A US Border Patrol agent paid drug traffickers $650,000 in exchange for 90 pounds of cocaine while working overnight shifts in Arizona, according to a federal complaint.
Ramon Antonio Monreal-Rodriguez, 37, of Vail, allegedly conspired to smuggle cocaine on the Tohono o’Odham National Reservation in southern Arizona and in Tucson, according to a federal complaint written by an FBI special agent that was obtained by the Arizona Daily Star.
Monreal-Rodriguez, a 10-year veteran of the agency, took the cocaine from drug smugglers while working during the early morning hours of Sept. 18 at the San Miguel Gate, a border crossing used by members of the 4,300-square mile reservation. He then handed over an initial payment of $334,000 before hiding the drugs in his agency vehicle for the remainder of his shift and later giving it to another trafficker, according to the federal criminal complaint.
Monreal-Rodriguez then returned to the border four days later while on-duty and gave another $317,000 to the smugglers. Monreal was then paid 6 pounds of narcotics and $66,000 for his troubles, the FBI agent wrote.
Monreal-Rodriguez, who had been assigned to the Three Points substation outside of Tucson, was arrested on Sept. 25 in a separate case for allegedly conspiring with two men to help buy firearms illegally, federal authorities announced last month.
As part of the purported scheme, prosecutors said Monreal-Rodriguez and another suspect provided cash and instructions to a third man to buy firearms from licensed gun dealers, prosecutors said.
Monreal-Rodriguez resigned following his arrest. He was later released from custody on the firearms charges on Oct. 23 and was arrested again that day in connection to the drug smuggling accusations, court records obtained by the Daily Star show.
A federal judge ordered Monreal-Rodriguez to remain in custody at a hearing last week after a federal prosecutor cited his “clear pattern of criminal conduct,” the newspaper reports.
Monreal-Rodriguez also asked a drug trafficker to harm his former girlfriend, federal prosecutor Gordon Davenport said.
“I need you to make her disappear,” Monreal wrote in Spanish by text to his primary drug-trafficking contact, according to a sworn affidavit filed by a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
“Let things calm down and then we will do it,” a reply sent from a contact listed as “Compadre” read, court documents show.
