There is no greater betrayal than one who, after being placed in a position of great trust by the people of the United States, betrays that trust for personal gain.
Case in point: A retired Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent has been arrested on accusations of having laundered millions in drug money for a notorious Mexican cartel.
A former longtime Drug Enforcement Administration agent who rose to help oversee the agency’s financial operations has been charged with agreeing to launder millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds for a Mexican drug cartel, according to an indictment unsealed on Friday in Federal District Court in Manhattan.
The former agent, Paul Campo, worked for the agency for about 25 years, the indictment said, first as a special agent in New York and eventually rising to become a high-level D.E.A. official — the deputy chief of the office of financial operations. He retired in January 2016 and now runs a private consulting business, according to the indictment.
It would appear that Mr. Campo was not a field agent; deputy chief of financial operations seems like a comfortable desk job. It may well give one the tools and knowledge to act as a money-launderer for the very cartels that he was tasked with helping to destroy.
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Campo stands accused of moving a lot of money, reportedly for the Mexican Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Mr. Campo laundered about $750,000 for the cartel by converting cash into cryptocurrency, and agreed to launder far more — $12 million in all, according to the indictment. He also provided a payment for about 220 kilograms of cocaine on the understanding that the drugs had been imported into the United States, the indictment said.
Mr. Campo has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Of course, Paul Campo, like any American citizen, is entitled to the presumption of innocence until (and if) he is convicted. But if he is, this is a betrayal on a vast scale. He has gone against the very principles of the agency for which he worked for 25 years, from which he presumably now draws a pension. But his conviction, or even his arraignment, may present some opportunities for federal law enforcement.
Here's the question: Does Paul Campo have any information that could help roll up at least some of the Jalisco cartel's financial operations? It seems likely, given the nature of the crime he is accused of. If so, will the Justice Department be able to entice him, perhaps with the threat of a long prison sentence, to flip? And will he be able to escape the cartel's wrath if he does so? A plea deal, combined with spilling his guts and a move for Campos and his family into the Witness Protection Program, may well be a deal worth making for the Justice Department and the DEA.
This is a developing story. We will, as always, bring you updates as events warrant.
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