A former top Drug Enforcement Administration official has been indicted in Manhattan for allegedly conspiring to launder millions of dollars for the Jalisco Next Generation Cartel.
Accusations of financial and material support
A former senior Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent who once oversaw the agency’s financial operations has been charged with conspiring to launder millions of dollars in drug trafficking proceeds for the Mexican Jalisco Next Generation Cartel (CJNG), according to federal prosecutors in Manhattan.
Paul Campo, who served the DEA for 25 years and became deputy chief of the Bureau of Financial Operations, is accused of laundering $750,000 of cartel money by converting it to cryptocurrency and agreeing to launder an additional $12 million. Prosecutors say Campo also facilitated payment for 220 kilograms of cocaine, worth about $5 million, while boasting about his previous law enforcement expertise.
Campo, alongside co-defendant Robert Sensi, allegedly met with a confidential source posing as a CJNG operative in late 2024. The indictment details how the two men proposed funneling cartel money through real estate investments, advised on fentanyl production, and even considered procuring military-grade weapons and drones for the cartel.
“As has been alleged, Paul Campo and Robert Sensi conspired to aid CJNG, one of Mexico’s most notorious cartels, responsible for countless deaths due to violence and drug trafficking in the United States and Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “By participating in this scheme, Campo betrayed the mission he was given to continue his 25-year career with the DEA. CJNG is a violent and corrupting criminal enterprise that New Yorkers want to break up.”
DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole emphasized the seriousness of the charges: “The indictment of former Special Agent Paul Campo sends a powerful message: Those who betray the public trust – past or present – will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. We will not look the other way just because someone has worn that badge before. There is no tolerance or excuse for this kind of betrayal.”
Offices and previous career
Campo’s career included high-level assignments in New York, Rome and Milan, as well as leadership roles in congressional affairs and DEA financial operations. He has represented the agency before Congress, the Treasury, and international organizations such as Interpol and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Now, prosecutors say, the same expertise he once used to fight money laundering has been put to work in one of the world’s most violent cartels. Campo faces charges of narcoterrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
If convicted, Campo faces decades in prison.
FAQs ❓
- Who is Paul Campo? A former DEA official who oversaw financial operations and later ran a consulting firm.
- What charges does he face? Campo is charged with narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, material support for a cartel and money laundering.
- Which cartel was involved? Prosecutors say Campo took inspiration from the Mexican group CJNG, a violent cartel active in the United States and abroad.
- What is the overall impact? Authorities warn that the case highlights the financing risks of cross-border cartels and the need for stronger oversight globally.
