Thirteen current and former law enforcement officers, along with two other individuals, have been arrested and indicted for allegedly participating in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
The officers were accused of protecting narcotics shipments and cash proceeds during transit along the East Coast as part of a large drug smuggling ring.
But the trafficking ring was actually an undercover operation led by the FBI. The cops arrested served in departments in North Carolina and Virginia.
“Corruption in local government — especially involving law enforcement — threatens the social compact that binds our communities together,” Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said in a statement. “When the officer with a gun and a badge is no different from the trafficker peddling drugs in the street, we all suffer. That is why the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners in North Carolina and throughout the country are determined to root out corruption, wherever and in whatever form it may be found.”
The 15 defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute controlled substances and conspiring to use and carry firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking offenses. Other charges against certain defendants include attempted extortion, attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, money laundering, federal programs bribery and use and carry of firearms during and in relation to crimes of violence and drug trafficking offenses.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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