DEA Nails CBP Agents

The Drug Enforcement Administration has its hands full dealing with narcotraffickers in other countries and drug dealers at home. So it's really unfortunate when the agency also has to apprehend people who should be its allies -- agents in other federal agencies. DEA reported Wednesday that it had arrested Customs and Border Protection officers Walter Golembiowski and John Ajello on charges related to narcotics importation and bribery conspiracy.

The CBP officers are alleged to have assisted in clearing shipments of hashish, other controlled substances, and counterfeit goods through Customs operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

“Smuggling any kind of illegal commodity raises troubling issues at a time of deep concern over national security," said Michael J. Garcia, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "The threat is heightened when a government official accepts bribes to help smugglers breach our borders. Thanks to the tireless work of our law enforcement partners, including internal investigators from DHS and ICE, these defendants will no longer be able to profit from their corruption of the public trust.”