Former South Texas Officer Who Helped Smuggle Cocaine Will Spend 20 Years Behind Bars

A former South Texas police officer has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for helping drug traffickers smuggle cocaine through Texas.A jury convicted former Progreso police Sgt. Geovani Hernandez, 45, in March of two counts of attempting to aid and abet the trafficking of cocaine. He was sentenced by a judge Thursday.During Hernandez's trial, an informant testified how the sergeant agreed to ensure a vehicle carrying drugs had safe passage through Progreso, a border town just east of McAllen. In exchange, Hernandez received a $5,000 payout. The court also determined that Hernandez had also obstructed justice when he tried to stop key witnesses from testifying, including the informant.He will serve five years of supervised release following his prison term."This sentence serves as a sobering reminder about the serious consequences for those who violate the public's trust," Shane Folden, special agent in charge at Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio, said in a written statement.   Continue reading...