Will Stribling

Prosecutors say the officers took bribes to protect what they believed were cocaine shipments being moved through the Delta and into Memphis, Tennessee.

Here's U.S.

Attorney Clay Joyner.

Joyner says it was a controlled sting, so 55 pounds of cocaine and briefcases full of drug money weren't really transported.

But the bribes were real, with some officers taking more than $30,000.

The defendants have all been granted bond.

They face a slew of bribery, firearm, and drug trafficking charges.

For NPR News, I'm Will Stribling in Oxford, Mississippi.