McALLEN, Texas (AP) - A former U.S. Border Patrol agent in South Texas must serve two years in federal prison for lying about a 2007 drug bust and his role in protecting traffickers.
Eduardo Bazan Jr. of Edinburg was sentenced Tuesday in McAllen. The 49-year-old Bazan in June pleaded guilty to making a false statement regarding a narcotics seizure.
A 2013 tip prompted the investigation.
Prosecutors say Bazan acknowledged lying to investigators about a February 2007 drug bust near McAllen in which other Border Patrol agents found 66 kilograms of cocaine. Prosecutors say Bazan was paid $8,000 by traffickers to help stage the scene.
Investigators say the seizure may have involved sham, or diluted, drugs to allow traffickers to steal the original narcotics from unwitting sources and sell the real stuff.
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