Mexican police officer indicted in South Texas with importing methamphetamine

LAREDO, Texas — A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas returned an indictment Tuesday charging a Mexican man with conspiracy to import and importing methamphetamine into the United States.

This indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick, Southern District of Texas. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Gabriel Garrido Isaias, 41, from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, was originally charged by criminal complaint March 15, 2019, and was later remanded to custody. On April 9, a Laredo grand jury returned the two-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to import and importing methamphetamine into the United States. Garrido Isaias is scheduled to be arraigned April 18.

According to the indictment, Garrido Isaias approached the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge #2 on March 14, 2019, driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck.  After CBP sent him to secondary examination, an X-ray examination allegedly revealed anomalies in all four tires. A search of the tires resulted in the discovery of 38.36 kilograms (84.57 pounds) of methamphetamine. During the investigation, Garrido Isaias revealed he is currently a Mexican police officer.