Borderland Beat posted by DD Republished from material at New York Daily News, The Free Thought Project, and from news video by ABCNews Channel 13, Houston.
A former Houston Police Department ‘Officer of the Year’ award winner, Noe Juarez, was arrested this past Tuesday morning by the FBI during "roll call" after he reported for work at the central command station at 61 Riesner, in Houston. The FBI and DEA were working together in an alleged federal drug probe, serving a warrant out of New Orleans.
The Houston cop once recognized as the city’s officer of the year led a double life as a cocaine trafficker with ties to a notorious Mexican drug cartel, authorities claim.
Sealed indictments were opened on Wed. that showed federal charges of conspiracy to possess firearms connected with a drug trafficking offense and conspiracy to distribute five or more kilos of cocaine. Court documents accuse him of conspiring with Sergio Grimaldo, the brother of a convicted cartel boss, to distribute five kilos of cocaine in southeastern Louisiana.
His co-defendant, Grimaldo, 32, was previously indicted along with his brother, Efrain Grimaldo, a member of Los Zetas, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Louisiana confirmed in an email, according to The NY Daily News. Efrain was convicted of drug conspiracy charges in February 2014 and sentenced to 33 years in prison. The case against Sergio Grimaldo, who is in custody, remains open, and Juarez was named as a co-defendant in the indictment originally filed under seal on April 2, records show.
The charges against Juarez, unsealed on Wednesday, tell little about his alleged role, but police sources told KTRK the former hero cop worked as a hired gun for a drug cartel, escorting narcotics shipments across state borders.
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| Noe Juarez, former "Officer of the Year" |
The Houston cop once recognized as the city’s officer of the year led a double life as a cocaine trafficker with ties to a notorious Mexican drug cartel, authorities claim.
Sealed indictments were opened on Wed. that showed federal charges of conspiracy to possess firearms connected with a drug trafficking offense and conspiracy to distribute five or more kilos of cocaine. Court documents accuse him of conspiring with Sergio Grimaldo, the brother of a convicted cartel boss, to distribute five kilos of cocaine in southeastern Louisiana.
His co-defendant, Grimaldo, 32, was previously indicted along with his brother, Efrain Grimaldo, a member of Los Zetas, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Louisiana confirmed in an email, according to The NY Daily News. Efrain was convicted of drug conspiracy charges in February 2014 and sentenced to 33 years in prison. The case against Sergio Grimaldo, who is in custody, remains open, and Juarez was named as a co-defendant in the indictment originally filed under seal on April 2, records show.
The charges against Juarez, unsealed on Wednesday, tell little about his alleged role, but police sources told KTRK the former hero cop worked as a hired gun for a drug cartel, escorting narcotics shipments across state borders.
If convicted on all charges he faces up to life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.
Court documents accuse Juarez of beginning his drug trafficking operation in 2012.
The indictment came out of New Orleans, where investigators have been working in conjunction with Houston authorities since 2014, according to court records. There are a number people, including law enforcement officers, being investigated, but the FBI wouldn't comment at this time.
Juarez was arraigned on Wednesday, appearing in shackles at the federal courthouse in Houston, according to local media reports. The cop has a bond hearing on Monday but remains in custody, though he has been suspended "with pay" for now.
Juarez remained silent throughout the appearance, and his attorney
told reporters afterward they had little to go on given the sparse
details provided in the indictment.
“All they’re doing is saying he’s done these things, and they haven’t put any meat on the bones,” defense attorney George Murphy said. “This is the most bare-boned indictment I’ve seen in a long time.”
Court documents accuse Juarez of beginning his drug trafficking operation in 2012.
The indictment came out of New Orleans, where investigators have been working in conjunction with Houston authorities since 2014, according to court records. There are a number people, including law enforcement officers, being investigated, but the FBI wouldn't comment at this time.
Juarez was arraigned on Wednesday, appearing in shackles at the federal courthouse in Houston, according to local media reports. The cop has a bond hearing on Monday but remains in custody, though he has been suspended "with pay" for now.
Prosecutors have claimed that Juarez is
a “flight risk” and a “danger to the community,” but his attorney,
George Murphy, claims those assertions are baseless.
“He has a long history of law-abiding conduct, he has a big support group and family that is going to make sure he shows up in court,” said Murphy. “So I don’t think they will be able to prove he won’t show up in court.”
Murphy went on to state that the case against his client is flimsy at best.
“They haven’t put any meat on the bones, this is the most bare bones indictment I’ve seen in a long time,” Murphy said.
“He has a long history of law-abiding conduct, he has a big support group and family that is going to make sure he shows up in court,” said Murphy. “So I don’t think they will be able to prove he won’t show up in court.”
Murphy went on to state that the case against his client is flimsy at best.
“They haven’t put any meat on the bones, this is the most bare bones indictment I’ve seen in a long time,” Murphy said.
“All they’re doing is saying he’s done these things, and they haven’t put any meat on the bones,” defense attorney George Murphy said. “This is the most bare-boned indictment I’ve seen in a long time.”
better call saul!
ReplyDeleteProbably the only guy that can get him out hahaha!
DeleteThis is how it works in Mexico and now they are expanding this inside the USA.
ReplyDeleteThe cartels get police and other government people on the payroll who actually start working for the cartels. This is why inside Mexico you cannot go to the police and report anything because most of the Police work for the cartels.
Extortion and corruption are still ramped inside Mexico today, nothing has changed there except how little it gets reported in the media / news under the current Mexican Presidents Administration
This is not just how it works in Mexicio. It works in US too and has for a long time. This is not something new.
DeleteIf people would stop and think about it, they know that cartels spend $millions dollars per year (maybe billions in some years and kill a few thousand people to get their product to the US border. What happens then? It just magically crosses the border and is transported all across the US all the way down to the street dealers. We are talking 30 to 50 Billion dollars of drugs a year. Are the cartels able to outsmart all the LE0s along the way.
Of course not, it takes a lot of bribery and corruption along the way. That is how it has worked for years in the US as well as Mexico. Greed is a powerful incentive when an otherwise honest person is offered thousands of dollars (or in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars) to look the other way or maybe even help a little in getting those drugs to the users.
All the street drugs in the USA come directly from the main gang, the Police Department. Cops are just like any other gang trying to get a profit from the cartels period. Thing is society can't get past somehow the illusion that cops = good caring people trying to protect you. How many cops in the USA have killed civilians on this year?
DeleteIt does and is happening in the US as well. However, every time a person is arrested in a position such as border patrol or a police officer, they are of Mexican descent. Many times it is a relative of a person that is part of a cartel. Also the big difference is the US will take action to nip it in the rear before it gets too out of hand. Mexico has let it go on for so long uncorrected that is is no longer easy to determine who is corrupt. IUsually the corrupt person in the US is a small guy when it comes to the totem pole. The amounts the cartels offer as a payment is ridiculously stupid to jeopardize your freedom. They are not making the corrupt person rich, they are concerned about themselves. No one the US has arrested thus far for any corruption involvement was living a lavish lifestyle. Hundreds of dollars maybe, Thousands is very doubtful.
DeleteWe didn't know that..Glad you educated everyone about corruption on both sides of the border...
Delete@3:13
Deletein 2014 it was the highest in years, and still only 461
in a nation of over 300 million people
this is a raw total, it does not differentiate between justified killing (ala Ferguson) or unjustified (NYC)
I vote April 10; 4:23PM's comment of "However, every time a person is arrested in a position such as border patrol or a police officer, they are of Mexican descent" the most ignorant of the day - and that is pretty bad given the idiotic posts that are postulated regularly! I'm of Swiss, American, and Mexican citizenship for full disclosure but my youth in la Sierra de Sinaloa y Durango was much less violent than the American city streets I have to travel today and read about in the paper. I feel much safer in Mexico and I read today in the Philadelphia airport that there will be 15-20 people shot in N Philly. Los gringos here don't read their own news but throw disputations at Mexico.
DeleteAnyone who thinks there are not a lot of crooked cops in the US from the local departments to the top (FBI, DEA, etc) at ALL levels, including the political, is believing propaganda. This is not only "law enforcement" but also money laundering, which is harder for banks now but is easy for security sales and hedge funds.
DeleteThe Marine Corps had a saying: Wish in one hand, shit in the other, weight which is heavier. Those believing in the purity of US politicians and law enforcement and security salesmen and bankers yadda yadda yadda are wishing too much.
You are definitely right but it's simply a human nature to take short cuts to make monetary gains. The dude was probably on the take for many years and he was more than likely compensated very well hence is why he continued the behavior. Many dirty cops were diry from the jump and were put in place by gangs or ethnic mafias. These people are put in place every where including jails, prisons, city agencies, county agencies, state agencies and federal. Some gangs even sponsor the smarter homies into college and law school. I knew a drug dealing family who sent all their kids and grand kids to law school and put in place to protect the family's assets. Greed knows no color, race or nationality or geographic location. With that said this situation with Noe Juarez is not a US dirty cop thing versus Mexican dirty cop thing. It's a dirty humanity thing.
DeleteShot in N. Philly is way different than being murdered and butchered then the body dumped on the street. Out of the 15-20 shot in Philly how many die? Philly doesn't average 15 murders per day like the deadliest cities in Mexico does.
Delete7:32 I vote you as a bullshiter. Look up all the people that got busted lately for drug trafficking that are in a position of government and I asure you they are all if not most of mexican descent. The sheriff from New Mexico for example, Joe arpayio is one of the most crooked sheriffs in U.S and not been touched. If he was Mexican, he would hav d been in prison his first term. Wake up to the real world pendejo!!!
Delete7:32 thanks for the nomination - but look at how ludicrous the garbage you spew is; "Look up all the people that got busted lately for drug trafficking that are in a position of government and I asure you they are all if not most of mexican descent". I'll refrain from bringing myself to your level of name calling; besides your comment says enough about you and your intellect.
DeleteFact is, corrupt mexican/american cops give a lot of mexicans a bad name they should be specially disciplined, declared eMe and banned from working for the US government...
DeleteAgreed. But any employee ho is paid to serve the citizens they were elected by or paid to protect should be held to a high standard and endure harsh justice when they violate the people they serve.
DeleteYou can't get mad and deny that what he says is true the dumb one is you @caminito Durango right now Mexicana hold all the weight in the drug trade in the 80s it was the Colombians and guess what ? More Colombian were arrested then because they held all the weight please feed your bs elsewhere because nobody is safer in Mexico than US streets at least here people can call the cops , murders get investigated, people go to jail can you say the same of over there ? Didn't think so please slap your self
DeleteCall Saul!!!
ReplyDeleteFry his ass as an example. POS.
ReplyDeleteThe Feds don't indict good cops. There's a case or they wouldn't file.
ReplyDeleteOne of how many mexican-american cops working for mexican drug cartels?....Bet that California and Nevada are within the top 5 states that have the most crooked cops working with drug cartels...They should take a closer look at their PDs. also Arizona..
ReplyDelete...Can some see now how that sht has gotten to the other side?? little by little those bastards are invading the USA just like they did with the mexican govt. agencies.. & once they are inside the government is harder to take them out...
Phoenix PD drastically inflated kidnapping statistics in order to receive more federal funding which equaled to pay bonuses for the lovely department, they even pushed it as far as being named the #1 kidnapping capital in the US, alot of corruption goes on both sides in different forms but Mexico flaunts it more, hell the mastermind of the DEA Ronald Reagan gave weapons to the contras and were giving immunity to Vicente Zambada
DeletePhoenix was and still is the kidnapping capital of the US. No other city comes close even if the numbers are inflated.
DeleteTo hell with your bullcrap! Madaphakas.. always making false accusations agains't the US... even if they did inflated the kidnapping numbers i bet it was for a good reason. At least they would have all the funds nesessary to fight the drug cartel thugs that are making the kidnappings on the US border side. Don't know why the USA allow animals like you to stay inside the USA, bet your one of those that would even work with Terrorist groups, to fuck up the united states. HATER!!!
DeleteI was locked up in phoenix county for 1 year and the reason that phoenix is number one for kidnapping is because the coyotes and the people who watched the safe house with illigals was charged for kidnapping, they got one count of kidnapping for every person in the house. I know because I would see their charges. If other cities were to do that there would be more kidnapping everywhere. real spit
DeleteJr. said they own cops everywhere
ReplyDeleteThe prosecution hasn't "put any meat on the bones" because they're keeping as much as possible air tight until they have so much evidence against this cop, that it will be impossible for the defense to refute. This dude is gonna get buried. They've probably had him under taps since the beginning. He's fucked.
ReplyDeleteAsta tiene cara de zeta el puerco este, jajajajaj
ReplyDeletePero es tu paisa pendejo. Es un nopal... Ajajajajajaja
DeleteLol money talks
ReplyDeleteI am sure he was just the security for the dealer. There are hundreds and maybe thousands of commissioned police officers in the US who are part time security for drug dealers. It's just a fact life. If the FBI did a probe in all the bigger citiy departments they would find there are many officers doing the same. As the saying goes...you can take a person out the hood but you can't take the hood out of the person.
ReplyDeleteDD, the difference is that in the US the cops will be arrested and prosecuted.
ReplyDeleteHow long before they start attacking the ones that wont join?
ReplyDelete" If I slip then I'm slippin' "
ReplyDeleteCall LOS DEFENSORES! Theyll bring that 10mil down to $1,000 guaranteed
ReplyDeleteHow come they only get the mexican american cops ? Why not the white cops who work for the cartels
ReplyDeletewhite cops are too busy arresting mexicans they even want to arrest mexican cops lol
Deletejust like every cop is a criminal every sinner is a saint
ReplyDeleteI think that's a typo, the 10 000 000$. More like 10 000$-1 000 000$ fine.
ReplyDeletechubby face
ReplyDeleteThis is nothing new in the u.s! The la cosa nostra had just about everyone on their payrolls at one time in the u.s! This has nothing to do with someones ethnic background but their lack of moral character and how greedy the person is!
ReplyDeleteIf 80% of the cops in Mexico are corrupt (makes me wonder how the other 20% get by alive, make that 100%) how could you expect any different behavior on the US side of the line??? Like Nieto said, "Its a cultural thing". Do you guys know about Columbus New Mexico?
ReplyDelete