The Latest: LA officer charged with immigrant smuggling

LOS ANGELES – The Latest on a Los Angeles police officer charged with attempted immigrant smuggling (all times local):

9:05 p.m.

A Los Angeles Police Department officer has pleaded not guilty to charges that he tried to smuggle two people into the country illegally.

Mambasse Koulabalo Patara entered the plea Thursday and was ordered to surrender his passport.

Patara was off duty when he was arrested this week at a San Diego County immigration checkpoint about 12 miles (20 kilometres) north of the border with Mexico.

Prosecutors say Patara had two people in his car and appeared nervous when questioned. They say Patara was taken into custody after his passengers admitted they are not U.S. citizens.

Authorities say Patara showed his LAPD identification and had his service weapon inside the vehicle.

His passengers were detained by Border Patrol officers.

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1:52 p.m.

A Los Angeles Police Department officer has been charged with attempting to transport two people in the country illegally through an immigration checkpoint in Southern California.

A federal court filing Wednesday says Mambasse Koulabalo Patara was arrested this week at a San Diego County checkpoint about 12 miles (20 kilometres) north of the border with Mexico. It wasn’t immediately known if he has an attorney.

The complaint says Patara had two people in his car and appeared nervous when questioned. The documents say Patara was taken into custody after his passengers admitted they are not U.S. citizens.

The filing says Patara, who was off-duty, showed his LAPD identification and had his service weapon inside the vehicle.

His passengers were detained by Border Patrol officers.