According to a lawsuit filed Monday, the DEA gave crack cocaine to an addict for helping an investigation.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Albuquerque states,”The United States government and the defendants affirmatively and intentionally established a pattern of distribution of crack cocaine to (Romero) in order to utilize his addiction to crack cocaine to further the investigation and to ‘stack drug related charges’ against him.”
Aaron Romero was 38 when approached by the DEA and was a recovering drug addict, according to an article published Tuesday by The Sacramento Bee. The lawsuit alleges that he would participate in “Operation Smack City” by helping with drug deals — in exchange for drugs seized by the DEA.
The lawsuit seeks $8.5 million for loss of “love, familial relationships, and companionship.” Romero believes this is due to his crack addiction that was jump started by the DEA’s actions.
Romero’s attorney Erlinda Ocampo Johnson told The Sacramento Bee,”He was targeted because he was a known drug addict. He is trying to get his life back together but he’s still afraid that the government will try to restart his addiction again.”
The DEA office in Albuquerque has declined to comment on the lawsuit.