Paul Campo stood in a federal courtroom in New York on Friday—familiar surroundings for a man who had spent twenty-five years serving in the DEA. He rose through the ranks of the country's top-controlled substance law enforcement agency. Beginning his career as a special agent, he achieved the rank of deputy chief in the Office of Financial Operations. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 2016.
His court appearance on Friday was different. No longer a member of the DEA, he wasn't there to testify against an accused criminal. Instead, the once respected federal agent now stood accused of becoming the same type of criminal he had spent his career trying to put in jail.
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
Top former Obama DEA official was just indicted for helping the cartels for the small fee of 12 million dollars. pic.twitter.com/4E1qQ4s60n
— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) December 6, 2025
Campo and his alleged accomplice, Robert Sensi, are charged with laundering money for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Ex-high level DEA official faces federal charges for helping dangerous Mexican cartel: US attorney https://t.co/hKSxeqJFr3 pic.twitter.com/FVEG5F8oyS
— New York Post (@nypost) December 5, 2025
According to the US Attorney's office in Manhattan, the two suspects offered to launder up to $12 million in what they believed were cartel funds obtained through the sale of narcotics. Working with an undercover informant posing as a cartel contact, they converted $750 thousand in cash to cryptocurrency, leading to their arrests.
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Paul Campo, who rose through the ranks to eventually become the agency’s deputy chief of the Office for Financial Operations, and his alleged accomplice, Robert Sensi, were duped by a “confidential source” posing as a member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), paving the way for their arrests Thursday, the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office said.
Campo and Sensi started working with the undercover, who was being guided by law enforcement, around late 2024, according to federal prosecutors.
Sensi, of Florida, had promised the clandestine source that Campo, of Virginia, would be valuable to CJNG, a designated terror group by the US, because he had sensitive DEA intel about sources and probes, according to the feds.
The two suspects advised the posing cartel member about fentanyl production and the possibility of obtaining commercial drones and military-level weapons, the feds alleged.
Campo, 61, and Sensi, 75, allegedly offered to launder up to $12 million of what they thought were CJNG narcotics proceeds and did launder $750,000 that was converted from cash into cryptocurrency, but ended up only flowing to the US government, prosecutors alleged.
They also paid the informant for 200 kilograms of cocaine in exchange for a cut of the drug's $5 million street value.
“By participating in this scheme, Campo betrayed the mission he was entrusted with pursuing for his 25-year career with the DEA,” US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton in a statement.
“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.”
The pair has been charged with conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism and conspiracy to possess and distribute in relation to the attempted cocaine purchase.
Fcking traitor!
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) December 5, 2025
He's not going to have an easy time in Gen Pop. The Cons still hate cops. pic.twitter.com/bqBwAh6ych
— R T (@RDog861) December 5, 2025
Sold out his country!
— Bob Brown (@RAB41651) December 7, 2025
Both men have pleaded not guilty and have been detained.
If convicted, they face life in prison.
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