Inspector general report: Drug cartels funded DEA sex parties

Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration are alleged to have had sexual escapades with prostitutes hired by drug cartels, based on a detailed report released Thursday by the Justice Department’s inspector general.

The report focuses on sexual harassment and misconduct inside the DEA and other agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The 97-page report includes allegations by a police officer in a host country that several DEA agents, including an assistant regional director, solicited prostitutes and engaged in other misconduct while in the country. The “sex parties” were funded by the local drug cartels for these DEA agents at their government-leased quarters over a period of several years, according to the report.

The Washington Post, citing unnamed government officials, identified the country as Colombia. Members of the Secret Service were caught soliciting prostitutes there in 2012 ahead of a visit by President Barack Obama.

Some of the DEA agents accused of participating in these parties denied involvement.

“Ultimately, seven of the 10 agents admitted attending parties with prostitutes,” according to the report. The agents’ punishments included suspensions between two and 10 days. One agent was cleared of any wrongdoing.

The report says the agents should have known that prostitutes were in attendance and that they were paid with cartel funds, according to the inspector general’s report.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, called the report “truly stunning.”

“Let there be no mistake this is a national security threat. While the vast majority of employees do quality work, the bad apples highlighted in the report taint their service. We need to hold them accountable and, given the clear evidence in the OIG report, they should be fired immediately,” Chaffetz said.