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Who is Paul Campo? Former DEA executive charged with agreeing to launder millions for Mexican drug cartel
Paul Campo, who worked with the DEA for 25 years, agreed to launder around $12,000,000 for Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the DOJ said in a statement.
Paul Campo, a former Drug Enforcement Agent (DEA) executive had his Oakton home raided on Thursday by federal agents. He stands accused of agreeing to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel.
The Department of Justice, in a statement noted that Campo and his friend, Robert Sensi, had agreed to launder around $12,000,000 and participate in narcotics trafficking for Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).
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They face charges of narcoterrorism, terrorism, narcotics distribution, and money laundering. As per the DOJ, the CJNG is responsible for ‘countless deaths through violence and drug trafficking in the United States and Mexico.’ The US, in February 2025, designated CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Campo and his friend even offered to facilitate cocaine trafficking in New York City, the DOJ statement noted.
Who is Paul Campo?
Campo, 61, began as a Special Agent in New York and rose through the ranks to eventually become the Deputy Chief of the Office of Financial Operations. He retired from the DEA in or about January 2016.
During his time with the agency he reportedly oversaw over $17 million in DEA funding and had the responsibility for worldwide money laundering operations, as per his bio. Campo had also appeared before Congress when he was at the DEA, where he represented the agency. He also represented DEA before the banking industry, money service businesses, as well as the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Office of Foreign Asset Control, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Treasury, the National Security Council, his bio noted.
During his DEA career he was also posted to offices in Rome and Milan, Italy.
Campo then founded the Global Financial Consultants (GFC) which offers in-depth financial consultant services to financial institutions. He attends quarterly meetings of the board of directors of the Electronic Warfare Associates, as per his biography on the company website. Campo also holds a security clearance, his bio notes. He is now a resident of Oakton, Virginia.
“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,” DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole said, noting that Campo's actions took place after he'd left the agency.
What to know about the Mexican cartel in this case
CJNG is a Mexico-based transnational criminal group that is overseen by Nemesio Ruben “El Mencho” Oseguera-Cervantes, the DOJ stated. They control a large portion of the narcotics trafficking trade.
CJNG transports cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other controlled substances into the US. They also engage in money laundering and other criminal activities, which include violence and intimidation.
