NEW YORK: U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Johnny G. Acosta was arrested by Cochise Border Corruption Task Force.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent stationed in Douglas and three other men have been indicted on federal drug charges.
CBP Officer Johnny G. Acosta, 37, was arrested April 27 by the Cochise Border Corruption Task Force on drug charges along with Andres Rodriguez, 34, Ricardo Peralta Cuevas, 24, and Jorge Tovar, 36.
Court records show Rodriguez and Acosta, who has been with CBP since December 2008, to be residents of Douglas while Cuevas and Tovar reside in Agua Prieta.
According to court documents obtained by the Douglas Dispatch, Acosta has been indicted on 34 counts ranging from conspiracy to import marijuana into the United States, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, importation of marijuana into the United States, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and aiding and abetting.
Rodriguez has been charged with 14 counts each of the same crimes, while Cuevas and Tovar face four counts of the same.
According to the indictment, the four suspects did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate and agree together with other persons known and unknown to the grand jury, to import more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana from Mexico into the U.S.
Acosta has been released on a $50,000 bond. Rodriguez posted a $10,000 bond and both men were asked to surrender their passports. Tovar and Cuevas remain in custody.
Rodriguez and Tovar had their arraignment hearing in U.S. District Court in Tucson on April 30 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. Acosta was arraigned on Friday. No entry has been made regarding the arraignment at press time.
Court records show a jury trial for the four men is scheduled for June 9 in U.S. District Court.
