"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat
FBI agents arrested a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Thursday for allegedly assisting his father’s drug trafficking organization in Tennessee, which has ties to organized crime in Mexico.
A federal complaint filed Friday charges Pablo Talavera Jr., a U.S. citizen born in 1987, with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance between May 26 and Sept. 16.
The complaint details allegations that Pablo Talavera Jr. escorted bulk cash and drugs and said that at one point he attended a family meeting to discuss his father’s drug-related kidnapping by the cartel in Reynosa.
That document says the FBI in McAllen and Jackson, Tennessee, initiated an investigation on Aug. 19, 2019, into his father, Pablo Talavera Sr., and identifies the group as the Talavera Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO).
“In the course of the investigation, FBI agents learned that Talavera, Sr. made representations that he had family members, both in corrections and with probation, that could assist him with obtaining information for the benefit of the Talavera DTO,” the complaint states. “Talavera Sr. also claimed to have an attorney friend who could get Talavera Sr. any information on any case for a fee of several thousand dollars.”
By July 21, the FBI began the investigation into Pablo Talavera Jr. after receiving information from a confidential source that his father was using the state trooper to assist the drug trafficking organization by providing sensitive law enforcement information and by escorting bulk cash and/or drug loads.
Texas Commission of Law Enforcement Records indicate he became a state trooper June 15, 2015, according to the complaint.
“Agents later conducted an operation in which Talavera Sr. discussed Talavera Jr.’s role in the Talavera DTO,” the complaint states. “The Talavera DTO trafficked in methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin.”
The drug trafficking organization was led by the trooper’s father and his uncle, Elias S. Talavera, according to court records.
On May 26, during an FBI operation, the FBI said the uncle fronted a confidential source a kilogram of heroin and two kilograms of methamphetamine and agreed to accept a $38,000 payment from the confidential source at a future date, according to the complaint.
The FBI says in the complaint that it seized the drugs.
About a month after that, Border Patrol arrested the uncle on an immigration charge, according to the FBI.
After the arrest, Talavera Sr. began collecting on the drug debt on his brother’s behalf.
“The FBI conducted multiple operations in which Talavera Sr. collected approximately $7,000 (U.S. government funds) on behalf of the Talavera DTO,” the complaint states.
Federal authorities then arrested the trooper’s father on drug conspiracy charges, prompting another co-conspirator to begin collecting the drug proceeds from the organization, according to the complaint.
On July 30, the complaint says that the confidential source met with the trooper’s father in an operation to obtain the registration for a 2014 Silver Dodge Avenger 4-door sedan that was impounded by DPS in Live Oak and loaded with bulk cash, which the confidential source owed him.
“Talavera Sr. told (the confidential source) that Talavera Jr. could inquire into the details regarding the vehicle,” the complaint states.
The complaint alleges that on Aug. 8 the trooper’s father sent the confidential source a text message with the registration information for that vehicle written on a piece of paper, which federal authorities found after executing a search warrant on his phone.
Investigators say they have evidence that the trooper is the one who looked up the registration information and provided it to his father.
On Sept. 16, a cooperating defendant contacted the trooper and discussed the license plate number for the impounded vehicle loaded with bulk cash, according to the complaint.
“Talavera Jr. asked if the owner was trying to claim the money in the vehicle,” the complaint states. “Talavera Jr. told (the cooperating defendant) to tell the individual that they did not know anything.”
The FBI says the trooper acknowledged on two occasions that he looked up license plates for his father to obtain registration information for vehicles and later said he thought he was under surveillance.
“Talavera Jr. then told (the cooperating defendant) that sure enough Talavera Sr. was later arrested,” the complaint states.
That cooperating defendant also told investigators that in 2019, the trooper’s father was kidnapped by a drug cartel in Reynosa.
“Talavera family members gathered at the residence of Talavera Sr. and assessed Talavera Sr.’s kidnapping to be drug related. Present during the discussions was Talavera Jr.,” the complaint states. “Talavera Jr. would have known of Talavera Sr.’s involvement in drug trafficking.
“Talavera Jr. also told investigators during a 2019 interview that he was aware that the Talavera family in Mexico was involved in Organized Crime.”
Court records indicate the trooper made a first appearance in McAllen federal court Friday at 2 p.m. in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker.
He is being temporarily held without bond pending a probable cause and detention hearing scheduled for Monday, records show
What happened during this guys background check after his application process? Looks like Rangers F##K up like always and if you know your family is the wrong side stay away for the sake of your career but this Ticket monster paid too much attention to his loser old man and uncle Well another one bites the dust and adds to the theory that corruption exists everywhere. Pendejo.
ReplyDeleteLook everybody has a spotty background, when you apply even to get into the academy they run a background on you they also livescan you. When you get hired in the state of California you also do another livescan, you do a polygraph and background, in some agencies you do background check and then polygraph then you run a psychological evaluation and finally a medical check with a drug test. People slip who do bad things in every career bad apples exist everywhere. Your right about staying away from family and yes corruption does exist everywhere but thank God that we live in a country where we do prosecute bad apples.
Delete2:15 some rotten apples get away with murder, just look at the Unpresidented Disgrace and his many accomplices, got away with everything for soo many years and keeps getting away with it unprosecuted, his partisan servants help him and themselves like the pack of crooks they are
DeleteMan there is almost no better feeling than dealing with an honest, unbiased, friendly-enuf, fair cop- even when you get tagged for being in the wrong. The cops that preserve yr dignity & dont take yr errors personal like so many do- those are MY heroes.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like the cop that walks up and immediately calls your sir? Gives you respect and doesn't flex on you ? Yeah those are good, unfortunately a lot of the guys in my profession apparently where bullied victims that now feel entitled.
DeleteAfter sheriff Lupe Treviño and his son, tejano cuicos should have learned their motherfacking lesson, but nooo.
DeleteSomething semi interesting. They are doing away with polygraph and using a computer system that detects deception in your voice pattern. It is supposedly much more accurate than a polygraph.
ReplyDeleteYou figure if somebody joins a 'force' at the age of 18 or 20, a lot of people have only smoked pot, some never. Some just drink etc at that point in their lives and have never committed a crime or done hard drugs etc. After your hired its a free for all. I'm sure this varies but still?
The CVSA is not more accurate than a poly. I went to the academy with a few 21 to 24 year Olds and the lack of maturity is highly noticeable.
DeleteI didn't have to take polygraph just a voice deception test. My mistake, I thought they were primarily using this now
DeleteCDCR using the CVSA but most departments use polys.
DeleteMs Hache, so you got caught even before you started?
DeleteBut this is the United States not Mexico. How is this possible?
ReplyDeletePeople like you have an extremely limited IQ. I don't know why in every BB post that mentions a US officer being arrested, nunca falta el pendejo who's like "but I thought US was incorruptible". No one eve said that, only difference is here in the US the small quantity of cops are held responsible while in Mexico the many who do it rarely are.
DeleteIn Mexico all you have to do to work in uniform is give him money every Friday and you're set and if he gets caught or fired then you're screwed.
ReplyDeleteNi El primero ni El Ultimo
ReplyDelete