Texas Border Patrol Agent Accused Of Helping Drug Smugglers

A Border Patrol agent in Texas is accused of committing a crime that he's tasked with preventing.

Oberlin Cortez Pena Jr., 22, was arrested this week after he was accused of helping to smuggle cocaine through a checkpoint in Falfurrias, Texas.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Pena allegedly accepted $1,000 for helping a vehicle carrying around 11 pounds of cocaine pass through the checkpoint on at least two occasions.

Officials say that Pena used his knowledge as a Border Patrol agent “in acting as a scout and providing information about the inspection lanes and which one to utilize.”

He also gave the smugglers tips on how to hid cocaine and how to distract the drug sniffing K9s.

The checkpoint is about 65 miles north of the Mexico border and is one of the busiest inspection stations in the Southwest, according to Border Report.

This isn't Pena's first run in with the law. He was previously arrested on a DWI charge in March, but was allowed to continue working with the Border Patrol, KSAT reported.

He now faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum $10 million fine if he's found guilty of the smuggling charges.