A deportation officer with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement led Arizona State police and federal agents on a high-speed desert chase in his government vehicle, throwing bundles of marijuana out of the window as he fled, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) said on Wednesday.
The deportation officer, identified as Jason Lowery, 34, had been under surveillance for more than month after a known smuggler who had been arrested gave authorities a tip about the officer in an effort to get lenient treatment, Department of Public Safety Officer Carrick Cook said.
DPS and federal agents tried to pull Lowery over on Tuesday after he picked up a load of marijuana in the desert with his unmarked pickup truck, Cook said. The officer fled, leading agents on a 45-minute chase at speeds of up to 177kph as he threw 10 of the 14 bundles of pot that he had in the truck out of the window, he said.
“He got pretty desperate,” Cook said.
The chase began in the Vekol Valley south of Phoenix and ended 30km away when Lowery’s truck rolled over and he gave himself up.
Lowery, who lives in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, appeared in federal court in downtown Phoenix on Wednesday, but he did not address the court. He sat quietly awaiting the hearing and at one point looked up at the ceiling and repeatedly shook his head.
Prosecutor John Lopez argued that Lowery should be detained as his court case proceeds, saying that he poses a risk to the community and that he could flee the state. He also said that Lowery had a non-government-issued gun on him when he was arrested.
Federal Magistrate Michelle Burns set a hearing in the matter for Tuesday.
Lowery’s court-appointed attorney, Rebecca Felmly, declined to comment.
Lowery’s wife, who identified herself as Trina Lowery, also declined to speak to reporters.
Mexican drug cartels have infiltrated federal law enforcement agencies along the border for years, targeting hiring initiatives with their own people or recruiting officers.
Between 2003 and early last year, 129 US customs officers and border patrol agents were arrested on corruption charges, according to Tom Frost, the US Department of Homeland Security’s assistant inspector general for investigations.
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