26 °c
Accra
26 ° Mon
27 ° Tue
26 ° Wed
27 ° Thu
26 ° Fri
TV
Market
Sunday, October 1, 2023
Nsemgh
  • News
    • All
    • Breaking News
    • Local News
    • World News

    South Africa adds Ghana to E Visa list

    Don’t Be Distracted, Stay Focused On Breaking The 8 – Bawumia Tells NPP

    Don’t Be Distracted, Stay Focused On Breaking The 8 – Bawumia Tells NPP

    Delayed Issuance Of Visas At South African Embassy Leaves Patrons Frustrated

    Delayed Issuance Of Visas At South African Embassy Leaves Patrons Frustrated

    Korle-Bu’s Dialysis Price Increase Illegal, Outrageous – Minority

    Korle-Bu’s Dialysis Price Increase Illegal, Outrageous – Minority

    • Local News
    • World News
    • Breaking News
  • BUSINESS
    Mike Pence ‘appears’ to launch 2024 bid but insiders warn filing was ‘prank’

    Trump absent at the Second Republic debate in California

    United Auto Workers expands their strike but few workers are involved

    United Auto Workers expands their strike but few workers are involved

    Absa Bank Ghana’s MD Abena Osei-Poku resigns on from Dec 18

    Absa Bank Ghana’s MD Abena Osei-Poku resigns on from Dec 18

    SpaceX employees fired after writing letter criticizing Elon Musk

    Elon Musk says Twitter, now X, could charge all users subscription fees

    Apple’s new iPhone 14 series is rumoured to be unveiled next month

    iOS 17 release: everything you need to know about Apple’s big updates

  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • All
    • Religion
    USA: Las Vegas police arrest man in Tupac Shakur shooting case

    USA: Las Vegas police arrest man in Tupac Shakur shooting case

    I Will Resurrect Mohbad If Allowed To See His Body – Cleric Claims

    I Will Resurrect Mohbad If Allowed To See His Body – Cleric Claims

    Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas

    Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas

    Kylie Jenner’s beau Travis Scott donates $1million to college students

    Travis Scott is questioned over crowd surge at Texas festival

    SpaceX employees fired after writing letter criticizing Elon Musk

    Elon Musk says Twitter, now X, could charge all users subscription fees

    YouTube suspends Russell Brand from advert income

    YouTube suspends Russell Brand from advert income

    • Religion
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All
    • Architecture
    • Automobile
    SpaceX employees fired after writing letter criticizing Elon Musk

    Elon Musk says Twitter, now X, could charge all users subscription fees

    Apple’s new iPhone 14 series is rumoured to be unveiled next month

    iOS 17 release: everything you need to know about Apple’s big updates

    Tik Tok is hit with €345m fine

    Tik Tok is hit with €345m fine

    World’s biggest lithium reservoir found in McDermitt Caldera in Nevada

    World’s biggest lithium reservoir found in McDermitt Caldera in Nevada

    India: Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lands on moon

    India: Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lands on moon

    Contact NCA If You Are Without Ghana Card And Your SIM Has Been Deactivated – Ursula

    Trial phase of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) launched in Ghana

    • Architecture
    • Automobile
  • Features
    • All
    • Announcement
    • Obituary
    • Opinion
    He is falling from the skyscraper -Elizabeth Ohene

    He is falling from the skyscraper -Elizabeth Ohene

    I Asked My Husband To Resign Many Times – Late Amissah Arthur’s wife

    I Asked My Husband To Resign Many Times – Late Amissah Arthur’s wife

    Unmasking Medi Ghana: The Unraveling of a Microfinance Fraud

    Unmasking Medi Ghana: The Unraveling of a Microfinance Fraud

    How El Chapo’s sons ruined America by creating a fentanyl empire

    How El Chapo’s sons ruined America by creating a fentanyl empire

    How many foreign workers have passed away in Qatar?

    How many foreign workers have passed away in Qatar?

    DEA’s most corrupt agent:   Parties , sex amid “unwinnable war”

    DEA’s most corrupt agent: Parties , sex amid “unwinnable war”

    • Opinion
    • Announcement
    • Obituary
  • Health
    Intelligence from “5eyes” partners help Canada link India to Sikh murder – USA

    Intelligence from “5eyes” partners help Canada link India to Sikh murder – USA

    Surgeons perform pig heart transplant on man in Maryland

    Surgeons perform pig heart transplant on man in Maryland

    USA: Recalled of  ground beef amid E.Coli

    USA: Recalled of ground beef amid E.Coli

    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    Ghana records surge in Apollo – Ghana Optometric Association

    Ghana records surge in Apollo – Ghana Optometric Association

  • LIFE STYLE
    • All
    • Fashion
    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    Change Condoms After Every Round Of Sex – Doctor Advises

    Change Condoms After Every Round Of Sex – Doctor Advises

    If You Have High Cholesterol, Limit These 7 Foods

    If You Have High Cholesterol, Limit These 7 Foods

    5 Red Flags You Should Never Ignore in Relationships: The Importance of Trusting Your Instincts

    5 Red Flags You Should Never Ignore in Relationships: The Importance of Trusting Your Instincts

    LGBTQ+ Pride parade returns to Boston after rift over inclusivity

    LGBTQ+ Pride parade returns to Boston after rift over inclusivity

    Your enemies are often within your circle – Vim Lady shares

    Your enemies are often within your circle – Vim Lady shares

    • Fashion
  • Sports
    • All
    • Local Sport
    • World Sport
    Premier League:Manchester united 2-2 Leeds

    Manchester United: Sancho to train away from first team after refusing to apologise

    Saudi Arabia, Turkey clubs interested in Mason Greenwood- Sources

    Mason Greenwood joins Getafe on loan

    John Mahama Rescues Ex-black Queens Goalkeeper

    John Mahama Rescues Ex-black Queens Goalkeeper

    Nations League: England 3-Germany 3

    Manchester United tell Harry Maguire he will not leave

    Simone Biles dominated U.S Classic after her return

    Simone Biles dominated U.S Classic after her return

    Women’s World Cup 2023: Japan 4-0 Spain

    Women’s World Cup 2023: Japan 4-0 Spain

    • Local Sports
    • World Sport
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • All
    • Breaking News
    • Local News
    • World News

    South Africa adds Ghana to E Visa list

    Don’t Be Distracted, Stay Focused On Breaking The 8 – Bawumia Tells NPP

    Don’t Be Distracted, Stay Focused On Breaking The 8 – Bawumia Tells NPP

    Delayed Issuance Of Visas At South African Embassy Leaves Patrons Frustrated

    Delayed Issuance Of Visas At South African Embassy Leaves Patrons Frustrated

    Korle-Bu’s Dialysis Price Increase Illegal, Outrageous – Minority

    Korle-Bu’s Dialysis Price Increase Illegal, Outrageous – Minority

    • Local News
    • World News
    • Breaking News
  • BUSINESS
    Mike Pence ‘appears’ to launch 2024 bid but insiders warn filing was ‘prank’

    Trump absent at the Second Republic debate in California

    United Auto Workers expands their strike but few workers are involved

    United Auto Workers expands their strike but few workers are involved

    Absa Bank Ghana’s MD Abena Osei-Poku resigns on from Dec 18

    Absa Bank Ghana’s MD Abena Osei-Poku resigns on from Dec 18

    SpaceX employees fired after writing letter criticizing Elon Musk

    Elon Musk says Twitter, now X, could charge all users subscription fees

    Apple’s new iPhone 14 series is rumoured to be unveiled next month

    iOS 17 release: everything you need to know about Apple’s big updates

  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • All
    • Religion
    USA: Las Vegas police arrest man in Tupac Shakur shooting case

    USA: Las Vegas police arrest man in Tupac Shakur shooting case

    I Will Resurrect Mohbad If Allowed To See His Body – Cleric Claims

    I Will Resurrect Mohbad If Allowed To See His Body – Cleric Claims

    Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas

    Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas

    Kylie Jenner’s beau Travis Scott donates $1million to college students

    Travis Scott is questioned over crowd surge at Texas festival

    SpaceX employees fired after writing letter criticizing Elon Musk

    Elon Musk says Twitter, now X, could charge all users subscription fees

    YouTube suspends Russell Brand from advert income

    YouTube suspends Russell Brand from advert income

    • Religion
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All
    • Architecture
    • Automobile
    SpaceX employees fired after writing letter criticizing Elon Musk

    Elon Musk says Twitter, now X, could charge all users subscription fees

    Apple’s new iPhone 14 series is rumoured to be unveiled next month

    iOS 17 release: everything you need to know about Apple’s big updates

    Tik Tok is hit with €345m fine

    Tik Tok is hit with €345m fine

    World’s biggest lithium reservoir found in McDermitt Caldera in Nevada

    World’s biggest lithium reservoir found in McDermitt Caldera in Nevada

    India: Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lands on moon

    India: Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft lands on moon

    Contact NCA If You Are Without Ghana Card And Your SIM Has Been Deactivated – Ursula

    Trial phase of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) launched in Ghana

    • Architecture
    • Automobile
  • Features
    • All
    • Announcement
    • Obituary
    • Opinion
    He is falling from the skyscraper -Elizabeth Ohene

    He is falling from the skyscraper -Elizabeth Ohene

    I Asked My Husband To Resign Many Times – Late Amissah Arthur’s wife

    I Asked My Husband To Resign Many Times – Late Amissah Arthur’s wife

    Unmasking Medi Ghana: The Unraveling of a Microfinance Fraud

    Unmasking Medi Ghana: The Unraveling of a Microfinance Fraud

    How El Chapo’s sons ruined America by creating a fentanyl empire

    How El Chapo’s sons ruined America by creating a fentanyl empire

    How many foreign workers have passed away in Qatar?

    How many foreign workers have passed away in Qatar?

    DEA’s most corrupt agent:   Parties , sex amid “unwinnable war”

    DEA’s most corrupt agent: Parties , sex amid “unwinnable war”

    • Opinion
    • Announcement
    • Obituary
  • Health
    Intelligence from “5eyes” partners help Canada link India to Sikh murder – USA

    Intelligence from “5eyes” partners help Canada link India to Sikh murder – USA

    Surgeons perform pig heart transplant on man in Maryland

    Surgeons perform pig heart transplant on man in Maryland

    USA: Recalled of  ground beef amid E.Coli

    USA: Recalled of ground beef amid E.Coli

    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    Ghana records surge in Apollo – Ghana Optometric Association

    Ghana records surge in Apollo – Ghana Optometric Association

  • LIFE STYLE
    • All
    • Fashion
    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    Change Condoms After Every Round Of Sex – Doctor Advises

    Change Condoms After Every Round Of Sex – Doctor Advises

    If You Have High Cholesterol, Limit These 7 Foods

    If You Have High Cholesterol, Limit These 7 Foods

    5 Red Flags You Should Never Ignore in Relationships: The Importance of Trusting Your Instincts

    5 Red Flags You Should Never Ignore in Relationships: The Importance of Trusting Your Instincts

    LGBTQ+ Pride parade returns to Boston after rift over inclusivity

    LGBTQ+ Pride parade returns to Boston after rift over inclusivity

    Your enemies are often within your circle – Vim Lady shares

    Your enemies are often within your circle – Vim Lady shares

    • Fashion
  • Sports
    • All
    • Local Sport
    • World Sport
    Premier League:Manchester united 2-2 Leeds

    Manchester United: Sancho to train away from first team after refusing to apologise

    Saudi Arabia, Turkey clubs interested in Mason Greenwood- Sources

    Mason Greenwood joins Getafe on loan

    John Mahama Rescues Ex-black Queens Goalkeeper

    John Mahama Rescues Ex-black Queens Goalkeeper

    Nations League: England 3-Germany 3

    Manchester United tell Harry Maguire he will not leave

    Simone Biles dominated U.S Classic after her return

    Simone Biles dominated U.S Classic after her return

    Women’s World Cup 2023: Japan 4-0 Spain

    Women’s World Cup 2023: Japan 4-0 Spain

    • Local Sports
    • World Sport
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
Nsemgh
Home Features

DEA’s most corrupt agent: Parties , sex amid “unwinnable war”

11 months ago
in Features, World News
Reading Time: 15 mins read
A A
0
DEA’s most corrupt agent:   Parties , sex amid “unwinnable war”
Share on Telegram

José Irizarry accepts that he’s known as the most corrupt agent in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration history, admitting he “became another man” in conspiring with Colombian cartels to build a lavish lifestyle of expensive sports cars, Tiffany jewels and paramours around the world.

But as he used his final hours of freedom to tell his story to The Associated Press, Irizarry says he won’t go down for this alone, accusing some long-trusted DEA colleagues of joining him in skimming millions of dollars from drug money laundering stings to fund a decade’s worth of luxury overseas travel, fine dining, top seats at sporting events and frat house-style debauchery.

The way Irizarry tells it, dozens of other federal agents, prosecutors, informants and in some cases cartel smugglers themselves were all in on the three-continent joyride known as “Team America” that chose cities for money laundering pick-ups mostly for party purposes or to coincide with Real Madrid soccer or Rafael Nadal tennis matches. That included stops along the way in VIP rooms of Caribbean strip joints, Amsterdam’s red-light district and aboard a Colombian yacht that launched with plenty of booze and more than a dozen prostitutes.

“We had free access to do whatever we wanted,” the 48-year-old Irizarry told the AP in a series of interviews before beginning a 12-year federal prison sentence. “We would generate money pick-ups in places we wanted to go. And once we got there it was about drinking and girls.”

José Irizarry accepts that he’s the most corrupt agent in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration history. But he says he wasn’t alone in conspiring with Colombian cartel members to use the war on drugs to fund a lavish, decadent lifestyle.

All this revelry was rooted, Irizarry said, in a crushing realization among DEA agents around the world that there’s nothing they can do to make a dent in the drug war anyway. Only nominal concern was given to actually building cases or stemming a record flow of illegal cocaine and opioids into the United States that has driven more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths a year.

RelatedStories

Suicide bombing at capital of Turkey

Thousand of Homeless Nagorno-Karabakhflee to Armenia

New York: 8 inches of rain may fall by end of day, mayor says

At least 59 people killed in twin attacks on mosques in Pakistan

Democrats Sen.Feinstein dies at 90 in Washington.D.C

Minors, foreigners have taken advantage of guarantor system – EC

“You can’t win an unwinnable war. DEA knows this and the agents know this,” Irizarry said. “There’s so much dope leaving Colombia. And there’s so much money. We know we’re not making a difference.” 

“The drug war is a game. … It was a very fun game that we were playing.”

Jose Irizarry, a once-standout DEA agent sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian cartel, speaks during an interview in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jan. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Irizarry’s story, which some former colleagues have attacked as a fictionalized attempt to reduce his sentence, came in days of contrite, bitter, sometimes tearful interviews with the AP in the historic quarter of his native San Juan. It was much the same account he gave the FBI in lengthy debriefings and sealed court papers obtained by the AP after he pleaded guilty in 2020 to 19 corruption counts, including money laundering and bank fraud.

But after years of portraying Irizarry as a rogue agent who acted alone, U.S. Justice Department investigators have in recent months begun closely following his confessional roadmap, questioning as many as two-dozen current and former DEA agents and prosecutors accused by Irizarry of turning a blind eye to his flagrant abuses and sometimes joining in. 

With little fanfare, the inquiry has focused on a jet-setting former partner of Irizarry and several other trusted DEA colleagues assigned to international money laundering. And at least three current and former federal prosecutors have faced questioning about Irizarry’s raucous parties, including one still in a senior role in Miami, another who appeared on TV’s “The Bachelorette” and a former Ohio prosecutor who was confirmed to serve as the U.S. attorney in Cleveland this year before abruptly backing out for unspecified family reasons.

The expanding investigation comes as the nation’s premier narcotics law enforcement agency has been rattled by repeated misconduct scandals in its 4,600-agent ranks, from one who took bribes from traffickers to another accused of leaking confidential information to law enforcement targets. But by far the biggest black eye is Irizarry, whose wholesale betrayal of the badge is at the heart of an ongoing external review of the DEA’s sprawling foreign operations in 69 countries. 

Jose Irizarry, a once-standout DEA agent sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian cartel, speaks during an interview in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jan. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

The once-standout agent has accused some former colleagues in the DEA’s Miami-based Group 4 of lining their pockets and falsifying records to replenish a slush fund used for foreign jaunts over the better part of a decade, until his resignation in 2018. He accused a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent of accepting a $20,000 bribe. And recently, the FBI, Office of Inspector General and a federal prosecutor interviewed Irizarry in prison about other federal employees and allegations he raised about misconduct in maritime interdictions.

“It was too outlandish for them to believe this is actually happening,” Irizarry said of investigators. “The indictment paints a picture of me, the corrupt agent that did this entire scheme. But it doesn’t talk about the rest of DEA. I wasn’t the mastermind.” 

The federal judge in Tampa who sentenced Irizarry last year seemed to agree, saying other agents corrupted by the “allure of easy money” need to be investigated. “This has to stop,” Judge Charlene Honeywell told prosecutors, adding Irizarry was “the one who got caught but it is apparent to this court that there are others.”

The Justice Department declined to comment. A DEA spokesperson said: “José Irizarry is a criminal who violated his oath as a federal law enforcement officer and violated the trust of the American people. Over the past 16 months, DEA has worked vigorously to further strengthen our discipline and hiring policies to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of our essential work.”

AP was able to corroborate some, but not all, of Irizarry’s accusations through thousands of confidential law enforcement records and dozens of interviews with those familiar with his claims and the ongoing investigation, including several who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them. 

The probe is focused in part on George Zoumberos, one of Irizarry’s former partners who traveled overseas extensively for money laundering investigations. Irizarry told AP that Zoumberos enjoyed unfettered access to so-called commission funds and improperly tapped that money for personal purchases and unwarranted trips, using names of people that didn’t exist in DEA reports justifying the excesses. 

Zoumberos remained a DEA agent even after he was arrested and briefly detained on allegations of sexual assault during a trip to Madrid in 2018. He resigned only after being stripped of his gun, badge and security clearance for invoking his Fifth Amendment rights to stay silent in late 2019, when the same prosecutor who charged Irizarry summoned him to testify before a federal grand jury in Tampa. 

This booking photo provided by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in November 2022 shows Michael Zoumberos, who was jailed in March after refusing to testify to a federal grand jury investigating misconduct in the DEA.

Authorities are so focused on Zoumberos that they also subpoenaed his brother, a Florida wedding photographer who traveled and partied around the world with DEA agents, and even granted him immunity to induce his cooperation. But Michael Zoumberos also refused to testify and has been jailed outside Tampa since March for “civil contempt” — an exceedingly rare pressure tactic that underscores the rising temperature of the investigation.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, but I’m not going to talk about my brother,” Michael Zoumberos told AP in a jailhouse interview. “I’m basically being held as a political prisoner of the FBI. They want to coerce me into cooperating.”

Some current and former DEA agents say Irizarry’s claims are overblown or flat-out fabrications. The former ICE agent scoffed at Irizarry’s accusation he took a $20,000 bribe, saying he raised early red flags about Irizarry. And the lawyer for the Zoumberos brothers says prosecutors are on a “fishing expedition” to bring more indictments because of the embarrassment of the Irizarry scandal. 

Jose Irizarry, a once-standout DEA agent sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian cartel, speaks during an interview in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jan. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

“Everybody they connect to José is extraneous to his thefts,” said attorney Raymond Mansolillo. “They’re looking to find a crime to fit this case as opposed to a crime that actually took place. But no matter what happens they’re going to charge somebody with something because they don’t want to come out of all of this after five years and have only charged José.” 

Making Irizarry’s allegations more egregious is that they came on the heels of a 2015 Inspector General’s report that slammed DEA agents for participating in “sex parties” with prostitutes hired by Colombian cartels. That prompted the suspension of several agents and the retirement of Michele Leonhart, the DEA’s administrator at the time.

Central to the Irizarry investigation are overly cozy relationships developed between agents and informants — strictly forbidden under federal guidelines — and loose controls on the DEA’s undercover drug money laundering operations that few Americans know exist. 

Every year, the DEA launders tens of millions of dollars on behalf of the world’s most-violent drug cartels through shell companies, a tactic touted in long-running overseas investigations such as Operation White Wash that resulted in more than 100 arrests and the seizure of more than $100 million and a ton of cocaine. 

But the DEA has also faced criticism for allowing huge amounts of money in the operations to go unseized, enabling cartels to continue plying their trade, and for failing to tightly monitor and track the stings, making it difficult to evaluate results. 

A 2020 Justice Department Inspector General’s report faulted the DEA for failing since at least 2006 to file annual reports to Congress about these stings, known as Attorney General Exempted Operations. That rebuke, coupled with the embarrassment brought on by Irizarry’s confession, prompted DEA Administrator Anne Milgram to order an outside review of the agency’s foreign operations, which is ongoing.

This photo provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration shows U.S. currency confiscated in “Operation White Wash” in 2016.

“In the vast majority of these operations, nobody is watching,” said Bonnie Klapper, a former federal prosecutor in New York and outspoken critic of DEA money laundering. “In the Irizarry operation, nobody cared how much money they were laundering. Nobody cared that they weren’t making any cases. Nobody was minding the house. There were no controls.” 

Rob Feitel, another former federal prosecutor, said the DEA’s lax oversight made it easy to divert funds for all kinds of unapproved purposes. And as long as money seizures kept driving stats higher — a low bar given abundant supply — few questions were asked.

“The other agents aren’t stupid. They knew there were no controls and a lot of them could have done what Irizarry did,” said Feitel, who represents a former DEA agent under scrutiny in the inquiry. “The line that separates Irizarry from the others is he did it with both hands and he did it over and over and over. He didn’t just test the waters, he took a full bath in it.”

Irizarry, who speaks in a smooth patter that seamlessly switches between English and Spanish, was a federal air marshal and Border Patrol agent before joining the DEA in 2009. He said he learned the tricks of the trade as a DEA rookie from veteran cops who came up in New York City in the 1990s when cocaine flooded American streets. 

But another key part of his education came from Diego Marín, a longtime U.S. informant known to investigators as Colombia’s “Contraband King” for allegedly laundering dope money through imported appliances and other goods. Irizarry said Marín taught him better than any agent ever could the nuances of the black-market peso exchange used by narcotraffickers across the world. 

Irizarry parlayed that knowledge into a life of luxury that prosecutors say was bankrolled by $9 million he and his Colombian co-conspirators diverted from money laundering investigations. 

Jose Irizarry, a once-standout DEA agent sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian cartel, stands for a portrait during an interview in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jan. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

To further the scheme, Irizarry filed false reports and ordered DEA staff to wire money slated for undercover stings to international accounts he and associates controlled. Hardened informants who kept a hefty commission from every cash transfer sanctioned by the DEA also stepped in to fund some of the revelry in what amounted to illegal kickbacks. 

Irizarry’s spending habits quickly began to mimic the ostentatious tastes of the narcos he was tasked with targeting, with spoils including a $30,000 Tiffany diamond ring for his wife, luxury sports cars and a $767,000 home in the Colombian resort city of Cartagena. He’d travel first class to Europe with Louis Vuitton luggage and wearing a gold Hublot watch.

“I was very good at what I did but I became somebody I wasn’t. … I became a different man,” Irizarry said. “I got caught up in the lifestyle. I got caught up with the informants and partying.”

Irizarry contends as many as 90% of his group’s work trips were “bogus,” dictated by partying and sporting events, not real work. And he says the U.S. government money that helped pay for it was justified in reports as “case-related — but that’s a very vague term.”

Case in point: an August 2014 trip to Madrid for the Spanish Supercup soccer finals that was charged as an expense to Operation White Wash. 

But Irizarry told investigators there was little actual work to be done other than courtesy calls to a few friendly Spanish cops. Instead, he said, agents spent their time dining at pricey restaurants — racking up a 1,000-euro bill at one — and enjoying field-side seats for the championship match between Real and Atletico Madrid.

Joining the posse of agents at the game was Michael J. Garofola, a then-Miami federal prosecutor and erstwhile contestant on “The Bachelorette” who posted a thumbs-up photo on Instagram standing next to Irizarry and another agent — all clad in white Real Madrid jerseys. 

“Soaking up the last bit of Spanish culture before saying adios,” he posted a few days later outside a pub. 

Irizarry alleged that Garofola also joined agents, cartel informants and others in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo in 2014 for a night at a strip club called Doll House. In a memo to the court seeking a reduction in his sentence, Irizarry recalled being in the VIP room with another agent and Garofola, racking up a $2,300 bill paid for by a violent emissary of Marín with a menacing nickname to match: Iguana.

Garofola said the trips included official business and he was told everything was being paid for out of DEA funds.

“There were things about those trips that made me question why I was there,” Garofola told AP. “But Irizarry totally used me to ratify this behavior. I was brand new and green and eager to work money laundering cases. He used me just by my being there.”

Jose Irizarry, a once-standout DEA agent sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian cartel, speaks during an interview in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jan. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

When Irizarry was awarded with a transfer to Cartagena in 2015, the party followed. The agent’s rooftop pool, with sweeping ocean views, became an obligatory stop for visiting agents and prosecutors from the U.S.

One that Irizarry recalls seeing there was Marisa Darden, a prosecutor from Cleveland who he says traveled to Colombia in September 2017 and was at a gathering where he witnessed two DEA agents taking ecstasy. Irizarry says he didn’t see Darden taking drugs. 

Federal authorities have taken a keen interest in that party, quizzing Irizarry about it as recently as this summer. At least one DEA agent who attended has been placed on administrative leave. 

Darden went on to become a partner in a high-powered Cleveland law firm and last year was nominated by President Joe Biden to be the first Black woman U.S. attorney in northern Ohio. But soon after she was confirmed, Darden abruptly withdrew in May, citing only “the importance of prioritizing family.”

Darden refused to answer questions from AP but her attorney said in a statement that she “cooperated fully” with the federal investigation into “alleged illegal activity by federal agents,” an inquiry separate from the FBI background check she faced in the confirmation process.

“There is no evidence that she participated in any illegal activity,” Darden’s attorney, James Wooley, wrote in an email to AP. 

A White House official said the allegations did not come up in the vetting process. And U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat who put Darden’s name up for the post, was also unaware of the allegations in the nomination process, his office said, and had he known “would have withdrawn his support.”

Another federal prosecutor named by Irizarry and questioned by federal agents was Monique Botero, who was recently promoted to head the narcotics division at the U.S. attorney’s office in Miami. Irizarry told investigators and the AP that Botero joined a group of agents, informants, Colombian police and prostitutes for a party on a luxury yacht. 

Botero’s lawyers acknowledge she was on the yacht in September 2015 for what she thought was a cruise organized by local police, but they say “categorically and unequivocally, Monique never saw or participated in anything illegal or unethical.”

“Irizarry has admitted that he lied to everyone around him for various nefarious reasons. These lies about Monique are part of a similar pattern,” said her attorney, Benjamin Greenberg. “It is appalling that Monique is being maligned and defamed by someone as disgraced as Irizarry.” 

Irizarry’s downfall was as sudden as it was inevitable — the outgrowth of a lavish lifestyle that raised too many eyebrows, even among colleagues willing to bend the rules themselves. Eventually, he was betrayed by one of his closest confidants, a Venezuelan-American informant who confessed to diverting funds from the undercover stings.

“José’s problem is that he took things to the point of stupidity and trashed the party for everyone else,” said one defense attorney who traveled with Irizarry and other agents. “But there’s no doubt he didn’t act alone.”

Jose Irizarry, a once-standout DEA agent sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian cartel, speaks during an interview in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jan. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Since his arrest, Irizarry has written a self-published book titled “Getting Back on Track,” part of his attempt to own up to his mistakes and pursue a simpler path after bringing so much shame upon himself and his family.

Recently, his Colombian-born wife — who was spared jail time on a money laundering charge in exchange for Irizarry’s confession — told him she was seeking a divorce.

Adding to Irizarry’s despair is that he is still the only one to pay such a heavy price for a pattern of misconduct that he says the DEA allowed to fester. To date, prosecutors have yet to charge any other agents, and several former colleagues have quietly retired rather than endure the disgrace of possibly being fired.

“I’ve told them everything I know,” Irizarry said. “All they have to do is dig.” 

Source: AP and the guardian

    Accra, GH
    Sunday, October 1, 2023
    light rain
    26 ° c
    75%
    14.16mh
    35%
    28 c 24 c
    Mon
    28 c 26 c
    Tue
    28 c 24 c
    Wed
    28 c 25 c
    Thu
    Intelligence from “5eyes” partners help Canada link India to Sikh murder – USA

    Intelligence from “5eyes” partners help Canada link India to Sikh murder – USA

    24 September, 2023.
    0
    0

    Information shared by members of an intelligence-sharing alliance was part of what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used to make...

    Surgeons perform pig heart transplant on man in Maryland

    Surgeons perform pig heart transplant on man in Maryland

    22 September, 2023.
    0
    0

    Surgeons have transplanted a pig’s heart into a dying man in a bid to prolong his life – only the...

    USA: Recalled of  ground beef amid E.Coli

    USA: Recalled of ground beef amid E.Coli

    20 September, 2023.
    0
    0

    Nearly 30 tons of ground beef have been recalled in three states for possibly containing a deadly food poisoning bug....

    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    The truth about nitro-meats: my seven-year search for better bacon

    18 September, 2023.
    0
    0

    I didn’t realise quite how much I loved bacon, pancetta, chorizo and ham until the World Health Organization added processed...

    USA: Las Vegas police arrest man in Tupac Shakur shooting case
    Breaking News

    USA: Las Vegas police arrest man in Tupac Shakur shooting case

    29 September, 2023.
    0
    0

    Las Vegas police have arrested a man in the deadly 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur, a long-awaited break in a...

    Read more
    I Will Resurrect Mohbad If Allowed To See His Body – Cleric Claims
    Entertainment

    I Will Resurrect Mohbad If Allowed To See His Body – Cleric Claims

    26 September, 2023.
    0
    0

    A cleric has boasted that he is capable of resurrecting the late Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, aka Mohbad, if given the...

    Read more
    Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas
    Entertainment

    Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas

    24 September, 2023.
    0
    0

    Usher has a new confession: The Grammy winner will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in Las Vegas. The NFL, Apple...

    Read more
    Kylie Jenner’s beau Travis Scott donates $1million to college students
    Breaking News

    Travis Scott is questioned over crowd surge at Texas festival

    20 September, 2023.
    0
    0

    Rap star Travis Scott was questioned for several hours on Monday. The star was in a civil deposition he gave...

    Read more
    USA: Las Vegas police arrest man in Tupac Shakur shooting case
    Breaking News

    USA: Las Vegas police arrest man in Tupac Shakur shooting case

    Las Vegas police have arrested a man in the deadly 1996 drive-by shooting of Tupac Shakur, a long-awaited break in a...

    29 September, 2023.
    0
    New York: 8 inches of rain may fall by end of day, mayor says
    Breaking News

    New York: 8 inches of rain may fall by end of day, mayor says

    New York City mayor Eric Adams is holding a press conference on the ongoing storm in the city.  “This is...

    29 September, 2023.
    0
    Democrats Sen.Feinstein dies at 90 in Washington.D.C
    Breaking News

    Democrats Sen.Feinstein dies at 90 in Washington.D.C

     U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a centrist Democrat and champion of liberal causes who was elected to the Senate in 1992...

    29 September, 2023.
    0
    Former President Trump indicted on classified documents
    Breaking News

    Trump committed fraud by inflating his wealth

    A New York judge has ruled that Donald Trumpcommitted fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him...

    26 September, 2023.
    0
    United Auto Workers expands their strike but few workers are involved
    Automobile

    United Auto Workers expands their strike but few workers are involved

    24 September, 2023.
    0
    SpaceX employees fired after writing letter criticizing Elon Musk
    Business

    Elon Musk says Twitter, now X, could charge all users subscription fees

    20 September, 2023.
    0
    Apple’s new iPhone 14 series is rumoured to be unveiled next month
    Business

    iOS 17 release: everything you need to know about Apple’s big updates

    18 September, 2023.
    0
    Tik Tok is hit with €345m fine
    Business

    Tik Tok is hit with €345m fine

    16 September, 2023.
    0
    World’s biggest lithium reservoir found in McDermitt Caldera in Nevada
    Technology

    World’s biggest lithium reservoir found in McDermitt Caldera in Nevada

    11 September, 2023.
    0
    • AdChoices
    • Advertise
    • About

    © 2023 Nsemgh | All Rights Reserved.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • World News
    • Local News
    • Business
    • Entertainment
      • Religion
    • Technology
      • Architecture
      • Automobile
    • Features
      • Opinion
      • Announcement
      • Obituary
    • Health
    • Life Style
      • Fashion
    • Sports
      • World Sport
      • Local Sport
    • More
      • TV
      • Market
    • Advertise with Us

    © 2023 Nsemgh | All Rights Reserved.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms bellow to register

    *By registering, you agree to the Terms of Use, Community Guidelines and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In

    Add New Playlist

    you're currently offline

    We use cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.