25-year DEA veteran charged with helping Mexican drug cartel launder millions of dollars, secure guns and bombs | Fortune

"A former high-level agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and an associate have been charged with conspiring to launder millions of dollars and obtain military-grade firearms and explosives for a Mexican drug cartel, according to an indictment unsealed Friday in New York. Paul Campo, 61, of Oakton, Virginia, who retired from the DEA in 2016 after a 25-year career, and Robert Sensi, 75, of Boca Raton, Florida, were caught in sting involving a law enforcement informant who posed as a member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, prosecutors said."

"The cartel, also know as CJNG, was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. in February. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Campo betrayed his DEA career by helping the cartel, which he said was responsible for "countless deaths through violence and drug trafficking in the United States and Mexico." Campo and Sensi appeared Friday afternoon before a magistrate judge in New York, who ordered them detained without bail. Their lawyers entered not guilty pleas on their behalf."

"Over the past year, Campo and Sensi agreed to launder about $12 million in drug proceeds for the cartel and converted about $750,000 in cash to cryptocurrency, thinking it was going to the group when it really went to the U.S. government, the indictment said. They also provided a payment for about 220 kilograms of cocaine they were told would be sold in the U.S. for about $5 million, thinking they would get a cut of the proceeds, prosecutors said."

"The two men also said they would look into procuring commercial drones, AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, M4 carbines, grenade launchers and rocket-propelled grenades for the cartel, the indictment said."

Paul Campo, a retired DEA agent, and associate Robert Sensi are indicted in New York for conspiring to launder millions and obtain military-grade weapons for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. A law enforcement informant posing as a cartel member was used in the sting. Prosecutors allege the pair agreed to launder about $12 million, converted roughly $750,000 in cash to cryptocurrency, and provided funds tied to 220 kilograms of cocaine. They also discussed procuring drones, AR-15s, M4 carbines, grenade launchers and rocket-propelled grenades. Both were ordered detained without bail and pleaded not guilty.

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