A former high-ranking Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official and a longtime associate are accused of conspiring to launder millions of dollars and secretly assisting a powerful Mexican drug cartel that the U.S. government has labeled a foreign terrorist group.
According to a federal indictment filed in Manhattan, Paul Campo, 61, of Oakton, Virginia — who previously served as deputy chief of the DEA’s Office of Financial Operations — and Robert Sensi, 75, of Boca Raton, Florida, are charged with narcoterrorism, terrorism offenses, narcotics distribution, and money laundering.
Both men were arrested in New York on Thursday afternoon.
Prosecutors say Campo and Sensi believed they were partnering with members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, one of Mexico’s most influential and violent criminal organizations.
The two appeared before a magistrate judge in New York on Friday, where they were ordered held without bail.
Their attorneys entered not guilty pleas on their behalf. Campo and Sensi are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Why It Matters
The case is especially alarming because the Trump administration previously designated the Jalisco New Generation Cartel as a foreign terrorist organization, heightening the stakes for anyone accused of supporting it.
What To Know
According to the indictment, Sensi met in 2024 with a confidential source who was working with law enforcement and posing as a representative of CJNG.
During those meetings, Sensi allegedly promoted Campo’s credentials and past government role, claiming Campo could tap into his knowledge of DEA operations, financial investigations, and global money-movement systems to help the cartel conceal drug profits and evade U.S. law-enforcement detection.
Prosecutors say Campo and Sensi held multiple meetings in New York, Virginia, and Florida. In those discussions, they allegedly agreed to launder up to $12 million in cartel drug proceeds by turning bulk cash into cryptocurrency and routing the money through overseas accounts.
The indictment alleges Campo had already laundered roughly $750,000 as part of the scheme and helped facilitate a payment tied to about 220 kilograms of cocaine that he understood had been brought into the United States.
Prosecutors further claim the pair talked about helping CJNG obtain military-grade weapons, explosives, and drones, and advising the cartel on how to support cocaine trafficking.
According to the indictment, they agreed to explore obtaining commercial drones and high-powered weapons and equipment for CJNG, including AR-15 semi-automatic rifles, M4 carbines, M16 rifles, grenade launchers, and rocket-propelled grenades.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Varun Gumaste told the court that evidence includes hours of recorded conversations between Campo, Sensi, and the informant, as well as cellphone location data, emails, and surveillance images.
What People Are Saying
“As alleged, Paul Campo and Robert Sensi conspired to assist CJNG, one of the most notorious Mexican cartels responsible for countless deaths through violence and drug trafficking in the United States and Mexico,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement.
He added that the defendants allegedly laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars they believed to be CJNG drug proceeds, committed to laundering millions more, and used their financial know-how to support cocaine trafficking in New York City, saying Campo’s actions “betrayed the mission he was entrusted with pursuing” during his 25-year DEA career.
“CJNG is a violent and corrupting criminal enterprise that New Yorkers want dismantled,” Clayton said.
DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole said the indictment of former Special Agent Campo “sends a powerful message” that those who violate the public trust, whether currently serving or retired, “will be held to account to the fullest extent of the law.”
Cole noted that the alleged conduct occurred after Campo left the agency and was unrelated to his official work, but stressed that any former agent who turns to criminal activity “dishonors the men and women who serve with integrity and undermines the public’s confidence in law enforcement.”
He added, “We will not look the other way simply because someone once wore this badge. There is no tolerance and no excuse for this kind of betrayal.”
What Happens Next
If convicted on the charges they face, Campo and Sensi could spend decades in federal prison.
