Former La Joya ISD police officer avoids felony conviction after being caught with drugs

EDINBURG, TEXAS (ValleyCentral) — Prosecutors dropped a felony drug charge against a former police officer Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

A state trooper caught Jose Luis Ramirez Jr., 34, of Sullivan City with a .40-caliber handgun, synthetic urine and three vials of THC — the psychoactive component in marijuana — in April 2022.

Ramirez pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. In return, prosecutors dropped two other charges against him.

“It was part of a plea bargain,” said Hidalgo County District Attorney Toribio “Terry” Palacios.

Ramirez attended La Joya High School and enrolled at Michigan State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

After graduation, Ramirez worked for a privately owned prison in Kyle, Texas, according to documents released under the Texas Public Information Act. Ramirez also spent time in Arizona, where he worked for an auto shop and a staffing company.

The La Joya Independent School District hired Ramirez in 2015, when he became a security guard. The job paid just $9.94 per hour.

While he worked security, Ramirez attended the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council police academy. La Joya ISD offered Ramirez a police officer position after he graduated.

In 2020, roughly five years after Ramirez returned to Texas, he decided to run for Sullivan City Council.

About 42% of voters supported Ramirez, who lost to City Councilman Rene “Cuate” Peña, according to information published by the Hidalgo County Elections Department.

The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Ramirez on April 1, 2022, when agents conducted a “criminal interdiction operation” near the Academy Sports + Outdoors on Ware Road in McAllen.

Ramirez parked a blue Chevrolet truck outside Academy, according to a report prepared by the Criminal Investigations Division of DPS. Moments later, a red Chevrolet sedan parked nearby.

The driver of the sedan handed Ramirez “a small package,” according to the report, and Ramirez placed the package in his pocket.

Agents followed Ramirez to Mission, where a state trooper stopped him for making a lane change without signaling.

Ramirez appeared “nervous and sweating,” according to the criminal complaint against him.

When the trooper searched Ramirez’s truck, he found three vials of THC oil, a .40-caliber handgun and synthetic urine.

“RAMIREZ stated that the synthetic urine was for his use when he was drug tested at work,” according to the criminal complaint.

Agents also questioned Ramirez about the THC oil.

Ramirez said he “acquired the vials of the controlled substance at the Academy parking lot and that in the past RAMIREZ had done other deals with the same person for controlled substances,” according to the report.

La Joya ISD suspended Ramirez without pay. He resigned on April 27, 2022, less than a month after the arrest.

Prosecutors charged Ramirez with possession of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony; unlawfully carrying a weapon, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of a drug test falsification device, a Class B misdemeanor.

The District Attorney’s Office struck a deal with Ramirez in February 2024.

Ramirez pleaded guilty to possession of a drug test falsification device. Prosecutors dropped the other two charges against him.

The deal allowed Ramirez to avoid convictions on the Class A misdemeanor charge and the felony. As a result, Ramirez may be able to work in law enforcement again.

Ramirez didn’t respond to requests for comment.

To proceed with the felony drug charge, Palacios said the District Attorney’s Office would be required to send the THC oil to a lab for additional testing.

“He only had three vape pens,” Palacios said. “So we didn’t do it.”

Palacios said he didn’t know Ramirez worked in law enforcement.

“My concern is: We should have negotiated ‘Hey, you lose your peace officer’s license’ and then take it from there. That’s usually what we do for police officers, especially if they’re involved in drugs and stuff like that,” Palacios said. “And this one just — well, I didn’t catch this one.”