By Steve Neavling
A CBP officer has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for violating a U.S. citizen’s civil rights and falsifying investigation records.
According to court documents, 38-year-old Oscar Orrantia became angry with a 63-year-old man who complained about the heat while waiting at the Columbus Port of Entry in New Mexico in June 2019.
Federal prosecutors say Orrantia “unjustifiably” pulled the man from his car and threw him into a barrier, causing the man to hit his head and sustain bruises.
Orrantia then handcuffed the man, defending his actions with derogatory remarks to another officer. He later filed an official report filled with false statements to avoid accountability, prosecutors said in a news release.
The man sought legal help from the ACLU and filed a lawsuit, which led CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility to review the case and consult with federal prosecutors.
Investigators uncovered a pattern of misconduct by Orrantia, including additional allegations from incidents at the Columbus Port of Entry in 2019 and 2020, and improper behavior at a Border Patrol checkpoint in 2018.
In December 2023, a federal jury found Orrantia guilty of depriving the man’s rights and falsifying records.
