WASHINGTON--For years, Drug Enforcement Administration agents posted abroad engaged in sex parties involving prostitutes who were supplied by local drug cartels, a Justice Department review found Thursday.

The Justice inspector general's inquiry, which examined how federal law enforcement agencies handled sexual misconduct and harassment reports, concluded that seven of 10 agents allegedly involved admitted attending the parties in Colombia where a local police officer often stood guard, protecting the agents' firearms and other property.

In addition, the report found, three of the DEA agents, all described as supervisory special agents, were "provided money, expensive gifts and weapons from drug cartel members.''

Although the misconduct jeopardized the agents' security clearances, the matter was never referred to the agency's Office of Security Programs for review, and the agents were issued suspensions ranging from two to 10 days.

"Most of the sex parties occurred in government-leased quarters where agents' laptops, BlackBerry devices and other government issued equipment were present ... potentially exposing them to extortion, blackmail or coercion,'' the report said.

DEA supervisors also failed to initiate formal internal investigations into the activities of two agents who were subjects of repeated allegations of patronizing prostitutes and frequenting a brothel, the inspector general's report found.

One of the two agents who were the focus of the allegations also was alleged to have assaulted a prostitute during a payment dispute.

The Justice inspector general's review found that the agents' misconduct was ultimately reported to the agency's Office of Professional Responsibility in 2010 via an anonymous letter.

Though a subsequent OPR review found that the agents' supervisors were aware of at least four complaints involving loud parties attended by prostitutes in a government-leased apartment between 2005 and 2008, the managers never forwarded those allegations for investigation by the OPR.

In all, the inspector general's report found, federal law enforcement agencies were linked to 26 allegations involving the solicitation of prostitutes abroad during a four-year review ending in 2012. Of that total, the DEA was involved in 19 such alleged offenses. (Source: USA Today)

Story Date: March 27, 2015