Joe Arpaio is an American politician and former law enforcement officer, best known for serving as the 36th sheriff of Maricopa County in the U.S. state of Arizona. He was elected for six terms, from 1993 to 2017, making him the longest-serving elected sheriff in the history of Maricopa County. With over 55 years of experience as a law enforcement officer, Arpaio's achievements have earned him the title of "the toughest sheriff in America" from the media. He served in the U.S. army during the Korean War. After being discharged, he began his career in the police force. He then served the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics for more than 26 years. During his DEA special-agent tenure, Arpaio was posted in Istanbul, Turkey, Mexico City, the Middle East, Central America, and South America. After being elected as the sheriff, Arpaio established several unique programs for his county. His enforcement methods reduced crimes in the state. At the same time, his office solved several high-profile murder cases, tracked drug trafficking, tackled controversial investigations regarding corrupt government officials, and fought against illegal immigration. However, Arpaio has earned his share of criticism, too, for conducting shoddy investigations in several critical cases, especially in cases related to sexual abuse. His office was also accused of racial profiling. Arpaio lost the re-election to Democrat Paul Penzone in 2016.