PANAMA UNIT

THE A M A PAN T I N U E IN A C O C , H S A C , S P O C T S IE “AMERICA’S DIRT ” R E D R O B S A X E T E H T N O AND CORRUPTION

AN ELITE ANTI-NARCOTICS TASK FORCE BECAME THE MOST BRAZEN DRUG THIEVES ON THE TEXAS BORDER.

THE PANAMA UNIT OPERATED ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT DRUG ROBBERY RINGS IN TEXAS, THEY WERE ABLE TO STEAL FROM HIGH-LEVEL CARTEL TRAFFICKERS, AND SMUGGLE HIGH POWERED WEAPONRY

MISSION, TEXAS IS A BUSTLING CITY OF 80,000 ON THE TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER. MISSION ALSO SITS FIRMLY IN ONE OF THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY’S 28 HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS–SMUGGLING HOT SPOTS. NEARLY 800,000 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA AND SEVERAL TONS OF COCAINE ARE SEIZED THERE EVERY YEAR.

“THEY WERE RUNNING AROUND LIKE THAT MOVIE TRAINING DAY. THEY STARTED OFF STEALING OUNCES OF WEED AND EVENTUALLY STOLE SO MUCH THEY ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF THE FBI, THE DEA, HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE TEXAS RANGERS, NOT TO MENTION AT LEAST ONE REVENGE-SEEKING GANG.”

THEY BUSTED SEVERAL SMUGGLERS IN HIGH-SPEED PURSUITS, SOMETIMES TURNING UP BUNDLES STILL WET FROM THE RIVER. AN EPISODE OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SHOW BORDER WARS CAST MEMBERS OF THE UNIT AS HEROES, EXECUTING A RAID ON A STASH HOUSE AND FINDING TWO TONS OF POT. THEY ALSO TOOK ADVANTAGE OF GENEROUS ASSET-FORFEITURE LAWS TO SEIZE SOME SWEET RIDES FOR THE DEPARTMENT: HUMMERS, MERCEDES-BENZES AND, FOR JONATHAN, A GRAY GMC Z71 PICKUP WITH MONSTER TIRES.

THEY HAD A CERTAIN OUTLAW COOL, LIKE OMAR FROM THE WIRE, RIPPING & RUNNING. THEY DECORATED THEIR OFFICE WITH POSTERS OF MARIJUANA PLANTS, BOB MARLEY, TUPAC AND WORE POLOS WITH THEIR LOGO PRINTED ON THE CHEST: A SILHOUETTE OF KICKING DOWN A DOOR. “EVERYONE IN THE STREETS KNEW ME,” TREVIÑO SAYS. “WE WERE LIKE A DAMN GANG.” HE SAYS DEALERS CALLED HIS WHITE TAHOE “THE GHOSTBUSTER” AND HIM ESTRELLITA – “THE LITTLE STAR.”

THE CORRUPT PANAMA UNIT ROCKED HIDALGO COUNTY. IN ALL, NINE OFFICERS WERE INDICTED, AND THE DA ANNOUNCED HE WAS THROWING OUT AS MANY AS 75 CASES: “THEIR CREDIBILITY WENT FROM ABSOLUTE TO ZERO,”

BASED ON THE ROLLING STONE ARTICLE WRITTEN

BY JOSH EELLS, TITLED AMERICA’S DIRTIEST COPS