The former DEA agent is facing charges.

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A former top DEA official living in Northern Virginia is accused of using his law enforcement expertise to help a violent Mexican cartel move money and drugs across the United States, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

Paul Campo, 61, of Oakton, is facing charges after agreeing to launder upward of $12 million to participate in drug trafficking for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a/k/a Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion or CJNG.

Prosecutors say that Campo and his associate, 75-year-old Florida man Robert Sensi, began meeting with a confidential source posing as a CJNG member in late 2024. 

During Those meetings, they agreed to launder money, advise on fentanyl production, and even explore getting drones, rifles, carbines, grenade launchers, and rocket-propelled grenades for the cartel.

“As alleged, Paul Campo and Robert Sensi conspired to assist CJNG, one of the most notorious Mexican cartels that is responsible for countless deaths through violence and drug trafficking in the United States and Mexico,” US Attorney Jay Clayton stated. “By participating in this scheme, Campo betrayed the mission he was entrusted with pursuing for his 25-year career with the DEA.”

Clayton said the pair laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars, agreed to move millions more, and planned to use Campo’s financial skills to help move cocaine in New York City.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole called the case a message to anyone who abuses public trust. 

“The indictment of former Special Agent Paul Campo sends a powerful message: those who betray the public trust—past or present—will be held to account to the fullest extent of the law,” Cole said. “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.”

According to the indictment, Campo and Sensi believed they were handling cartel proceeds and agreed to launder approximately $12 million. Prosecutors said they also provided a payment for about 220 kilograms of cocaine that they believed would lead to a $5 million drug sale.

Among the pair's plans to launder the money included converting cash into cryptocurrency and making investments in real estate.

Campo and Sensi also advised an undercover informant about "fentanyl production and explored procuring commercial drones and military-grade weapons and equipment for CJNG, including AR-15 semi-automatic rifles, M4 carbines, M16 rifles, grenade launchers, and rocket-propelled grenades." 

As part of their discussions, the two "often boasted about and relied heavily on Campo's prior federal law enforcement experience and expertise regarding financial investigations and drug cartels."

Campo is charged with conspiring to commit narcoterrorism, distributing cocaine, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and committing money laundering. 

All charges carry heavy federal penalties, including mandatory minimum prison sentences.