Thread: Sheriff's Deputy Arrested for smuggling guns to Mexico

Cameron County Sheriff's Deputy Arrested

Reported by: Cristina Rendon
Last Update: 6:13 pm


BROWNSVILLE - Federal authorities arrested Cameron County Sheriff's Deputy Jesus Alberto Longoria after an 8-month investigation.

Longoria is facing federal charges for allegedly smuggling weapons into Mexico and taking bribes.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and the FBI allege Longoria unlawfully transported firearms into Mexico in exchange for money.

Four surveillance stings were set up starting back in March, and the 31-year-old sheriff's deputy allegedly met with undercover ICE agents on several occasions and the agents paid him to smuggle dozens of handguns and several assault rifles across the border.

Longoria is accused of directing the cars with weapons into his travel lane at the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville, where the cars would cross without inspection.

Authorities said Longoria was paid from $1,500 to $4,000 for the smuggling.

Longoria worked as a Cameron County sheriff's deputy and also as a detention officer.

There's no word on Longoria's current employment status with the department, and Sheriff Omar Lucio had no comment.

Longoria is being held without bond.

http://www.krgv.com/news/local/story/Ca ... 49fDQ.cspx

you always get a few bad ones in law enforcement agencies

I'm really not surprised. There are some serious problems within the Sheriff Departments along the border of Texas.

Dixie

Sheriff's deputy denied bail

November 04, 2010 9:01 PM
By ILDEFONSO ORTIZ, The Brownsville Herald

A Cameron County sheriff’s deputy remains in federal custody after a U.S. magistrate judge deemed him a flight risk and denied him bail.

On Thursday afternoon, Jesus Longoria, 31, shackled and wearing a blue shirt and khaki pants, went before magistrate Ronald Morgan for a bond hearing and was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Longoria was arrested Monday morning on a warrant charging him with one count of bribery and one count of weapons smuggling.

According to the criminal complaint, Longoria is accused of accepting money from undercover federal agents to allow firearms to pass through his southbound inspection lane at Veterans International Bridge. Longoria was arrested after a lengthy investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department.

During the hearing, Morgan heard testimony from an ICE special agent who said Longoria was a flight risk because he had ties to Mexico, including a common-law wife and a daughter.

The agent further testified that while Longoria had a house in Olmito, he spent most of his time in Matamoros, adding that they had records reflecting that Longoria had traveled to Matamoros 98 times in the past six months. The agent stated that Longoria was known to frequent a bar called Las Cabañas, which according to ICE intelligence is a known hangout for Gulf Cartel members.

When authorities raided Longoria’s home, they found his Sheriff’s Department uniforms and minimal clothing, leading them to believe that he actually lived in Mexico, the agent said. During the hearing, the agent also testified that the operation against Longoria revolved around an undercover ICE agent passing himself off as a Gulf Cartel member who made a deal for the smuggling of weapons.

. The first incident happened on March 12 when, under surveillance, Longoria received $1,500 in exchange for allowing the smuggling of 11 "puntitos" or handguns into Mexico through his inspection lane.

The guns were hidden in the rear part of a vehicle driven by an undercover ICE agent that Longoria waved through.

The second operation took place on March 24, when Longoria met with undercover ICE agents at a Best Western hotel in Harlingen where the agents showed him the same 11 handguns and two AR-15 assault rifles and paid Longoria $1,500 for the smuggling of the weapons. Longoria didn’t know the handguns were the same ones that he had previously helped smuggle.

On March 25, Longoria allowed a Ford Windstar with the weapons to pass through his inspection area.

The third operation took place on May 5, when Longoria despite being on his day off and in plain clothes, arrived at his inspection lane at the Veterans International Bridge and waved a specific vehicle through. Later that day, the undercover agents met with Longoria at the Wings Pizza and Things in Brownsville and he demanded $4,000 stating that since he had been off, he had had to pay two other officials.

During Thursday’s hearing, a prosecuting attorney asked the ICE agent if the other two officials were identified. The agent replied that Longoria later told investigators that he had lied and was working alone.

During the testimony, the agent stated that undercover agents had tried to get Longoria to drive 12 kilos of cocaine from Boca Chica beach to an undisclosed area in Brownsville but that operation never took place. The agent added that Longoria had requested $1,200 per kilo if he was to take part in the operation.


http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/s ... eputy.html