Our Drug Problem

Dear Readers, In our unending “War on Drugs,” we ask officers to go undercover, surrounded by drugs, opulence, and (in the case of men) women.  Temptations abound, and the lure of the “dark side” is strong.  The cross-current might be our kryptonite to overcoming this social scourge.

Diego Marin ruled from the perch of an international money laundering operation for the Cali drug cartel.  He employed hit men to brutally enforce obedience to his authority. 

Marin was also protected by Drug Enforcement Agents (“DEA”), as a paid informant, while he was expanding his criminal empire.  According to the IRS, his endeavors generated upwards of $100 million in annual revenues.  And, he had at least one Special Agent on the dole, corrupted by the lure of the glitzy international drug-dealer lifestyle. 

José Irizarry was hired as a bilingual Special Agent in 2009 and posted to Cartagena.  He gained Diego Marin’s trust and, in doing so, also crossed the legal and ethical line. 

In 2011, the DEA launched a sting operation called “White Wash,” of which Irizarry was a part.  The goal was to dismantle international money laundering operations like Diego Marin’s.  It operated “off books” without normal bureaucratic oversight.  Quickly, it became a legal protection racket – Marin provided information on his competitors, and the DEA shielded him from criminal scrutiny.

By 2013, Irizarry was being showered with gifts, like a $750K condo and a Tiffany ring for his Colombian wife… while also having his mistress paid a monthly stipend. This description of payola only scratches the surface.  They were so close, one internal government record said Marín “viewed Irizarry like a son.”  Irizarry went so far as to have Marin be the “godfather” of his twin children.

The “drug-life” caught up with Irizarry in 2016.  He tried to deter Colombian customs authorities from investigating shipments of what turned out to be $3 million in contraband liquor, cigarettes and clothing.  His attempt to convince them that this was a part of a DEA operation fell on deaf ears.  Not only did his attempt at sleight of hand fail, but it also got him booted out of the country by the U.S. ambassador.  Four years later, he was indicted and pled guilty to 19 counts of money laundering and was sentenced to 12½ years in prison.

The “White Wash” sting was an abject failure.  Irizarry was the only one charged, although more than a dozen agents were disciplined or investigated.  While he admitted he “messed up,” he also made an ominous claim to the Associated Press: “The indictment paints a picture of me, the corrupt agent that did this entire scheme. But it doesn’t talk about the rest of DEA. I wasn’t the mastermind.”

Irizarry’s conviction failed to put a dent in Diego Marin’s empire; he kept raking in the money and was all but “untouchable.”  Colombian Gen. Juan Carlos Buitrago was hot on Marin’s trail until being forced into retirement with rumors of a $5 million bounty on his head.  Colombian media reports Marín provided a private plane and an illegal $125,000 campaign donation in 2022 towards President Gustavo Petro’s successful Presidential election.  He had wormed his way into the government power structure.

Last year, Marin was finally arrested in Spain on bribery charges concerning smuggling worldwide, even in China.  He bonded out and fled to Portugal, where he was rearrested and is awaiting an asylum ruling.

Meanwhile, Marin had continued to be a major contributor to the flow of illegal drugs into this county, over a decade after he had been targeted in a phony DEA “White Wash” sting operation.  He was aided by our very law enforcement.

The lesson from this tale is that solving our drug problem with enhanced criminal attention may not be a rational goal.  The road to enforcing our criminal laws is potted with men and women of weak moral fiber.  We are victims of the foibles of our fellow countrymen and women. 

Our legal system cannot solve this horrific social problem.  Our thirst for illegal drugs, coupled with a crisis of character, undermines our laws.  There is too much money in play and too many weak-willed people.  We are not going to solve the rot of drug abuse until we aggressively stare at our mirrored images and address the consumption/addiction side of abuse.

Warner Robins attorney Jim Rockefeller is the former Chief Assistant District Attorney for Houston County, and a former Assistant State Attorney in Miami.  Owner of Rockefeller Law Center, Jim has been in private practice since 2000.  E-mail your comments or confidential legal questions to ajr@rockefellerlawcenter.com.