Drug And Human Smuggling Under Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Nose

Maybe Sheriff Joe Arpaio should be paying closer attention to what’s happening in his own department. The controversial Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, has made a name for himself persecuting undocumented immigrants and attracting national media attention in the process. But news from azcentral.com is making his tough veneer look a lot like incompetence.

Three members of his own staff, including one deputy in the human-smuggling unit, were arrested  on charges of human and drug smuggling.

Deputy Alfredo Navarrette, 37, has worked with the Sheriff’s Office for nearly a decade, serving in a special unit designed to target human smugglers moving through Maricopa County. But investigators believe Navarrette was himself involved in human smuggling. Investigators found two undocumented immigrants in Navarrette’s home when he was arrested early Tuesday morning in a sweep that concluded a yearlong investigation.

Also arrested were Sylvia Najera, 25, and Marcella Hernandez, 28. Both are Maricopa county sheriff’s detention officers and are charged with money laundering and transporting illegal drugs.

Apparently, all three were involved with an alleged crime organization supposedly led by Francisco “Lorenzo” Arce-Torres, a suspected drug kingpin and leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel in Phoenix who was arrested a day before the three sheriff’s employees.

Authorities say that Deputy Navarrete was in a position to provide vital information to drug traffickers regarding the location and movements of  the police.

Investigators say they believe Navarrette helped the ring by fortifying Arce-Torres’ home with surveillance cameras, registering drug-courier vehicles in his name and laundering money.

The arrests were the culmination of a year-long investigation that resulted in the arrests of another 12 people linked to the drug and human smuggling operation.

Follow Victor Landa on Twitter: @vlanda

[Photo by Gage Skidmore]

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