The DEA allegedly had "sex parties" with prostitutes in Colombia procured by local drug cartels for years, the Justice Department said in a Thursday report.
The Washington Post reported that the scandal looks worse than the Secret Service's 2012 prostitution episode in Cartagena, Colombia — which forced 10 agents out of their jobs — and noted that the two incidents might be somewhat connected; during the 2012 investigation, one Secret Service agent told investigators he'd patroned a prostitute after attending an informal party with DEA agents in Colombia.
The "sex parties" revelation came to light, however, during a much broader investigation by the Justice Department of several federal law enforcement agencies that included the DEA, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Ten DEA agents were alleged to have participated in the parties, which took place primarily at one agent's government-funded quarters. Seven admitted to attending. They were punished with suspensions of two to 10 days.
"Although some of the DEA agents participating in these parties denied it, the information in the case file suggested they should have known the prostitutes in attendance were paid with cartel funds," Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz wrote in the report.
The investigation focused on how the agencies handled sexual harassment and misconduct allegations from 2009 to 2012, and not on specific instances of allegations.
The Justice Department said the investigation was initially delayed due to "incomplete" information provided by the FBI and DEA.
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