4 on South Texas anti-drug task force arrested

— McALLEN, Texas - Federal prosecutors announced charges Thursday against four officers from a South Texas anti-drug task force who they say took thousands of dollars in bribes to help guard large shipments of cocaine.

The officers - two from the Mission Police Department and two Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputies - were members of the “Panama Unit,” a joint task force between the two agencies that targets drug traffickers.

None of the officers have been arraigned, but Mission police officer Alexis Rigoberto Espinoza, 29, made an initial appearance in federal court Thursday on charges of twice possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. U.S.Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos set Espinoza’s bail at $100,000 and ordered him to remain under house arrest with electronic monitoring if he should get out on bond. She denied his request for a court-appointed attorney.

Federal prosecutors filed a second complaint Thursday that named Mission police officer Jonathan Trevino, the 29-year-old son of HidalgoCounty Sheriff Lupe Trevino, as well as two of Lupe Trevino’s deputies, Fabian Rodriguez, 28, and Gerardo Duran, 30. All three were in custody Thursday afternoon. Jonathan Trevino’s attorney did not immediately return a call for comment and it was not immediately known if the other two had lawyers. They were expected to appear in court today.

In their complaint against Espinoza, prosecutors say the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that conducts internal reviews received a tip in August about Espinoza and another task force member stealing drugs.

Information for this article was contributed by Nomaan Merchant of The Associated Press

Front Section, Pages 3 on 12/14/2012

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