A former Hidalgo County deputy will spend nearly four years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to steal cocaine from a group of drug traffickers.
Thirty-nine-year-old Baldemar Cardenas was sentenced to 46 months in prison yesterday in McAllen.
Investigators say Cardenas was part of a scheme to set up a fake drug bust to cover up the theft of 73 pounds of cocaine. He pled guilty to a drug trafficking charge in 2022 and his cooperation with the government led to a shorter prison term.