Posted on 11/02/2025 7:35:05 PM PST by Red Badger
In what officials called “a monumental betrayal of public trust,” more than a dozen law enforcement officers are among 20 defendants charged in Mississippi and Tennessee for an alleged drug trafficking bribery scheme.
The federal indictment alleges the defendants, which includes two sheriffs, of accepting bribes from FBI agents posing as drug cartel members to facilitate the passage of illicit drugs through the Mississippi Delta region.
Federal officials initiated a years-long investigation after hearing complaints from real drug traffickers about having to pay bribes to law enforcement officers.
WLBT has more:
According to indictments, the co-conspirators received bribes to provide safe passage for FBI agents posing as drug cartel members through counties along Highway 61 into Memphis.
Bribes ranged from $1,500 to more than tens of thousands.
Washington County Sheriff Milton Gaston, meanwhile, received “multiple monetary payments for his blessing for the cartel to operate in his county and use his deputies to protect the cartel’s illegal drug trafficking.”
The indictment goes on to state that Gaston “attempted to have those monetary payments disguised as ‘campaign contributions,’ but did not report them as required by law.”
Humphreys County Sheriff Bruce Williams also was said to have given his blessing for undercover FBI agents posing as Mexican cartel members to transport drugs and drug proceeds through his county.
He also gave the cartel permission to use his chief deputy, Truron Grayson, to escort the narcotics and narcotics proceeds.
“In regard to the escort runs, each of the defendants understood that they were protecting the transportation of 25 kilos of cocaine, sometimes referred to as ‘birds,’ or, on October 5, 2023, the transportation of illegal narcotics proceeds,” the indictment states.
In addition to the bribes for providing escorts, some co-conspirators were also given money “during the course of the investigation to build trust with the corrupt law enforcement officers, to lay the groundwork for future runs, and to take other action to further the drug trafficking conspiracy.”
Watch footage from the press conference announcing the indictment:
WAPT shared:
Back in March of 2023, an undercover FBI agent posing as a member of a Mexican drug cartel connected with Addison and Howard through an informant who was a known drug dealer, according to the indictment.
That would lead to the introduction of Sheriff Williams and Sheriff Gaston and the other law enforcement officials. Investigators said the law enforcement officers were paid bribes to provide enforcement during drug runs to Memphis, including 25 kilos of cocaine in one instance. They were transporting drugs and drug money through Delta counties along Highway 61, according to the indictment.
The FBI said Addison and Howard traveled to Miami to meet with the undercover FBI agent to set up the drug-running venture and eventually made another trip back to Miami with other co-conspirators.
Over the course of the drug-running operation from March 2023 to October 2024, the amount of bribes paid to the law enforcement officers totaled nearly $200,000.
NewsNation shared the full press conference:
VIDEO AT LINK........................
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Does not compute.
TREASON by any other name...
when you think things can’t get any worse...
Maybe they didn’t know they were FBI....
Entrapment?
Were these the crooked cops who let Abrego Garcia “The Michigan Man” go when he was stopped while obviously human trafficking?
IIRC, that was in eastern Tennessee.................
I don’t know specifics. If you present as a cartel member and offer a bribe, is that entrapment?
I’m actually surprised that this doesn’t happen more often. A cop makes, say, $75000 a year. He’s offered a month’s salary to look the other way, just once.
A weak, trash cop might go for it.
Trump is clamping down on the border. This will help. It would also help if a dirty cop is swiftly sent to prison for life. After a fair trial, of course.
Seems like incentive to take bribes if you can yell “Entrapment!!” if busted.
Major irony:
Oh, No. The War Powers Posse Comes After President Trump Over His Attacks on Venezuelan Drug Cartels
11/1/2025, 8:09:47 PM · 10 of 21
logi_cal869 to SeekAndFind
To anyone who doesn’t believe that cartel & ccp $$ haven’t corrupted police, prosecutors & elected officials across the country - not to mention the law firms the $$ funds to promote THEIR interests - I have a dozen bridges to sell.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4350155/posts?page=10#10
Dirty deeds
done dirt cheap!
“...complaints from real drug traffickers about
having to pay bribes to law enforcement...”
-
Drug dealers complained to the FBI???
We’ve had our share of dirty sheriffs and their deputies here in Florida as well.........
During their interrogation probably in exchange for a possible lighter sentence..................
Back in the late 1980’s, I lived in south Florida.
there were many stories about routine traffic stops when
an officer was offered piles of money to look the other way.
One that I remember was an officer stopped a car for a
routine traffic violation, smelled marijuana, and
got clearance for a search.
It was a rental car from the Miami airport.
In the trunk, they fond a box with 1/2 million $ in cash.
Driver said it was not his and must have been in the car
when he rented it, and they should just take it
and let him go on his way...
How many honest officers and other people do you think these 14 got killed with their big mouths? The locals who have lost children to drug overdoses should be up in arms.
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