Daniel Maibenco, Staff Writer
Last week, multiple news agencies including Time and USA Today reported that over the past several years, several DEA agents attended “sex parties” with prostitutes in Columbia. To make matters worse, these parties were paid for by drug cartels.
After all of the scandals and chaos caused by the misdeeds of several Secret Service agents in 2012, one would think that other government agencies would have learned from these mistakes.
Apparently, the lack of integrity and complete disregard for national security is contagious.
Secret Service agents assigned to protect the President were caught in a Columbia sex scandal in 2012. Yet, three years later we hear of another agency falling victim to easy temptations.
Prostitution is morally wrong, but perfectly legal in Columbia. While these DEA agents did nothing illegal, I believe they have greatly tarnished their careers and the DEA image.
The issue here is how agents of the government are disregarding the great responsibilities invested in them by the American people.
A recent article from the Washington Post proves my point. They recently reported that from 2009-2012, several agents from FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshalls and DEA were being investigated for sexual harassment or misconduct. Even after all this time, most of these investigations are still ongoing.
I wonder if these investigations are still ongoing because there is not enough evidence or if these agents and their superiors are trying to protect themselves.
As time goes on, it seems like more and more agents from the government are getting caught up in various scandals. These agents are entrusted with high-ranking security clearances and the ability to enforce the laws.
It appears they break the very laws they are expected to uphold. It seems they are are putting their pursuits of having a good time before their jobs and possibly jeopardizing the lives of others.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for having a good time, but your job or other such obligations must come first.
I also believe that the majority of the people in the FBI, Secret Service, DEA, etc. do good jobs and take things seriously. Still, the number of agents who apparently do not care about their jobs or about national security is staggering – and growing.
Whether or not those agents assume that their behavior is irrelevant, I believe that anyone who works for an organization, especially the government, has to follow a code of conduct. Thus far, their conduct is anything but honorable.
While the majority of people who work for these government agencies might do a good job, something needs to be done to overhaul this culture of perverse and shocking behavior.