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U.S. NEWS Saturday 22 February 2020

AP Exclusive: DEA agent accused of conspiring with cartel

By JOSHUA GOODMAN endary among agents
and JIM MUSTIAN But prior to being exposed,
MIAMI (AP) — A once- Irizarry had been a model
standout U.S. federal nar- agent, winning awards
cotics agent known for and praise from his supervi-
spending lavishly on luxury sors. While an agent in Mi-
cars and Tiffany jewelry has ami beginning in 2009, he
been arrested on charges was entrusted with an un-
of conspiring to launder dercover money launder-
money with the same Co- ing operation using front
lombian drug cartel he was companies, shell bank ac-
supposed to be fighting. counts and couriers. Irizarry
The FBI arrested Jose Irizar- resigned in January 2018
ry and his wife, Nathalia after being reassigned to
Gomez-Irizarry, Friday at Washington when his boss
their home near San Juan, in Colombia became suspi-
Puerto Rico, according to cious
a law enforcement official "It's a black eye for the DEA
familiar with the case. to have one of its own en-
In an indictment unsealed gaged in such a high level
Friday, federal prosecutors of corruption," said Mike
in Tampa, Florida, accuse Vigil, the DEA's former Chief
Irizarry of "secretly using of International Operations.
his position and his special He credited federal author-
access to information" to ities, however, for identify-
divert millions in drug pro- ing the scheme and bring-
ceeds from DEA control. ing charges.
Prosecutors allege the con- The case has raised con-
spiracy not only enriched cerns within the DEA that
Irizarry but benefited two the conspiracy may have
unindicted co-conspirators, compromised undercov- This June 13, 2016 file photo shows Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in Florida.
neither of whom is named er operations and upend Associated Press
in the indictment. One was criminal cases.
employed as a Colom- "His fingerprints are all over riors, all while directing DEA Puerto Rico, where the cou- naventura, a major tran-
bian public official while dozens of arrests and in- personnel to wire funds ple has been living. To hide sit point for cocaine and
the other was described as dictment," said David S. reserved for undercover his tracks, Irizarry allegedly contraband goods used
the Colombian head of a Weinstein, a former fed- stings to accounts in Spain, opened a bank account in to conceal the proceeds
drug trafficking and money eral prosecutor in Miami. "It the Netherlands and else- someone else's name and of narcotics sales. Before
laundering organization could have a ripple effect where that he controlled or used the victim's forged sig- her arrest, Ambuila shared
who became the godfa- and cause courts to re- were tied to his wife and his nature and Social Security photos and videos of her-
ther to the Irizarry couple's examine any case he was co-conspirators. number. self on Facebook posing
children in 2015. Irizarry was involved in." He's also accused of shar- It also funded the purchase next to the red sports car,
posted to the Colombian Irizarry and his wife posted ing sensitive law enforce- in Miami of a 2017 Lambo- which is valued at more
resort city of Cartagena at $10,000 bond each and ment information with his rghini Huracan Spyder on than $300,000.
the time. were released. The DEA co-conspirators. behalf of a family member The indictment was hand-
When The Associated referred comment to the Proceeds from the alleged of co-conspirator 2. ed up a week after anoth-
Press revealed the scale Justice Department and scheme funded a veritable A red Lamborghini with the er former DEA agent was
of Irizarry's alleged wrong- messages to Irizarry's attor- spending spree. It included same vehicle ID named in sentenced to four years in
doing last year, it sent ney were not immediately the purchase of a $30,000 the indictment belongs to federal prison for his role in
shockwaves through the returned. Tiffany diamond ring, a Jenny Ambuila, who was a decade long drug con-
DEA, where his ostentatious Starting around 2011, Irizar- BMW and Land Rover as arrested last year in Colom- spiracy that involved the
habits and tales of raucous ry allegedly used the cover well as a $760,000 home bia along with her father, smuggling of thousands of
yacht parties with bikini- of his badge to file false re- in Cartagena as well as Oma Ambuila, a customs kilograms of cocaine from
clad prostitutes were leg- ports and mislead his supe- homes in south Florida and agent in the port of Bue- Puerto Rico to New York.q