MCALLEN, Texas — A former U.S. Border Patrol supervisor pleaded guilty for his role in staging busts to conceal drug trafficking activities.
On Friday, former U.S. Border Patrol Supervisor Eduardo Bazan went before U.S. District Judge Randy Crane, pleading guilty to the charge of making false statements during a narcotics investigation. Crane is expected to sentence Bazan on September 12, where he could be facing up to five years in prison.
Federal agents with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations arrested Bazan on November 2016 after he confessed to lying about a drug seizure that was part of a scheme to steal drugs. The case against Bazan came from an HSI informant who gave agents testimony in 2013 about a group of drug dealers that had been stealing from cartel smugglers by making it seem like the product was seized by law enforcement.
The case Bazan was arrested for took place in 2007 when he was only an agent in McAllen. Bazan seized 66 kilograms, or more than 145 pounds of cocaine, in the border city. The drugs had reportedly been switched for a diluted product, which was then seized by Bazan to hide the theft.
Bazan initially told authorities that during the seizure, he tried to run after various smugglers but was unable and returned to see other agents seizing the drugs from the vehicle. One day later, Bazan admitted he staged the seizure. He arrived at the scene where the vehicle had been abandoned and pretended to run into the brush–creating the appearance of a chase. For his part, Bazan was paid $8,000.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.
Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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