U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agents got a recovering drug addicted re-addicted by giving him crack cocaine as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force known as "Operation Smack City," the man claims in a federal lawsuit.
Aaron Romero sued the United States and five named DEA agents on Monday.
Romero claims he had been clean and sober for four months when DEA agents gave him crack, causing him to relapse into addiction. He claims the DEA gave him the drug no fewer than six times, and several other times gave him money which they knew he would use to buy drugs.
Romero claims the DEA agents gave him the drugs as payment for his brokering purchases of crack from other dealers.
He claims the agents worked through an informant to negotiate these deals in order to track drug trafficking in New Mexico, while at the same time using Romero's consumption of the drug to "stack drug-related charges" against him for later prosecution.
These criminal drug charges against Romero, and charges against four other people, were dismissed by the U.S. attorney, according to the lawsuit.
Romero seeks $5 million in damages for civil rights violations, personal injury and professional negligence.
He is represented by Erlinda Johnson in Albuquerque.
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