Longtime DEA informant extorts high-level cocaine traffickers

In the United States, a drug informant named Jorge Hernández was arrested for allegedly scheming to extort cocaine traffickers. Hernández, 57, had a long history of working with the Drug Enforcement Administration since he began as an informant in 2000. His recent criminal activities began in 2020, where he posed as a paralegal, claiming he could negotiate lighter sentences for drug kingpins in exchange for substantial payments, totaling up to $1 million from several traffickers. These payments included cash, jewelry, and properties in Colombia. Hernández assured the traffickers that they would serve their sentences in a manner akin to house arrest, a promise he never fulfilled as he lacked the authority to promise such leniency. As discontent grew among the traffickers, Hernández shifted blame to their attorneys, denying accountability for the situation. Hernández's extensive criminal background included being terminated as a DEA informant in 2008 due to threatening to expose other informants unless they compensated him to keep quiet. In a separate incident, he was charged in connection with a money laundering scheme involving a significant figure linked to the Venezuelan government, further complicating his reputation. With a probation sentence for previous money laundering, Hernández's latest arrest demonstrates a remarkable and concerning turn in his long-established history of cooperating with federal authorities, highlighting the complexity of informants' roles in drug enforcement and their potential for corruption. Presently, Hernández remains in custody following his initial court appearance in Fort Lauderdale.