A Mexican police officer from Mexicali, Baja California, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agents on January 12 after he attempted to cross the border with his family and a load of drugs in tow.

Agents stopped an individual identified as Ever Gerardo Ortiz Reyes, 31, at the port of entry into Calexico, California at 7 am, this past Friday, according to a local report. Ortiz Reyes and his family attempted to cross in a 2003 Saturn SUV. Agents conducted a K-9 drug detection sweep which triggered an alert. Ortiz Reyes was then directed to a secondary search. Agents reportedly discovered 42 packages containing approximately 41 pounds of methamphetamine, 12 pounds of cocaine, and 5 pounds of heroin concealed throughout the vehicle.

Ortiz Reyes allegedly admitted to receiving payment for transporting the vehicle from Mexicali to Temecula, California, as reported by local media. Ortiz Reyes is an active duty police officer and earns a salary of $14,000 pesos per month, or approximately $736 USD.

Ortiz Reyes was booked into the Imperial County Jail without bail on charges related to his alleged drug smuggling attempt.

Breitbart News reported on the capture of two Sinaloa cartel gunmen with an arsenal of rifles, ammunition, and a grenade this Wednesday by Mexican state police. The pair were involved in drug smuggling activities near the California and Arizona borders and were alleged members of the Sinaloa Cartel. They were reportedly responsible for offloading drugs from small airplanes landing in the area from Sinaloa and engaged in smuggling activities into California and Arizona.

Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce has worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, working out of the Consulate for the United States Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program, where he was the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas.)