Thread: Former Border agent gets 70 years in prison

June 17, 2008, 4:00PM
Former border agent gets 70 years in prison


© 2008 The Associated Press


EL PASO, Texas — A former U.S. Border Partrol agent who fled to Mexico to avoid charges that he took bribes to let drug smugglers through a checkpoint was sentenced to 70 years in federal prison Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Arturo Arzate Jr. pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to possess cocaine and two counts of bribery of a public official. Prosecutors said he admitted he'd been taking bribes from smugglers since 1990.

Arzate was originally scheduled to plead guilty in January 2007 but fled to Mexico before the hearing. He was extradited to Texas a year later.

Prosecutors said Arzate, a 21-year Border Patrol veteran at the time of his arrest, took bribes from drug dealers to allow loads of marijuana and cocaine through a Border Patrol checkpoint he manned. In pleading guilty, Arzate admitted that he also drove at least two loads of cocaine through a checkpoint and delivered the drugs to an unidentified man in Van Horn.






http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5842613.html

Good! Now start prosecuting the employers who hire illegals and give them prison. Prosecute the illegal too if they come back after deportation.

Arturo Arzate Jr. pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to possess cocaine and two counts of bribery of a public official. Prosecutors said he admitted he'd been taking bribes from smugglers since 1990.

This scumbag traitor got exactly what he deserved! Anyone who uses that uniform to personally and illegally enrich themselves, to the detriment of this country, should never see the light of day again...

70 ? WOW.... now thats what i call justice.

Wow ... 70 years. That's a life sentence for him. Start handing out some sentences like that to the employers and that would grind these illegal hiring to a halt and with no jobs here they'd all go home.