Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone reported that a detention officer has been arrested for attempting to bring approximately 100 pills into the Lower Buckeye Jail.

Officials believe that Andres Salazar, 26, attempted to bring approximately 100 pills, including meth and fentanyl, into the jail inside a package. During a press conference on Jan. 11, Sheriff Penzone said the officer has been with the department since 2019 and worked at the Lower Buckeye Jail. Penzone reported that Salazar was intercepted in a parking lot after trying to accept $1,000 in exchange for narcotics.

That officer is now facing several felony counts including possession or use of a narcotic drug, promoting prison contraband, and transportation for sale.

MCSO reports that 194 inmates tested positive for some type of drug in 2022, and 172 inmates were taken to the hospital for drug exposure. 114 of those 194 inmates tested positive for fentanyl.

According to MCSO, in 2022, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner determined 17 inmates in MCSO custody deaths were the result of an overdose or drugs played a major contributing factor.

“This was an ongoing investigation. The actions of Salazar put the lives of inmates, as well as his colleagues, in danger. This young man, whatever led him to make this decision, will now not only lose his career, but most likely the future that he has for himself is definitely going to be hindered in an adverse way,” Penzone said.

Sheriff Penzone is now calling for the purchase of scanning machines for all jails to check for incoming contraband in Maricopa County. Those machines could cost $165,985 each. Penzone says there are machines that check inmates for contraband, however he is urging the county to upgrade all machines.

“If we truly want to be a drug-free safe jail system, we have to take every step possible and that means demanding that our employees become comfortable with the idea that we’d be checking them, too, as well as anyone else,” Penzone said.

There are five jails in Maricopa County.