A former U.S. military sniper instructor was arrested on charges of plotting with fellow soldiers to kill Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents to assist drug cartels, NBC reported.
Prosecutors say former U.S. Army Sgt. Joseph M. Hunter, also nicknamed "Rambo," was preparing a team of a retired soldiers from the U.S., Germany, and Poland to carry out the murders. Each soldier told the drug cartels they would work security for them during cocaine shipments as well.
According to DEA agents, Hunter sifted through resumes he received via email before establishing the crew. The men stocked up on weapons for the attacks, including a sniper rifle, .22-caliber revolvers with silencers, and sub-machine guns.
During a sting operation, Hunter allegedly accepted an $800,000 offer to kill an agent.
The undercover operation was performed by agents posing as cartel leaders from Colombia. Earlier in June, Hunter's team conducted surveillance of a plane in the Caribbean that they were told was carrying cocaine to the U.S.
Members of the team also met with undercover operatives in Asia to plan the killing of a DEA agent in Africa and another person they were told was ratting them out to the U.S. government. After two of the men flew to Africa on Wednesday, they were detained by authorities and arrested.
"The job is not the headache -- it's getting in and out," said one team member, a former U.S. Army sergeant. The second team member, a former German soldier, was recorded saying, "Actually, for me, that's fun. I love this work."
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara referred to the group as "international band of mercenary marksmen who enlisted their elite military training to serve as hired guns for evil ends."
"Three of the defendants were ready, willing and eager to take cold hard cash to commit the cold-blooded murders of a DEA agent and an informant," Bharara added.
Hunter was arrested in Thailand overnight and charged with conspiracy to murder a law enforcement agent, conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to import cocaine before being put on a plane to New York. It is unknown if he has a lawyer yet.
