US former agent Jose Irizarry and his wife were arrested yesterday on charges of laundering money for the Colombian drug cartel he had to investigate.

Federal prosecutors in Florida allege that former prominent agent Jose Irizarry "used his position and access to special information" to prevent the US Drug Administration (DEA) from taking drugs worth millions of dollars.

The agent is believed to have cooperated with an anonymous Colombian official and a gang leader in drug trafficking and money laundering. The tycoon is godfather to Irizarry's children when the agent was active in Colombia in 2015.

DEA recruited Irizarry despite signs of fraud in the lie test.

"This is a blow to the DEA when there is one person in the organization who has committed such a high level of corruption," said former DEA international operations leader Mike Vigil. "He interferes with the investigations. He interferes with the marker and other agents. I've never seen a DEA agent charged so much," Vigil said.

Irizarry was a brilliant agent after joining DEA in Miami in 2009. He was tasked with detecting money laundering activities through ghost companies, fake bank accounts and delivery services. Irizarry resigned in January 2018 after being transferred to Washington and began to be suspected by his boss.

Irizarry used the illicit money to buy a $ 30,000 Tiffany diamond ring, a BMW, three Land Rovers and a $ 767,000 home in Cartagena, Colombia's popular tourist destination.