Former officer convicted on drug charges
February 10, 2012 10:56 PM
BROWNSVILLE — A federal jury in Brownsville found a former reserve officer for the Nueces County constable’s office guilty of transporting cocaine and heroin across the Gateway International Bridge, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced Friday.
The jury deliberated for about 30 minutes after one day of trial and convicted Mercedes Perez, 54, on conspiracy and possession charges.
A Customs and Border Protection officer stopped Perez on the bridge Oct. 29, 2011. A drug-sniffing dog alerted the officer to packages of cocaine and heroin concealed inside the car, court documents show.
The narcotics totaled about 15 pounds of cocaine and 5 pounds of heroin, the documents indicate.
