Former Senior DEA Agent Indicted Over Cartel, Drug and Crypto Laundering Charges

Former DEA official Paul Campo is charged with aiding a cartel, laundering crypto funds and supporting drug and weapons trafficking schemes.

A new money laundering case involving a former DEA officer has shocked many in law enforcement and finance circles. 

The accused, Former DEA Deputy Chief Paul Campo and co-defendant Robert Sensi, reportedly provided payment for 220 kilograms of cocaine and offered to supply military weapons to the Jalisco cartel.

This case now stands as one of the most serious criminal cases tied to a former federal agent in recent years. 

Money Laundering and Secret Meetings

Campo began his DEA career as a Special Agent in New York. Over two and a half decades, he climbed the ranks to oversee the agency’s financial operations. He then retired in January 2016 and started a private consulting business.

The trouble, however, began late last year, when Sensi (age 75) started meeting with someone he thought was a CJNG cartel member. This person turned out to be a confidential source working with law enforcement. 

Sensi told the source he had a friend who used to run DEA financial operations. He also claimed this friend could help the cartel launder money and provide sensitive information about DEA investigations.

Campo soon joined these meetings. The two men quickly agreed to help what they believed was a major drug trafficking organisation. They offered services that went far beyond simple money laundering.

The Crypto Money Laundering Scheme

Campo and Sensi even pitched several ways to clean dirty drug money, and their main method involved converting cash into crypto. They also suggested making real estate investments using cartel proceeds.

The pair successfully laundered $750,000 by converting it into digital assets. They agreed to launder a total of $12 million in narcotics proceeds, but their ambitions went much further than financial crimes.

Campo and Sensi made a payment covering approximately 220 kilograms of cocaine. They understood this payment would trigger the distribution and sale of drugs worth about $5 million. 

The deal included receiving a portion of the drug proceeds as direct profit. They would also earn commission fees for laundering the remaining money.

Military Weapons and Explosive Drones

The criminal conspiracy extended into dangerous territory soon after. Campo and Sensi started to consider commercial drones and military weapons for CJNG. Their shopping list included AR-15 rifles, M4 carbines, M16 rifles, grenade launchers and rocket-propelled grenades.

During one meeting, the confidential source explained how the cartel uses drones. 

“What we do with the drones, we put explosives and we just send it over there, boom,” the source said. Sensi responded by discussing how much C-4 explosive the drones could carry. He estimated about six kilograms, enough to cause massive destruction.

Campo and Sensi also advised the source about fentanyl production. 

Throughout their discussions, both men repeatedly bragged about Campo’s federal law enforcement background. They even relied heavily on his expertise in financial investigations and drug cartels.

The Jalisco Cartel Connection

CJNG is one of Mexico’s most violent criminal organisations. The group is led by Nemesio Ruben Oseguera-Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho.” The cartel also controls a large portion of drug trafficking into the United States.

According to reports, CJNG smuggles cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and other drugs across the border. The organisation also engages in money laundering, violence and intimidation as a service. 

In fact, on February 20 this year, the US Secretary of State officially designated CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.

This designation makes Campo’s alleged crimes even more serious. He now faces charges of conspiring to provide material support to a recognised terrorist organisation.

Related Reading: Two Ukrainians Arrested Amid Crypto Murder Case In Vienna

Serious Federal Charges and Potential Sentences

Campo, 61, of Oakton, Virginia, and Sensi, 75, of Boca Raton, Florida, each face four major charges:

Conspiring to commit narcoterrorism carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison, and the maximum sentence is life in prison.

Conspiring to distribute cocaine carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and the maximum is also life in prison.

Additionally, conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation carries up to 20 years in prison.

And finally, conspiring to commit money laundering carries up to 20 years in prison.

US Attorney Jay Clayton said that “By participating in this scheme, Campo betrayed the mission he was entrusted with pursuing for his 25-year career with the DEA.” 

The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.