Washington — The DEA will fire its former regional director in Mexico and Central America in November 2021 for misconduct amid worsening relations between the Mexican government and the US drug control agency, the newspaper T reported this Friday.That Washington Post.
According to the aforementioned newspaper, the measure left “the DEA’s regional office in Mexico City” without its director for more than six months.
The Washington Post noted that it was Nick Palmeri, a former New York City police officer who worked at the DEA office in Guadalajara.
“Then he held a high position in the New York office of the agency, he was known as a brilliant investigator. He started as a regional director in Mexico City in early 2020,” the US paper said.
Read also: The most corrupt DEA agent tells his tale of luxury and excess
According to US officials, Palmeri may have misused agency funds for his birthday party and other prohibited items.
Palmeri told The Washington Post, “It (the allegation against her) was used as part of a malicious narrative to remove me from my position because of an internal dispute within the agency.”
As head of the DEA office, Palmeri faced disagreements with the Mexican government following the capture of General Salvador Cienfuegos by agency agents in Los Angeles.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador signed a law that limits the actions of DEA agents in Mexico.
“Amidst the unrest, DEA headquarters officials began to receive reports of alleged mismanagement at the Mexico office,” the US newspaper said.
In June 2021, Palmieri was ordered to return to Washington.
