School district suspends bus drivers charged with drug possession

EDINBURG -- The Edinburg school district has suspended two bus drivers after authorities arrested them on charges of possessing 180 pounds of marijuana, a school official said.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrested the men Tuesday, said school district attorney Jacques Treviño. The bus drivers were not working at the time, and the arrest did not involve the school district or any school vehicles. Treviño said he would not release the names of the men.

"The superintendent chose to suspend the two bus drivers without pay until further notice," he said.

Treviño did not have any other details of the arrests, and local DPS spokesman Trooper Johnny Hernandez did not return a message left on his cell phone Friday evening.

Treviño said the men rotate the routes they drive for the school, and they have driven young students, older students and field trip groups. He said they would remain suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case against them. Neither man has a history of disciplinary actions being taken against them, he said.
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Zack Quaintance covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.