A former high-level Drug Enforcement Agency agent was indicted on federal prices of conspiring to traffic drugs and launder millions of dollars for a Mexican cartel.
Paul Campo, who was a DEA agent for practically 25 years, and his affiliate Robert Sensi, are accused in a new indictment unsealed Friday of changing money into cryptocurrency to purchase 220 kilograms of cocaine, price $5 million, and launder $750,000 in proceeds from drug gross sales for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG. The State Department designated CJNG as a overseas terrorist group earlier this 12 months.
Prosecutors within the Southern District of New York allege the lads agreed to launder a minimum of $12 million for the cartel.
NCS has tried to attain Campo, who doesn’t have a lawyer recognized in courtroom information, for remark.
Authorities allege he and Sensi met with a confidential supply working on the path of US regulation enforcement posing as a member of the cartel. During a assembly in March at a restaurant in New York, in accordance to the indictment, the lads mentioned how to transfer cash from the US to Mexico, together with by investing in actual property and smuggling money in bulk.
Campo allegedly advised the federal government supply that he had different initiatives the place he helped purchasers “get their money back,” in accordance to the indictment. Campo allegedly flashed his DEA badge to the confidential supply within the assembly, telling him he retired from the DEA years in the past.
Campo rose to deputy chief of the DEA’s Office of Financial Operations, placing him in cost of the company’s cash laundering operations, in accordance to his bio at Global Financial Consultants, a firm he based after leaving the company. He retired from the DEA in 2016. A name and e-mail to the corporate was not instantly returned Friday. Sensi couldn’t instantly be reached.
Prosecutors allege Campo and others agreed at a assembly in Tampa, Florida, in March to launder up to $12 million in drug trafficking proceeds. They agreed to begin small with an preliminary transaction of $200,000, in accordance to the indictment. After the primary drop in Charlotte, North Carolina, the confidential supply mentioned to Sensi, “Welcome to the fucking cartel,” in accordance to the indictment.
By October, authorities allege, the confidential supply approached the lads about taking part in a drug deal. He directed Sensi to ship over $200,000 in cryptocurrency to the vendor for 220 kilograms of cocaine. The government-directed confidential supply mentioned he would promote the drugs for $5 million and give Campo and Sensi a 30% minimize.
Campo and others despatched greater than $200,000 in cryptocurrency to a pockets they believed was managed by the vendor, however was actually managed by the Internal Revenue Service. The confidential supply confirmed receipt, in accordance to the indictment, and despatched an encrypted message to Campo and Sensi saying, “Wow brothers!! Taking possession of the product NOW!!!.”
Campo and Sensi have been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to present materials assist to CJNG, and cash laundering conspiracy.