DEA's Mexico chief quietly removed over ties to drug lawyers
Source: Associated Press
DEA’s Mexico chief quietly removed over ties to drug lawyers
By JOSHUA GOODMAN and JIM MUSTIAN
January 27, 2023
MIAMI (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration quietly removed its 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 socializing and vacationing with Miami drug lawyers, detailed in confidential records viewed by The Associated Press, brought his ultimate downfall after just a year as DEA’s powerful regional director supervising dozens of agents across Mexico, Central America and Canada.
But separate internal probes raised other red flags, including complaints of lax handling of the coronavirus pandemic that resulted in two sickened agents having to be airlifted out of the country. And another disclosed this past week found Palmeri approved use of drug-fighting funds for inappropriate purposes and sought to be reimbursed to pay for his own birthday party.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-mexico-miami-c572727a7e7c740dde5e4da280de40b6
This portion of a photo posted on Twitter by the DEA's New York division on Aug 30, 2019 shows Nicholas Palmeri. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration quietly removed Palmeri, its top official in Mexico, in 2022 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. (DEA)