Jose Salinas, Meth Trafficking, Texas 2022

State: Texas
Category: Drug Trafficking
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/former-brownsville-police-officer-sentenced-escorting-drugs" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

Brownsville, Texas – A devastating case of corruption within the law enforcement community has come to light as a former Brownsville police officer has been sentenced for his involvement in meth trafficking.

Jose Salinas, a 53-year-old man residing in Brownsville, was ordered to federal prison following his conviction of trafficking one kilogram of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Salinas pleaded guilty to the charges on August 2. As a former law enforcement officer of the Brownsville Police Department, Salinas misused his position of trust to commit the crime over a period of time, not just on one occasion.

On March 19, 2020, Salinas met people he believed to be drug traffickers at a used car lot he owned. Salinas received $2,500 in cash for escorting meth and cocaine from the lot to a stash house he provided. During that time, Salinas had parked his marked police car in front of the stash house to protect the drug load.

The court noted the severity of the crime and the damage it caused to the community’s trust in law enforcement. In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. expressed concern that Salinas’ criminal conduct cast all law enforcement in a bad light in the community.

The sentence imposed on Salinas includes 96 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.

The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Brownsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Lindenmuth, Israel Cano, and Jody Young prosecuted the case.

Salinas was permitted to remain on bond and will voluntary surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

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