Border Patrol agent accused of smuggling cocaine, immigrant

Border Patrol agent accused of smuggling cocaine, immigrant

June 9, 2008 - 12:47PM
Jeremy Roebuck

McALLEN - A U.S. Border Patrol agent accused of helping drug and human smugglers made his first appearance in federal court Monday.

Federal authorities arrested Reynaldo Zuniga, 34, of Harlingen, on Friday after he allegedly helped two Mexican nationals sneak a kilogram of cocaine across the Rio Grande.

According to a criminal complaint filed in their case, Zuniga picked up accused smuggler Jose Luis "El Bebe" Arteaga Echazarrete, 24, of Reynosa, on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge. Zuniga then drove Arteaga in his official vehicle to the Whataburger in Hidalgo, just past the customs checkpoints.

From there, Arteaga's relative, Luis Alfredo Cruz Hurtado, 29, of Reynosa, drove him to a Wal-Mart parking lot in Pharr.

Zuniga told investigators after his arrest that he accepted $1,200 to sneak Arteaga into the country, the complaint states. But the document does not mention whether Zuniga admitted to knowing about the cocaine.

Investigators believe the agent had made six similar smuggling trips since April.

Zuniga, Arteaga and Cruz remained in custody of U.S. Marshals on Monday pending a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Their case is the second smuggling investigation in less than a month targeting a local Border Patrol agent.

Agent Ramiro Flores Jr. was arrested May 15, after agents allegedly caught him using his Border Patrol badge to bypass checkpoints at McAllen-Miller International Airport. Once inside, authorities say Flores handed off a bag filled with cocaine to another man waiting in the bathroom before both boarded a plane to Houston.

Local Border Patrol spokesman Dan Doty said agents accused of criminal activity are routinely placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of their cases. But he said he could not specifically speak about Zuniga or Flores' cases.

Zuniga has been a Border Patrol agent for at least seven years, Doty said.

If convicted, he could face up to life in prison and $4 million in fines.

http://www.themonitor.com/news/zuniga_12965___article.html/arteaga_border.html