Ex-DEA official allegedly involved in drug trafficking and money laundering for Mexican cartel

A former senior Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent has been indicted on federal charges related to a conspiracy to traffic drugs and launder millions of dollars for a Mexican cartel. Paul Campo, who served as a DEA agent for nearly 25 years, and his associate, Robert Sensi, face charges in a newly unsealed indictment from Friday. The charges include converting cash into cryptocurrency to fund the purchase of 220 kilograms of cocaine, valued at $5 million, and laundering $750,000 in drug sale proceeds for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization. Campo has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently detained. Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York have alleged that the men conspired to launder at least $12 million for the cartel. CNN has been unable to reach Campo, who does not have legal representation listed in court records, for comment.

According to authorities, Campo and Sensi met with a confidential source working under the direction of U.S. law enforcement, who was posing as a member of the cartel. The meeting took place in March at a restaurant in New York. During the meeting, they allegedly discussed methods to transfer money from the U.S. to Mexico, including investing in real estate and smuggling cash in bulk. Campo reportedly told the source that he had previously assisted clients in "getting their money back," as detailed in the indictment.

Campo allegedly showed his DEA badge during the meeting and told the confidential source that he had retired from the agency years earlier. Campo had previously held the position of deputy chief of the DEA's Office of Financial Operations, overseeing the agencys money laundering operations, and retired from the DEA in 2016. After leaving the DEA, he founded Global Financial Consultants, a company where he was listed as a director. Attempts to contact the company were unsuccessful. Sensi could not be reached for comment either.

Prosecutors claim that during a meeting in Tampa, Florida, in March, Campo and others agreed to launder up to $12 million in proceeds from drug trafficking. They reportedly started with a small initial transaction of $200,000. After the first transaction in Charlotte, North Carolina, the confidential source allegedly told Sensi, "Welcome to the f***ing cartel," according to the indictment.

By October, the confidential source allegedly approached the men about participating in a drug deal, instructing Sensi to send over $200,000 in cryptocurrency to a seller in exchange for 220 kilograms of cocaine. The source, directed by government agents, stated the drugs would be sold for $5 million, and Campo and Sensi would receive a 30% commission. The men transferred more than $200,000 in cryptocurrency to a wallet they believed was controlled by the seller, but it was actually controlled by the Internal Revenue Service. The confidential source then confirmed receipt and sent an encrypted message to Campo and Sensi stating, "Wow brothers!! Taking possession of the product NOW!!!"

Campo and Sensi are facing charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to provide material support to CJNG, and conspiracy to launder money. This report has been updated with additional details.

Author: Aiden Foster