A former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent was sentenced to 145 months or more than 12 years in prison on Thursday for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian drug cartel.

Ex-DEA agent Jose Irizarry and his wife Nathalia Gomez-Irizarry were arrested in San Juan, Puerto Rico in February 2020 after they were accused of laundering money for a Colombian drug cartel, The Hill reported.

Authorities alleged that the couple was involved in a seven-year ploy of diverting around $9 million from undercover DEA money laundering investigations into banks.

Irizarry and his family were believed to have received at least $1 million in kickbacks for their involvement, which was used to purchase luxury cars, jewelry, and a home, the Justice Department said in a statement.

In September 2020, Irizarry and his wife pleaded guilty to 19 charges, which included conspiracy to commit money laundering, honest services wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

As part of the plea agreement, Irizarry has been ordered to pay $11,233 in restitution and forfeit a diamond ring and luxury sports car he bought with the money he received.

In a statement, Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS-Criminal Investigation said Irizarry's actions represent an egregious breach of the public trust. However, he noted that it was in "no way a reflection of the majority of special agents who serve with honor and integrity."

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Former DEA Agent Admits Conspiring With a Colombian Drug Cartel

The former DEA agent admitted to his crimes and actions, but he blamed his former colleagues at the DEA for fostering a culture of corruption that "desensitized him" to the implications of violating the law, ABC News Go reported.

Irizarry's attorney, Maria Dominguez, said in court that when the former DEA agent joined the agency, he was schooled in how to be corrupt and break the law.

U.S. District Court Judge Charlene Honeywell condemned the agency during the handing down of her sentence. Honeywell slammed the DEA for its failures, adding that other agents corrupted by "the allure of easy money" also needed to be probed.

The judge said Irizarry was caught, but it was apparent that there were others. Irizarry's case also raised questions about whether his colleagues in the Miami field office had abused the badge as well.

The agents handle confidential informants who move tens of millions of dollars in dirty money yearly under the DEA's supervision. 

Documents in Relation to Case of Ex-DEA Jose Irizarry

The judge recently sealed "sensitive" documents filed in the criminal case, U.S. News reported. Honeywell noted that disclosing the contents of the documents could hamper an ongoing criminal investigation, with targets fleeing and hindering cooperation from other witnesses.

There have been reports of misconduct in DEA over the recent years, with agents being charged with wire fraud and bribery. Some of the agents also faced charges regarding selling firearms to drug traffickers.

Four months ago, another DEA agent Chad Scott was sentenced to more than 13 years for stealing money from suspects. Scott was also charged with falsifying government records and committing perjury.

When the DEA hired him, Irizarry was allowed to handle sensitive financial transactions even after he failed a polygraph exam. 

He was given the job even if he also declared bankruptcy and kept close ties to a suspected money launderer who became the godfather of the agent's twin daughters with his Colombian wife.

READ MORE: Colombia's Most-Wanted Drug Lord Dairo Antonio Usuga Arrested; Pres. Ivan Duque Likened It to Capture of Pablo Escobar 

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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