A former high-ranking US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent has been arrested and charged with conspiring to launder millions of pounds for one of Mexico's most violent drug cartels.
From Enforcer to Alleged Accomplice
Paul Campo, 61, who served with the DEA for nearly 25 years, and his associate Robert Sensi were arrested in New York on Thursday. They stand accused of narcoterrorism, terrorism, narcotics distribution, and money laundering. The central allegation is that they agreed to launder at least $12 million (£9 million) for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
According to a public indictment, the pair were ensnared by an undercover law enforcement source posing as a cartel member. During a meeting at a New York restaurant in March, they allegedly discussed methods to move illicit funds from the US to Mexico, including property investments and smuggling bulk cash.
Campo, who once led the DEA's Office of Financial Operations, is said to have boasted of helping clients "get their money back" and even flashed his old DEA badge to the undercover agent. After leaving the agency in 2016, he founded a firm called Global Financial Consultants.
A Cartel Designated as Terrorists
The alleged beneficiary of the scheme, the CJNG, is described as exceptionally brutal. It is linked to an estimated 80% of all cartel-related deaths in Mexico over the past decade. Earlier this year, the US State Department formally designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organisation.
The indictment claims Campo and Sensi converted cartel money into cryptocurrency to facilitate the purchase of 220kg of cocaine. Their expertise was allegedly offered to help traffic this cocaine within New York City itself.
Betrayal of the Badge
US authorities have expressed profound condemnation, framing the case as a deep betrayal of public trust. "By participating in this scheme, Campo betrayed the mission he was entrusted with pursuing for his 25-year career with the DEA," stated US Attorney Jay Clayton.
DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole emphasised a policy of zero tolerance, stating: "The indictment of former Special Agent Paul Campo sends a powerful message: those who betray the public trust—past or present—will be held to account to the fullest extent of the law." He added that while the alleged crimes occurred after Campo left the agency, such actions "dishonour the men and women who serve with integrity."
The case highlights the sophisticated methods cartels use to launder money and the ongoing challenge of corruption, even from within the ranks of those once tasked with combating the drug trade.
