DEA boss ousted for corruption

The US Drug Enforcement Administration quietly ousted its former top official in Mexico last year over improper contact with lawyers for narcotraffickers – an embarrassing end to a brief tenure marked by deteriorating cooperation between the countries, and a record flow of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl across the border.

Nicholas Palmeri’s socialising and vacationing with Miami drug lawyers, detailed in confidential records viewed by The Associated Press, brought about his downfall following just a 14-month stint as the DEA’s powerful regional director, supervising dozens of agents across Mexico, Central America and Canada.

But separate internal probes raised other red flags, including that Palmeri approved the use of drug-fighting funds for inappropriate purposes, and sought to be reimbursed for the costs of his birthday party.

Palmeri’s case adds to a growing litany of misconduct roiling America’s premier narcotics law enforcement agency. A disgraced former agent, Jose Irizarry, is serving a 12-year federal prison sentence after confessing to laundering money for Colombian drug cartels and skimming millions from seizures to fund an international joyride of jetsetting, parties and prostitutes.

Palmeri’s is the second case in recent months to shine a light on the often cosy interactions between DEA officials and Miami lawyers representing some of Latin America’s biggest drug traffickers and money launderers.

Last year, federal prosecutors charged a DEA agent and a former supervisor with leaking confidential law enforcement information to two unnamed Miami defence lawyers in exchange for cash. One of those lawyers was also implicated in the probe into Palmeri.

Palmeri described the misconduct investigations as a ‘‘witch hunt’’ prompted by personal and professional jealousies.