Indictment of Former DEA Official for Alleged Drug Cartel Ties
Paul Campo, who previously held a top position at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) during the Obama era, is facing serious allegations. He, alongside a friend, is accused of conspiring to launder millions for the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG), one of the major drug trafficking organizations in Mexico.
Campo, who was the DEA’s deputy director of financial operations, finds himself implicated in a 15-page indictment that was recently made public, detailing his alleged activities with Robert Sensi. The CJNG is known to dominate a large segment of the drug market in the U.S. and has connections to human trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border.
After Donald Trump assumed the presidency in 2016, Campo was among several federal employees who resigned from their positions.
Federal prosecutors allege that by late 2024, Campo and Sensi were meeting with undercover sources acting as CJNG affiliates.
During one of these encounters, they purportedly discussed laundering around $12 million worth of drugs for the cartel. According to the indictment:
… They laundered $750,000 through cash-for-cryptocurrency transactions, which was meant to be payment for about 220 kilograms of cocaine, with the expectation that it would lead to the drug’s sale. About $5 million worth of substances would be handled, and CAMPO and SENSI were to (i) directly benefit from some of the drug profits and (ii) receive additional fees for their laundering services; [Emphasis added]
Perhaps even more alarming, the charges suggest that Campo and Sensi advised these sources on acquiring drones and weaponry to enable CJNG to utilize advanced military-grade arms like AR-15s and grenade launchers for their operations.
In one instance, a source mentioned that CJNG had outfitted a drone with explosives and planned to deploy it in a violent manner. In another conversation, when discussing the drone’s explosive capacity, Sensi allegedly claimed it could carry enough to cause substantial destruction. It’s unsettling to think about.
Campo, aged 61 from Virginia, and Sensi, 75 from Florida, are charged with various counts, including conspiracy related to narcoterrorism, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to launder money.
If found guilty, both men could face life sentences in prison.
