Uniformed National Guard Soldier Nabbed After Trying To Bring Cocaine In Texas

Officials jailed an Alabama National Guard soldier on September 13 near Hidalgo, Texas, while trying to carry a kilogram of cocaine.

Army Times said Homeland Security Investigations caught Spc. Derrick Sankey from neighboring McAllen during an undercover operation.

According to the complaint, the 21-year-old soldier from the 2025th Transportation Company was in uniform and driving a designated Border Patrol vehicle when he got custody of the cocaine.

Military sources said officials deployed Derrick Sankey to Texas as part of the Defense Department's border assistance mission. Sankey told HSI special agent David Racca that he expected to be paid $1,000 for picking up and transporting the contraband.

According to the information investigators acquired on September 8, the National Guard soldier was involved in drug transit and distribution.

Undercover investigators put up a sting operation days after obtaining the tip, telling Derrick Sankey to pick up a drug shipment at a Whataburger fast-food outlet in Hidalgo, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The National Guard soldier agreed to transport the box to a hotel in McAllen, according to the lawsuit. Sankey assumed the person who brought the box was from Mexico, according to the lawsuit.

Sankey's hotel room was searched by HSI investigators on the night of his arrest, according to a person familiar with the inquiry.

The Monitor said Derrick Sankey arrived before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker on September 14.

According to Hacker, an examination of Sankey's accounts revealed that he had a "significant quantity of money" in the bank. Authorities evaluated to see if a public defender should be appointed.

Sankey is being detained in custody without bond until his detention hearing on Friday.

According to KSBW, the Salinas Police Department in California revealed the largest drug bust in Monterey County history on Thursday.

Salinas police and federal authorities recovered nearly $2 million worth of illegal drugs during "Operation Blackhawk."

Salinas police seized 60 pounds of methamphetamine, almost seven pounds of cocaine and heroin, and 25,000 Fentanyl pills, among other illegal things.

The business spanned the entire state of California, from Salinas to Yuma. Even the most seasoned officers in Salinas couldn't recall seeing so many drugs taken off the streets in one bust.

Authorities reportedly seized cash in addition to the drugs. According to authorities, eight people were arrested in total. They now face narcotics charges, murder conspiracy charges, and gang enhancements.

Salinas Mayor Kimbley Craig lauded the efforts of law enforcement officers.