A former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper from Pharr was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison after confessing to lying to federal agents in a drug investigation involving his family, court records show.

As part of an August plea deal, Pablo Talavera Jr. admitted he lied to FBI agents over his knowledge of his family’s involvement in a drug trafficking scheme.    

The investigation began in 2019 when law enforcement targeted an organization led by Talavera’s father that was responsible for transporting drugs from the Rio Grande Valley to Tennessee, according to a news release.

The investigation revealed Talavera had used his position as a DPS trooper to assist his father by running license plates of vehicles believed to be that of law enforcement. Talavera originally denied knowledge of his father’s participation in drug trafficking.

Talavera’s father was previously convicted of drug trafficking and is now serving a 21-year federal sentence.  

Court records show Talavera remains out on bond pending designation of a federal prison to serve his sentence, which will be followed by two years of parole.