‘Betrayed the mission’: Suspect who reached high rank in DEA under Obama accused of narcoterrorism
A former Drug Enforcement Administration official who rose to the rank of deputy chief of the Office of Financial Operations under Barack Obama has been raided by the FBI and now is facing charges of conspiring to launder millions of dollars for a Mexican drug cartel.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York identified the suspect as Paul Campo, who along with a friend, Robert Sensi, was indicted on charges of “narcoterrorism, terrorism, narcotics distribution, and money laundering.”
The announcement was made by Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the district, and Terrance C. Cole, the chief of the DEA.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. As part of that support, the defendants laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars they believed to be CJNG drug proceeds, agreed to launder millions more, and even agreed to use their financial expertise to facilitate cocaine trafficking right here in New York City.
“By participating in this scheme, Campo betrayed the mission he was entrusted with pursuing for his 25-year career with the DEA. CJNG is a violent and corrupting criminal enterprise that New Yorkers want broken. I commend the extraordinary efforts of the DEA in aggressively pursuing CJNG and those who support their deadly and corrupt efforts, no matter who they may be.”
CJNG is the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion.
Federal authorities charged:
CJNG is a Mexico-based transnational criminal group overseen by Nemesio Ruben “El Mencho” Oseguera-Cervantes that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade. CJNG illicitly transports cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other controlled substances into the United States. CJNG also engages in money laundering and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. On February 20, 2025, the United States Secretary of State designated CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
PAUL CAMPO worked for the DEA for approximately 25 years, first as a Special Agent in New York and eventually rising to become a high-level DEA official, specifically the Deputy Chief of the Office of Financial Operations. CAMPO retired from DEA in or about January 2016.
In late 2024, ROBERT SENSI began meeting with a confidential source working at the direction of law enforcement (“CS-1”), who was posing as a member of CJNG. SENSI told CS-1 that he had a friend who used to be in charge of DEA’s financial operations who could assist CJNG by laundering narcotics proceeds and providing CS-1 with sensitive DEA information about sources and investigations.
After these initial meetings, CAMPO and SENSI together met with CS-1 on several occasions. During these conversations, CAMPO and SENSI agreed to launder money for CS 1 by, among other things, converting cash into cryptocurrency and making investments in real estate. CAMPO and SENSI further advised CS-1 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 these discussions, CAMPO and SENSI often boasted about and relied heavily on CAMPO’s prior federal law enforcement experience and expertise regarding financial investigations and drug cartels.
Regarding the drones, in one meeting, CS 1 explained to CAMPO, “what we do with the drones, we put explosives and we just send it over there, boom”; in another conversation, CS 1 asked SENSI how much C-4 explosive the drones could carry, to which SENSI responded, in sum and substance, approximately six kilograms, which is enough to “blow up the whole f—— . . . I don’t want to say.”
As part of the scheme, CAMPO and SENSI agreed to launder approximately $12,000,000 of CJNG narcotics proceeds; laundered approximately $750,000 by converting cash into cryptocurrency; and provided a payment for approximately 220 kilograms of cocaine on the understanding that the payment would trigger the distribution and sale of the narcotics worth approximately $5,000,000, for which CAMPO and SENSI would (i) receive directly a portion of the narcotics proceeds as profit; and (ii) receive a further commission upon the laundering of the balance of the narcotics proceeds.
Cole said, “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. The alleged conduct occurred after he left DEA and was unrelated to his official duties here, but any former agent who chooses to engage in criminal activity dishonors the men and women who serve with integrity and undermines the public’s confidence in law enforcement. 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.”
Campo and Sensi each face a count of conspiring to commit narcoterrorism, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years.
Other charges are conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaince, conspiring to provide material support and resources to CJNG, a desginated foreign terrorist organization, and money laundering.
BREAKING: Paul Campo, a former high-ranking DEA official under Obama, INDICTED for conspiring to launder $12 MILLION to support Foreign Drug Cartels pic.twitter.com/mK5VAZpJx6
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 5, 2025
BREAKING – The DEA’s chief financial director under Obama, Paul Campo, who resigned in 2016 ahead of Trump’s administration, had his Virginia home raided and has been charged for agreeing to launder $12 million for the CJNG, a Mexican cartel, while acting in his role at the DEA. pic.twitter.com/KL0tz6RsBn
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) December 5, 2025
JUST IN: DEA Agents Swarm Home On Gray Street In Oakton
Armed federal agents on Thursday swarmed the Oakton home of Paul Campo, a former senior executive at the DEA.
About 15 unmarked cars, including some with emergency lights, set up a perimeter around the property.
“One… pic.twitter.com/yGeE61WPDL
— SANTINO (@MichaelSCollura) December 5, 2025