Sheriff Arpaio’s Deputies Accused of Working with Mexican Cartel, Prosecutor’s Error Could Free Them

They were arrested in 2011. The three were accused of helping smuggle heroin from Mexico into the Phoenix area. They were further charged with helping launder money from the proceeds through two companies.

The heroin smuggling case against three former Maricopa County Deputy Sheriff’s Deputies is coming unraveled after prosecutors admitted a wiretap used in the case was never properly applied for. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery announced his office is seeking to dismiss the charges against three former deputies who were accused of assisting a cartel-connected heroin smuggling ring.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office who is prosecuting the case against the former deputies revealed that a wiretap application that is required to be filed for the purposes of electronic surveillance was never filed, according to a report on Fox News Latino. Following the revelation by prosecutors, defense attorneys asked the judge to throw out all of the evidence that was obtained using the wiretap.

Prosecutors asked the judge to dismiss the charges against the three former deputies and three other people, including the alleged ringleader of the smuggling operation. The alleged ringleader was said to be working with a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa drug cartel. Eleven other people have already been convicted on charges arising from this wiretap. Prosecutors are also seeking to have those convictions vacated.

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