Border agent indicted in drugs, weapons, bribery case Susan Carroll
Republic Tucson Bureau
Jun. 2, 2005 12:00 AM
TUCSON - A U.S. Border Patrol agent has been indicted on 17 counts of drug trafficking, weapons and bribery charges, according to court records unsealed Wednesday.
Juan L. Sanchez, 28, who worked at the Nogales Border Patrol station, appeared in U.S. District Court in Tucson on Wednesday for an initial hearing.
A federal grand jury indicted Sanchez on May 18 on charges including conspiracy with intent to distribute more than 3,500 pounds of marijuana, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison.
According to the indictment, Sanchez also faces charges for accepting $10,000 in exchange for agreeing to transport about 376 pounds of marijuana in a Border Patrol vehicle and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Prosecutors allege that Sanchez accepted $45,000 in bribes from summer 2002 to January 2004.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney said the indictment is not connected to an FBI sting in May that netted 23 former and current law enforcement and military personnel.