Thread: El Paso Police Officer Fired, Arrested On Marijuana Charges

Police chief fires officer who allegedly had marijuana.

By Adriana M. Chávez / El Paso Times

Posted: 04/11/2011 03:15:57 PM MDT

El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen has fired an officer arrested last month for allegedly having a small amount of marijuana.

Police spokesman Detective Mike Baranyay said Robert Barragan was fired this morning during a meeting with Allen.

Baranyay said an internal administrative and a separate criminal investigation was conducted into the allegations before Barragan's firing.

Police arrested Barragan on March 29 after he was found with two grams of marijuana in his home in the 3700 block of La Cuesta. Officers also arrested Crystal Robles, 32, who was at the home at the time of Barragan's arrest.

The amount of the drug found is considered a misdemeanor.

Barragan was with the department for eight years.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_17820363

Related news:

Documents: Marijuana, pipe found in officer's home:

By Daniel Borunda \ El Paso Times

Posted: 03/31/2011 12:00:00 AM MDT

An off-duty El Paso police officer facing a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge was taken into custody after narcotics officers with a warrant and a drug-sniffing dog searched his East Side home, documents stated.

Officer Robert Barragan and Crystal Robles, both 32, were arrested Monday after investigators allegedly found a total of 2 grams of marijuana in their home. Officials said Barragan could be fired.

According to a complaint affidavit, narcotics officers found two small burnt marijuana cigarettes in the den, a blue glass pipe with marijuana residue and an empty plastic sandwich bag in the master bedroom, and a small plastic bag with marijuana on a kitchen shelf.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_17820363