One of Mexico's most powerful drug cartels may have had some inside help in North Texas for several years from a Collin County deputy constable, according to police documents.
Robert Benavidez, whose career as a North Texas peace officer dates back almost a dozen years, was arrested July 8 on six counts of abuse of official capacity. He is accused of helping his cousin, Sergio Maldonado, who was believed to have been the North Texas "cell leader" for the Zetas, the ruthless enforcement arm of Mexico's Gulf Cartel drug smuggling operation.
Mr. Maldonado was among 30 people arrested last year during a massive federal drug sweep known as Operation Puma. Mr. Maldonado pleaded guilty earlier this year to drug trafficking and money laundering-related charges.
Beginning in 2004, while working as a deputy constable, Mr. Benavidez would periodically check law enforcement databases to determine whether Mr. Maldonado or his wife had any outstanding arrest warrants, according to arrest affidavits. Mr. Benavidez would also check the registration and ownership of suspected law enforcement surveillance vehicles, according to the arrest documents. In return, Mr. Benavidez was given several grams of cocaine, Mr. Maldonado told federal agents.
That's a pretty wild story. Most cartel-related police corruption on the US side historically occurred along the Mexican border; Collin County, by contrast, is just one county away from the Oklahoma state line.
For several years now this blog has maintained that border security and anti-drug funds aimed at international trafficking should go first to identify and prosecute police corruption before paying for hardware and training. This story shows that strategy is needed statewide, not just in counties along the Rio Grande.
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11 comments:
I was wondering if you saw this:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_9884280
Harry Reid is saying they're an organized crime syndicate.
Police Corruption? in the US.. surely Grits you must be mistaken...
I don't know where we are in Texas in the continuum of drug related police corruption. But if we are as far along as this post indicates -- paid spies within police departments -- then I suspect the next step will be honest to god sleepers and fifth columnists. Los Zeta members, made members, going into law enforcement, getting credentialed and commissioned, and working up through the ranks. They will be hard to spot, because they will be the straightest arrows in the PD's quiver, never screwing up and never hesitating to finger the run-of-the-mill bent cops.
Hey, Didn't Creig Matthews and Kim Ramsey work for Plano PD at some point? - a Smith County resident
Yes, both worked for Plano, before they went to Tyler, and before they went to federal prison.
RE: Matthews and Ramsey, now that's some old school drug cop corruption there. Tom Coleman in Tulia was a naif by comparison.
It was reported to me by several Troopers that the DPS had a confirmed member of the Latin Kings in a recent recruit class....and that the guy quit three weeks after his commission date.
They said he even had a LK tattoo.
Well, as everyone suspected Collin County is corrupt, not just Plano. McKinney and Frisco their PD is corrupt, drugs in schools...even to the elementary level. Only one judge for juveniles, whose is corrupt and prejudice, the DA and those that work in that office scattered under Henry Wade and veined out to Collin County so the corruption just keeps on trucking. The police have all some relative working in there and the drugs infest down to the elementary schools. Teachers being fired, hate and prejudice and drug cartels seed this county...so don't be shocked. Hell, you had a judge that was under thumb with the pharmecutical company. Let's hope that some fresh, justice blood rolls in there. Maybe Craig Watkins should investigate the wrongful convictions in that place. Wow, that would be something. All you have in this county are cloned Creig Matthews, Kim Ramsey and Tom Coleman's. I guess next you better check out Madden and Shapiro because they seem to turn a blind eye to all of this. Sickening, just sickening.
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Drug money laundering is going on within the Dallas FBI, Collin County FBI, Collin County DA's, police, District Attorney John Roach, Assistant DA Christopher Milner, Bill Boyd attorney, John Nation attorney, Michael Snyder, Michael Vernon, Doug Mulder, Sandy Pofahl drug king pen lord, John Glenn Meazell attorney and there is not one ethical senator, governor, congressman, or any governmental agency in Texas who will do one tiny thing about it. Law Enforcement knows whats going on and they would rather destroy innocent peoples lives than expose the massive corruption amongst attorney's, banks, police, FBI, CIA, and governemnt agents who fully know exactly what's going on. All government agencies cover up drug money laundering by banks, attorney's and law enforcement agencies. Why? anyone who exposes this organized crime gang will loose his or her job and career. This is the good old boy network; the skull and bones society of corrupt attorney's; corrupt bankers; corrupt law enforcement agents. Make no mistake about it; the corrupt law enforcement agencies destroy innocent peoples lives who attempt to report such corrupt. Is our President doing anything about this? no.. Is the U.S. Justice Department doing anything about this fact? no... everyone knows that the justice system has been corrupt for decades but no one in politics does anything about it; why? corrupt attorney's run this country; selfish greedy power by a few has destroy the U.S. economy and the faith of it's people.
Corruption can only happen if the authorities let it to happen. Law Enforcement are in a job where you do not get fired if the economy hiccups, and considering education levels are quite well paid. The US should adopt the policy of the Brits. NO OUTSIDE employment and if your spouce works her/his income has to be declared.
How many times have you seen a cop with a NEW car every other year, a 50K boat, and a Lake house. What do the Brothers say "he works crazy overtime" If he did he would not have time for the Lake house.
Find a Corrupt Cop CAPITAL PUNISHMENT since he probally allowed a Capital Crime to happen. You do not get thousands to allow somebody to leave their grass uncut
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