Feds arrest Mexican police officer on drug charges

Friday, May 7, 2010 9:12 am

The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Friday the arrest of a Mexican police officer after he allegedly tried to smuggle drugs into the U.S.

Prosecutors said 33-year-old Officer Ernesto Ibarra-Garcia from San Luis, Mexico, was arrested Tuesday at the U.S. port of entry south of Yuma. During a routine inspection, a drug sniffing dog alerted authorities.

Agents found 16 packages of a white-powdery substance believed to be cocaine. The packages weighed about 35 pounds.

The brown-colored packages were found hidden in Ibarra-Garcia's truck frame.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said convictions for importing and possessing cocaine carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $4 million fine or both.

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