They are now on the other side of the law.

Omar Salazar and Heriberto Diaz took an oath to protect the citizens of Hidalgo County--but now they are charged with possession of marijuana, engaging in organized criminal activity, and burglary of a habitation.
 
"It's hard for us to say when they went wrong on us," said Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino. "This is the first complaint that we have on both of them allegedly any type of criminal misconduct."
 
Both Salazar and Diaz are accused of stealing marijuana and then using their position as Hidalgo County Sheriff investigators to get away with it.
 
"We have a reputation of following up on every complaint filed with us," said Trevino.
 
Because they followed up on a complaint--both men were arrested.
 
The story does not end there.
 
While in Mexico, Diaz' son was kidnapped and tortured. The sheriff's department said they do not believe Salazar was the mastermind behind the kidnapping, but do believe he played a roll in it to intimidate Diaz.
 
"The kidnapping was to intimidate Diaz not to give information on how this whole scam was set up," said Trevino.
 
Sheriff Trevino said they are questioning another Hidalgo County investigator, who's name they cannot release, because they believe he knew about the kidnapping.
 
"If that is true, I don't know if we have a criminal charge against another investigator--but I do think we do have some very serious administrative charges against him," said Trevino.
 
While Sheriff Trevino does not want to speculate on this case--he said Salazar could have ties to drug smugglers in Mexico.
 
Two other men at the center of this arrest--Jorge and Joel Duncan--who are father and son.
According to the Sheriff's Department, both Jorge and Joel were seen leaving a residence in Mission with several bundles of Marijuana.
 
Sheriff Trevino said when Mission police showed up to the scene--this is what he was told...
 
"Salazar goes up to the Mission police officer and says these two people are my informants don't worry about them and let them go," said Trevino.
 
Jorge is believed to still be in the County--but Joel could be in Mexico.
 
As for the department and how this might effect investigations both men were a part of...Trevino says, "Anytime an experienced police officer is arrested it is going to compromise everything he has done in the past."
 
Both men started working for the Hidalgo County Sheriff Department in 1998 and are now in the county jail on 1.5 million dollars bond.
 
The incident happened on October 15th and both men were suspended, with pay, the next day pending the investigation.