MCALLEN – A drug seizure, false statements and a video have a San Juan police officer’s job at risk.

San Juan Police Officer Richard Leon Castillo faced a federal judge on Friday. In a criminal complaint, the officer is suspected of making several false statements to Drug Enforcement Administration agents in December 2016.

In the federal criminal complaint it states Castillo was assisting fellow San Juan officers and Border Patrol agents after the search of an abandoned vehicle with drugs inside.

One of the officers took the drugs back to the station as evidence. Castillo told the DEA a different story when interviewed in December.

Castillo claimed he wasn’t aware of who had possession of the drugs. He didn’t know who took the drugs back to the station and never witnessed the bundles of drugs at the scene.

After the interview, DEA agents reviewed the video of the seizure. Agents said Castillo’s story didn’t match up.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS reached out to San Juan Police Chief Juan Gonzalez. He wasn’t available to speak with us on camera, but he did release a statement.

It reads:

The San Juan Police Department was recently made aware of the arrest of Police Officer Richard Castillo, by federal law enforcement authorities.

Officer Castillo is a duly certified police officer under Texas law, and commissioned by the City of San Juan to serve as a police officer.  As a San Juan police officer, Officer Castillo is covered by civil service law process and procedures.  While the Department has no information or comment to make with respect to the federal criminal investigation and arrest, Officer Castillo’s employment status with the City of San Juan Police Department will be handled and processed in accordance with the requirements of civil service law as set forth in Chapter 143, Texas Local Gov’t Code and the Local Rules adopted by the San Juan Civil Service Commission.

No other information can or will be provided about this officer.

Chief Gonzalez said Castillo is off the streets. He is suspended without pay pending the outcome of the federal investigation.

Castillo’s preliminary detention hearing is scheduled for April 19.

We’ll continue to follow the case and report any updates.