared to be Valkyr junkies. Payne becomes an undercover agent and infiltrates the Punchinello crime family which was long suspected of trafficking Valkyr. During this period, Payne's only contacts in the agency were his close friend Alex Balder and B.B.