By Steve Neavling
Two CBP officers in Southern California are accused of taking bribes to allow undocumented immigrants into the country without inspection, according to federal prosecutors.
Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez, assigned to booths at the San Ysidro Port of Entry — the nation’s busiest border crossing — were charged after investigators uncovered phone messages with human traffickers in Mexico and found unexplained cash deposits in their accounts, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday, the Associated Press reports.
Surveillance footage showed at least one vehicle entering the U.S. with two people inside, though only the driver was logged. Prosecutors say the officers waved through dozens of vehicles carrying undocumented immigrants, allegedly receiving thousands of dollars for each.
The case against the two men began after three migrant smugglers, arrested last year, told investigators they had paid border officers to facilitate illegal crossings.
While Almonte was in custody, nearly $70,000 in cash was seized from his romantic partner, who was allegedly trying to move the money to Tijuana. Prosecutors say Almonte may face additional charges, including money laundering and obstruction of justice.
Rodriguez’s attorney, Michael Hawkins, said the case is in its early stages and emphasized that Rodriguez is presumed innocent.
“Any CBP agent who aids or turns a blind eye to smugglers is betraying their oath and endangering our national security,” Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden said in a statement.
The charges mark the latest in a string of corruption cases at the border. Five CBP officers in the San Diego area have faced similar charges in the past two years. Last year, former officer Leonard Darnell George was sentenced to 23 years in prison for accepting bribes to let undocumented immigrants and drug-filled vehicles through the San Ysidro crossing. Two other former officers are awaiting trial.
