Paul Campo, Narcoterrorism, New York 2025

Former DEA Official Paul Campo and Robert Sensi Charged with Narcoterrorism, New York

A former high-ranking DEA official has been indicted on charges of narcoterrorism, terrorism, narcotics distribution, and money laundering, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today. Paul Campo, a 25-year veteran of the DEA, is accused of conspiring with Robert Sensi to provide material support to the notorious Mexican cartel, CJNG.

According to the indictment, Campo and Sensi laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in CJNG drug proceeds, agreed to launder millions more, and even offered to use their financial expertise to facilitate cocaine trafficking in New York City.

Campo, who worked as a Special Agent in New York and eventually rose to become the Deputy Chief of the Office of Financial Operations, retired from the DEA in 2016. However, his alleged involvement with CJNG continued after his retirement.

The indictment alleges that Sensi began meeting with a confidential source working at the direction of law enforcement in late 2024. Sensi told the source 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 sensitive DEA information about sources and investigations.

“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,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “By participating in this scheme, Campo betrayed the mission he was entrusted with pursuing for his 25-year career with the DEA.”

Campo and Sensi were arrested yesterday afternoon in New York and are scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe. The indictment is a significant blow to the CJNG cartel, which was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States Secretary of State in February 2025.

The case highlights the DEA’s commitment to aggressively pursuing CJNG and those who support their deadly and corrupt efforts. “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,” said DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole.

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