| Photo: Hemp Beach TV |
A U.S. Border Patrol agent in western Arizona was arrested after “bundles” of marijuana were allegedly found in his patrol vehicle, authorities said on Tuesday.
The Border Patrol’s Yuma sector said the agent, whose name wasn’t released, was arrested after two colleagues found he had numerous packages of cannabis stashed inside a marked Border Patrol truck after encountering the suspect while patrolling on Monday, according to Reuters.
The two agents reported their find to a duty supervisor, and the agent and marijuana were then turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The agent is now being held in the Yuma County Adult Detention Center, reports The Associated Press.
| Photo: Branded |
Just picture it man; it must have been reminiscent of the old opening scene in “Branded” where Chuck Connors’ stripes are torn off his uniform. Must have been an absolutely priceless scene.
“I will not refer to the subject of this arrest as ‘one of us,’ ” sputtered Rodolfo Karisch, acting chief of the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector. “By his alleged actions, he has tarnished our image.”
Further details were withheld as the investigation continues.
Charges are pending in the case, according to Border Patrol spokesman Kenneth Quillin.
The acting chief patrol agent praised what he caslled the “swift and appropriate” actions taken by the arresting agents.
Corruption cases involving border police have skyrocketed in recent years, as the U.S. government has ramped up recruitment in a doomed and quixotic attempt to seal the southwestern border with Mexico.
At least 129 Customs and Border Protection officers and Border Patrol agents were arrested between 2003 and 2009 on corruption charges, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
