BajaNomad

Mexicali policeman gets 10 years

Anonymous - 7-1-2005 at 07:03 AM

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20050701-9...

July 1, 2005

A former Mexicali police commander was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in freeing members of the Arellano F?lix drug cartel in exchange for money, according to Mexican federal authorities.

Francisco Javier Vaca Garc?a detained two members of the drug organization as they were taking drugs from the wheels of a steam roller, according to a news release from the Mexican Attorney General's Office. He let them go for money, according to the release, which didn't say how much was involved.

The two men ? Ismael Higuera Guerrero and Gilberto Higuera Guerrero ? have been identified by U.S. and Mexican authorities as high-ranking members of the Arellano cartel. Both were eventually arrested, and now they face drug-related charges.

It's unclear when the incident took place, but the case against Vaca was opened in 2003 and he was tried in Mexico's interior. Vaca was found guilty of abetting drug-related crimes, according to the release.