The report, issued by the DOJ Inspector General, states seven DEA agents admitted participating in orgies with prostitutes hired by drug traffickers over a period of several years. Although the report does not specify in which country this occurred, a law enforcement source familiar with the matter told the Washington Post it happened in Colombia.
“Although some of the DEA agents participating in these parties denied it, the information in the case file suggested they should have known the prostitutes in attendance were paid with cartel funds,” the report states, adding it was “common for prostitutes to be present at business meetings involving cartel members and foreign officers.”
Former Colombian police officers also accuse three DEA supervisors of taking money, expensive gifts, and weapons from drug cartel members. Additionally, two DEA special agents allegedly purchased the services of prostitutes for a farewell party thrown for a senior agency assistant regional director. The report noted “allegations [that] operational funds were used to pay for the party and the prostitutes.” The report also states a prostitute was allegedly assaulted by someone associated with DEA supervisors during a payment dispute.
The sex parties occurred in government-leased residential quarters where “agents’ laptops, BlackBerry devices and other government-issued equipment were present,” creating a security risk and “potentially exposing them to extortion, blackmail, or coercion,” the report states.
“The misconduct occurred for several years while these special agents held Top Secret clearances,” the report says. “Many of these agents were alleged to have engaged in this high-risk sexual behavior while at their government-leased quarters, raising the possibility that DEA equipment and information also may have been compromised as a result of the agents’ conduct.”
The DOJ inspector general’s office compiled its report in response to congressional inquiries following the 2012 Secret Service and DEA prostitution scandal in Cartagena, Colombia, which occurred during President Barack Obama’s visit to the South American country.
More broadly, the IG investigation focused on the handling of sexual harassment and misconduct allegations at the DEA, FBI, US Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said the probe was “significantly impacted and unnecessarily delayed” due to a lack of cooperation from the DEA and FBI. Horowitz also accused the DEA, FBI and Marshals Service of failing to properly investigate allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct.
According to the report, there were 26 allegations of DEA agents soliciting prostitutes abroad between 2009 and 2012.
