By admin 
SAN LUIS, AZ (AZFamily) — The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry (ADCRR) said Tuesday it plans to fire a correctional officer who was arrested in Mexico after being accused of smuggling weapons for the Sinaloa Cartel.
Read more Flood Watch issued for southern Arizona
Yanet Dowden was taken into custody Friday directly across the international line from San Luis with 5,445 rounds of ammunition on her, Mexican officials said. Her vehicle was impounded.
Mexican authorities originally identified Dowden only as “Yanet N” and said she was a U.S. citizen. Dowden had an Arizona Department of Corrections ID card on her when she was arrested, identifying her as a ”Correctional Officer (Level) II,” a Mexican newspaper reported.
ADCRR confirmed Tuesday that Dowden is a correctional officer and that Mexican authorities arrested her.
Officials said they placed Dowden on administrative leave and started the process to fire her.
The agency said in a statement that it’s “conducting a full and thorough review” and “supporting relevant law enforcement agencies.”
Read more Officials ID teen suspects, man killed in police pursuit crash near Bullhead City
“Arizona’s correctional officers serve with honor. When someone violates the public trust, they betray the officers on the front lines. We will always stand behind the men and women who serve with integrity to keep us safe,” ADCRR added.
Mexican authorities claimed that Dowden is linked to the “Los Mayos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and identified her as a logistics operator.
The government said the bust cost the cartel about 1.6 million pesos, which is about $96,500.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Read more Tucson Police arrest suspect accused of making ‘ghost guns’