WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration paid more than $123,000 for a chartered plane to fly its chief to Colombia, McClatchy Newspapers reported Tuesday.
McClatchy's investigation revealed the DEA paid for the charter for acting Administrator Michele Leonhart's trip to Bogota last Oct. 28-30 instead of taking one of the agency's 106 planes.
"Was it excessive? I guess you could look at it that way, but I don't think so," said William Brown, the special agent in charge of the DEA's aviation division, adding that the charter flight was made because the plane that ordinarily would have flown the administrator was grounded for scheduled maintenance.
The flight was the first time that the aviation division hired an outside company for a flight, Brown told McClatchy, adding, "I understand the concern about costs for these things. But we do our best to keep costs under control. I think the DEA is very conservative compared to other agencies."
Records indicate the DEA's aviation division spent about $76 million last year, using its planes for law enforcement operations and drug surveillance around the United States and the world, McClatchy said.
The news agency didn't report the type of jet rented. Fort Worth, Texas, air charter service Peregrine Point submitted the lowest bid of $123,745 to DEA contractor L-3 Communications, which arranged the transaction, Brown said.
Steve Ellis of the nonprofit anti-government waste group Taxpayers for Common Sense told McClatchy that the charter raised a red flag, especially because the DEA paid an outside company to arrange it.
