One of the most notoriously corrupt agents in the history of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s history says he was one of many who skimmed millions and partied like the criminals they were trying to nab.
Jose Irizarry, whose 12-year federal prison sentence begins this week, told the Associated Press in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that he is going down swinging and has named a number of former colleagues who he says were at least as bad as he was. “We had free access to do whatever we wanted,” Irizarry, 48, was quoted saying. “We would generate money pick-ups in places we wanted to go. And once we got there it was about drinking and girls.”
He claims that federal agents, prosecutors, and informants all worked together to swindle the U.S. government and bilk money meant to trap Columbian cartels in what he said was an “unwinnable war.”
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“DEA knows this and the agents know this,” Irizarry said. “There’s so much dope leaving Colombia. And there’s so much money. We know we’re not making a difference.”
Irizarry, who pleaded guilty to 19 counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering, honest services wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft in 2020, said that at a certain point among his closest team members, there was “minimal concern” or effort to build cases to stem the cocaine and opioids pouring into the U.S.
“The drug war is a game,” he told the AP. “It was a very fun game that we were playing.”
Former agents and team members call Irizarry’s account “fictional,” including George Zoumberos, one of his former partners in the Miami-based Group 4 team. Zoumberos and Irizarry traveled the world to investigate cartel-tied money laundering, and Irizarry accused his former partner of grievous corruption, telling the AP that he enjoyed “unfettered access” to what are called “commission funds” in the business. Irizarry claims Zoumberos and others instead tapped those funds and made up names in DEA reports to justify personal spending, which often included trips to find prostitutes and follow Real Madrid soccer matches.
Zoumberos, who was once arrested on allegations of sexual assault in Madrid, denies the claims. He resigned after the DEA stripped him of his gun, badge, and security clearance for refusing to comply with a grand jury investigation, instead pleading his Fifth Amendment rights.
Irizarry will have to serve his sentence, but he says he feels vindicated after the U.S. Justice Department started trying to corroborate his accusations, despite previously calling him a rogue agent. The feds have questioned two dozen current and former agents and prosecutors fingered by Irizarry, according to the AP. Among those questioned are three current federal prosecutors, including one who the AP described only as having appeared on “The Bachelorette.” Irizarry’s confessions have triggered an investigation into the force, which counts 4,600 agents.
“Irizarry betrayed his oath to serve and instead used his position to further the criminal activities of a violent drug cartel while enriching himself,” Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS-Criminal Investigation said at the time of his sentencing. “While his actions represent an egregious breach of the public trust, they are in no way a reflection of the overwhelming majority of special agents who serve with honor and integrity. IRS-CI will take every step necessary to ferret out those who cave into temptation and grossly misuse their power.”
In addition to a more than 12-year prison sentence, Irizarry was also ordered to pay $11,233 in restitution and forfeit a diamond ring and a luxury sports car.
