Federal authorities on Thursday announced indictments against 20 people, including 14 current or former Mississippi law enforcement officers, that allege the officers took bribes to provide safe passage to people they believed were drug traffickers.

The yearslong investigation swept across multiple law enforcement agencies in the state's Northwestern Delta region. Two Mississippi sheriffs, Washington County Sheriff Milton Gaston and Humphreys County Sheriff Bruce Williams, were among those arrested.

Some bribes were as large as $20,000 and $37,000, authorities said at a news conference.

“It’s just a monumental betrayal of public trust,” U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said.

Sunflower County Sheriff James Haywood confirmed the arrest of a deputy, Marvin Flowers, on Thursday morning. Haywood s

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