The Panama Unit scandal continues to grow after authorities filed charges against the 11th person in the ongoing corruption investigation.
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents filed criminal charges against James Phil “JP” Flores on Wednesday.
The former Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office deputy is accused of collaborating with a predatory drug trafficker to make quick cash.
According to a criminal complaint, Flores worked with Edinburg-based drug trafficker Fernando Guerra, Sr. back in early 2011 to February 2013.
Guerra ran an organization that preyed on other drug traffickers in the Rio Grande Valley by stealing their drugs and selling them as their own.
A federal grand jury indicted Guerra, his son and another man on March 6th for using drug task force the Panama Unit as their enforcers.
According to the charges filed against Flores, Guerra would instruct him and other corrupt law enforcement officers to raid drug stash houses or make traffic stops of cars with drugs.
Guerra would then take the drugs, sell them and split the profits with Flores and the others.
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