Alleged Mexican cartel member faces bribery charge
Mar 15, 2012, 10:42 PM
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) – A member of Mexico’s Gulf cartel already serving time in federal prison for threatening to assault and murder agents has been charged in Brownsville with bribery for trying to orchestrate his release and deportation.
The U.S. Attorney’s office announced Thursday that Juan Carlos De La Cruz Reyna and six others spent months negotiating bribes and paid nearly $800,000 to an undercover agent to ensure that he would be transferred to a prison in Texas and then released to allies in Mexico. The 37-year-old De La Cruz was scheduled to be released on his previous conviction later this month.
Prosecutors say De La Cruz feared he would face other charges in Mexico or be released on another part of the border where he could be vulnerable to abduction by rivals.
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