Ex-senior DEA agent charged with conspiring to traffic drugs, launder millions for Mexican cartel

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - A former senior agent of Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the US has been indicted on federal charges of helping a Mexican cartel traffic drugs and launder millions of dollars.

Paul Campo, a nearly 25-year DEA veteran, and his associate Robert Sensi were accused in a Friday indictment of converting cash to cryptocurrency to purchase 220 kilograms of cocaine worth $5 million and laundering $750,000 in drug proceeds for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the prosecutors said in a statement.

The Department of State designated CJNG a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.

Campo pleaded not guilty and was taken into custody. The prosecutors say Campo and Sensi two men agreed to launder at least $12 million for the cartel.

In late 2024, Sensi began meeting with a law-enforcement confidential source posing as a CJNG member and said he had a friend who used to be in charge of DEA’s financial operations who could help launder cartel profits and share sensitive information, the authorities claimed.

"After these initial meetings, CAMPO and SENSI together met with CS-1 on several occasions.

"During these conversations, CAMPO and SENSI agreed to launder money for CS‑1 by, among other things, converting cash into cryptocurrency and making investments in real estate," they added.