Veteran Border Patrol agent charged with helping drug traffickers

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...MORE