El Paso deacon arrested for alleged marijuana trafficking scheme

A deacon with a local Catholic Church has been arrested after being accused in a scheme that allegedly involved smuggling tons of marijuana from El Paso to Arizona.

Luis Ulises Carrasco, 54, was arrested by Federal agents Wednesday. He’s charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.

According to jail records, Carrasco is one of 21 defendants involved in an alleged marijuana trafficking ring that Federal investigators labeled the Adan Reyes Drug Trafficking Organization.

Carrasco is a deacon at Corpus Christi Catholic Church located off North Loop in the lower valley. He had been there for the past two years.

“His arrest comes as a shock to the diocese and to those who know him”, said a spokewoman with the Diocese of El Paso in a statement.

It goes on to read, “The diocese cannot comment on the case involving Carrasco as it has no knowledge of the allegations outside of what has been reported. During the course of the investigation, Deacon Carrasco will be placed on administrative leave from his ministry. His faculties will be suspended. We hope that people will give him the presumption of innocence, which is due to everyone according to our system of law, and allow the legal process to take its course”.

One lower valley resident living near the church told ABC-7 he isn’t worried about the incident. Jorge Rodriguez said “I don’t mind. It’s just something that happened. Maybe to other people it’s like they get worried but I don’t know, it’s kind of a problem to others, but it doesn’t affect me in another way.”