Nicholas Palmeri/DEA, Joanne Marian Segovia/LinkedIn
The number of deaths caused by fentanyl is on the rise, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 70,601 overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (mainly fentanyl) in 2021. However, could corrupt American law enforcement officials be a contributing factor to the fentanyl epidemic?
In recent months, several law enforcement officials have been arrested over financially benefiting from the sale of fentanyl, and in some cases, being fentanyl distributors themselves.
One such case was that of former Columbus, Ohio, police officer Marco R. Merino, who pleaded guilty in federal court in February 2022 to conspiring to distribute more than eight kilograms of fentanyl and accepting bribes to protect the transportation of cocaine. Merino, who was arrested by federal agents in September 2021, distributed fentanyl on at least three occasions and accepted $32,500 for approximately one kilogram of the drug.
“Merino swore an oath to serve and protect our community as a law enforcement officer, and instead, he conspired to traffic enough fentanyl to kill well over one million people,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker.
Also in 2022, in Michigan, a former detective with the Highland Park Police Department was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin, according to United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
The detective, Tiffany Lipkovitch, 47, was convicted of conspiring to distribute controlled substances. She had been a police officer with the department since 2011.
“This officer broke the law she swore to enforce by putting dangerous drugs like heroin and fentanyl on the streets of our community,” said Ison. “This sentence should send a clear message to any officer who crosses the line and betrays his or her oath of office. If an officer engages in criminal conduct, our office will respond accordingly.”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration fired its former top official in Mexico in 2022 over improper contact with lawyers for narco-traffickers.
According to officials, Nicholas Palmeri was socializing and vacationing with Miami drug lawyers. He had been in the role for just 14 months and was considered DEA’s powerful regional director, supervising dozens of agents across Mexico, Central America, and Canada, The Associated Press reported.
“The post of regional director in Mexico is the most important one in DEA’s foreign operations, and when something like this happens, it’s disruptive,” said Mike Vigil, the DEA’s former chief of international operations.
In March, Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, the executive director of a police union in California, is facing federal charges after allegedly importing drugs from overseas and distributing them nationwide.
Segovia has been charged with an attempt to unlawfully import valeryl fentanyl, a new synthetic opioid, and faces up to a maximum sentence of 20 years, according to the complaint.
Authorities say the union exec peddled thousands of synthetic opioids, including valeryl fentanyl, that were disguised as chocolates, wedding favors, and makeup. The criminal complaint against Segovia was filed on March 27 by the Office of the United States Attorney.
Segovia is the executive director of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association (SJPOA), and authorities alleged she used her personal and office computers to order the opioids and made shipments using the union’s UPS account.
Segovia shipped at least 61 shipments containing drugs coming from countries including Hong Kong, Hungary, India, and Singapore to her home between October 2015 and January this year, according to the complaint.
Nicholas Palmeri/DEA, Joanne Marian Segovia/LinkedIn
