(Tampa) A US special narcotics agent was sentenced Thursday to more than 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian cartel.
But even though José Irizarry admitted his crimes, he blamed his former colleagues at the US Anti-Drug Agency (DEA) for fostering a culture of corruption that desensitized him to the implications of breaking the law.
“When my client joined the DEA, he was taught to be corrupt, to break the law,” his lawyer, María Dominguez, told the court. “In this alternate universe, it has become easier and less suspect to accept money and gifts” from criminal informants who worked with America’s leading narcotics agency.
In handing down her sentence, Judge Charlene Honeywell expressed her distaste for the DEA’s failings and said other agents corrupted by “the lure of easy money” should also be investigated.
“This has to stop,” said the judge. “You are the one who got caught, but it is obvious to this tribunal that there are others.”
The DEA declined to comment on Mr. Irizarry’s claims.
“Former Special Agent Irizarry abused the trust of the American people when he repeatedly violated his oath as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer,” said Anne Milgram, the new administrator of the United States. agency, in a press release. “Bringing him to justice reflects the principles of those who faithfully serve and uphold the values of the DEA.”
Mr Irizarry’s allegations highlight the porosity of surveillance he was subjected to throughout his career, during which the government entrusted him with the use of shell companies, fictitious bank accounts and couriers to fight against international drug trafficking.
The allegations also raise new questions as to whether his colleagues in the Miami office, where Mr. Irizarry’s criminal activity began, also abused their status as DEA agents in their treatment of confidential informants who, every year move tens of millions of dollars of dirty money under the supervision of the US drug agency
In documents filed in court, María Dominguez revealed that since her client’s arrest last year, Mr. Irizarry has met with prosecutors for “endless hours” to provide them with information on the criminal activities of “fellow officers. the police who initiated him into a life of crime ”.
Justice Charlene Honeywell recently sealed “sensitive” documents filed in connection with the criminal case, saying their disclosure could potentially hamper an ongoing criminal investigation, cause targets to flee and prevent cooperation from other witnesses . So far, apart from Mr. Irizarry’s wife, Nathalia Gomez-Irizarry, and a Colombian customs employee, no one else has been charged in this case.
In a report released this summer, the Inspector General of the US Department of Justice criticized the DEA for failing to properly oversee undercover operations such as those involving Mr. Irizarry, which are supposed to be closely watched. Following the blame, which followed a string of scandals involving agents overseas, agency administrator Anne Milgram ordered an external review of the agency’s foreign operations, which is ongoing.
The DEA has been rocked by repeated cases of misconduct in recent years, including by officers accused of wire fraud, bribery and the sale of firearms to drug traffickers. Thursday’s hearing came just four months after another longtime DEA agent Chad Scott was sentenced to more than 13 years behind bars for stealing money from suspects, tampering with records government officials and perjury.
The US drug agency hired Mr Irizarry and allowed him to handle sensitive financial transactions, even after he failed a polygraph exam, declared bankruptcy and kept close ties to a suspected money launderer who was going become the godfather of his twin girls with his Colombian wife.
Last year, Mr. Irizarry pleaded guilty to 19 federal counts, including bank fraud, admitting to taking advantage of his money laundering expertise to lead a life of luxury which prosecutors say was funded by $ 9 million that he and his co-conspirators hijacked from covert money laundering investigations.
The loot included a $ 30,000 Tiffany diamond ring for his wife, luxury sports cars, and a $ 767,000 home in the Caribbean resort town of Cartagena – plus residences in South Florida and Puerto Rico. Before he resigned in 2018, Mr Irizarry’s ostentatious habits and accounts of rowdy yacht parties had become well known to DEA agents and prosecutors he worked with.
To further the system, prosecutors said Mr Irizarry was filling out false reports and ordering DEA staff to wire money intended for undercover operations into international accounts he controlled with associates. Prosecutors say the money should have been closely monitored by the DEA in covert money laundering investigations.
Mr. Irizarry said the bank accounts in question constituted a profit-generating “slush” for the official and personal travel of federal law enforcement officials, US prosecutors and confidential sources.
Lawyer MaríaDominguez said Mr. Irizarry accepted full responsibility for his actions, but his part in the conspiracy never exceeded $ 600,000.
During Thursday’s sentencing, Jose Irizarry broke down in tears as he addressed the court, saying the biggest punishment was not being able to explain to his two young daughters why he was leaving for so long. He added that when he became a federal law enforcement officer twenty years ago, he did so with a sense of great pride.
“Unfortunately, there came a time when I made a decision that went against the person I was, that harmed my wife and brought shame to my country,” he said. . “I should have known better and I didn’t. I have failed “.