Former DEA Agent Indicted for Laundering Millions for Mexican Cartel

NEW​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ YORK — A former top-tier agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and a partner have been indicted by the federal authorities for conspiring to launder millions of dollars and buying military-grade firearms and explosives for a Mexican drug cartel made the announcement on Friday.

After a 25-year career, Paul Campo, 61, of Oakton, Virginia, who retired from the DEA in 2016, and Robert Sensi, 75, of Boca Raton, Florida, were arrested following an undercover sting involving an informant, who was posing as a Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) member. The cartel that the U.S. government has labeled a foreign terrorist organization since February, has been the cause of the violent storm and drug trade both in Mexico and the United States.

The U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton condemned Campo's behaviors by saying that the ex-agent not only betrayed his oath but also gave a helping hand to the cartel, which he referred to as a "source of numerous deaths by violence and drug trafficking both in the United States and Mexico." On Friday, both the defendants appeared before a New York federal court where the magistrate judge ordered their detention without bail. The defense lawyers entered the not guilty pleas on their behalf.

Prosecutors allege that in the past one year, Campo and Sensi have agreed to the laundering of more or less $12 million worth of drug proceeds for the cartel and have laundered about $750,000 through cryptocurrency, thinking that the money was going to the cartel whereas it was eventually handed over to the U.S. government. The indictment also mentions that they arranged for the payment of approximately 220 kilograms of cocaine with the expectation of a share of the $5 million sale in the U.S.

Moreover, the duo reportedly talked about assembling a wide range of sophisticated weapons, among which were present commercial drones, AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, M4 carbines, grenade launchers, and rocket-propelled grenades, for the cartel use, as per the court documents.

During interactions with the informant, Campo "praised" his police credentials and even offered to be the cartel's "strategist," the officials mentioned. His DEA journey started in New York, where he was eventually promoted to deputy chief of financial operations.

There is evidence from the court that supports the claims, including many hours of wiretapped conversations, cell phone location data, emails, and photos from surveillance, Assistant US Attorney Varun Gumaste stated to the press.

Sensi's lawyer Amanda Kramer, in challenging the detention order, maintained that her client should be allowed trial preparation time outside of custody due to his health condition, citing an injury resulting from a recent fall, early dementia, and Type II diabetes.

According to the information, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Sensi was convicted of mail fraud, defrauding the government, and stealing $2.5 million (by the way, the source of the quote is Varun Gumaste). There is also proof that Sensi was part of a plot to buy military-grade helicopters for the Middle East.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole remarked about the issue with a heavy heart and said if anything, although Campo is no longer with the agency, such behavior tarnishes the public's confidence in her. In recent years, the DEA has been putting under the microscope because of agents who have been indicted for various types of misconduct such as child pornography, drug trafficking, leaking intelligence, and firearms sales to cartel associates.

As a countermeasure, the agency put in place stricter controls from 2021 onwards on how money is spent in money laundering operations and also started enforcing more stringent discipline rules, such as immediate dismissal for serious misconduct in the first instance.

On top of that, there are other accusations made against the pair, which include, but not limited to, four counts of conspiracy related to narcoterrorism, terrorism, narcotics distribution, and money laundering. Moreover, the issues behind this scandal that surround corruption and misbehaviors within federal law enforcement agencies, are being overemphasized by this case. It also, once again, highlights how organized crime groups like CJNG still pose a significant threat.

While the court process goes on, the police are not dropping their guard against the risks from drug cartels and as a result of that, the infiltrating of law enforcement ranks. ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌