In a stunning development in President Donald Trump’s war on illegal and dangerous drugs that are being pushed into America, the aide to a Democrat governor has been arrested on suspicion of cocaine trafficking.
The aide to Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat in Massachusetts, was fired immediately.
A report from Fox News said it was LaMar Cook, 45, of Springfield, who pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and was ordered held without bond.
The report noted investigators intercepted packages with the drug “slated to be delivered to a state office building where he worked,” the report confirmed.
Cook, before his arrest and dismissal, was deputy director of Healey’s Western Massachusetts office, the report said.
An official in the governor’s office, confirming the immediate firing, said, “The conduct that occurred here is unacceptable and represents a major breach of the public trust. This criminal investigation is ongoing, and our administration will work with law enforcement to assist them in their work.”
Local prosecutors confirmed that 21 kilograms of cocaine had been seized, including eight during the interception during a delivery at the Springfield State Office Building.
Fox explained, “The investigation stemmed from two prior drug seizures. Authorities intercepted and searched two suspicious packages at Hotel UMass (University of Massachusetts Amherst) in Amherst on Oct. 10 and found about 13 kilograms of suspected cocaine.”
The suspect previously worked at that location.
Prosecutors continued, “Evidence collected during that operation was consistent with the narcotics recovered during the most recent controlled delivery in Springfield.”
Trump’s war on drugs has included missile strikes on many boats that were caught en route to the United States with loads of drugs. The smugglers, in those strikes, sometimes have been killed.