Recio and Costanzo join a growing list of more than a dozen DEA agents convicted of federal charges in recent years, including one who laundered money for…
The two join a growing list of more than a dozen DEA agents convicted of federal charges in recent years, including one who laundered money for Colombian cartels, and another facing charges he took $250,000 in bribes to protect the Mafia in BuffaloA federal jury convicted two longtime U.S.
Recio repeatedly asked Costanzo to query names in a confidential DEA database to keep abreast of federal investigations that would interest his new employers. The two also discussed the timing of high-profile arrests and the exact date in 2019 when prosecutors planned to bring charges against businessman Alex Saab, a top criminal target in Venezuela and suspected bag man for the country's president, Nicolas Maduro.
“Over and over they concealed and lied,” Deininger said. “Recio and Costanzo cared so much about the money that they put people and investigations at risk." The defense also attacked the credibility of key witness Jorge Hernández, a career criminal and snitch who first implicated Recio and wore a wire for the FBI to record him. Hernández, a beefy, bald-headed figure known by the Spanish nickname Boliche – bowling ball – said he had been blacklisted as an informant by the DEA and would be executed within “two hours” should he ever return to his native Colombia.
The proceedings were notable for other prominent figures who avoided charges, including Miami defense lawyers Luis Guerra and David Macey, who were mentioned repeatedly yet not called as witnesses.
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