Two US customs and border protection officers have been charged with accepting thousands of dollars in bribes to allow undocumented migrants into the United States without proper checks.
Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez were both stationed at the country’s busiest land crossing, assigned to immigration inspection booths at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Southern California. The officers allegedly worked with human traffickers in Mexico to illegally wave through vehicles packed with undocumented individuals, according to federal prosecutors.
The duo was charged after investigators uncovered text messages between the officers and known traffickers, alongside unexplained cash deposits into their personal bank accounts. Surveillance footage showed at least one instance where a vehicle carrying two people was stopped, but only the driver was recorded as entering the country.
Prosecutors claimed that both officers accepted thousands of dollars per vehicle they let through. Over time, the pair are believed to have helped dozens of migrants cross into the US without documentation, CBS news reported.
The charges stem from an investigation that began last year after three arrested migrant smugglers named Almonte and Rodriguez as collaborators. While Almonte was in custody, investigators reportedly seized nearly $70,000 in cash they believe his partner was attempting to move into Tijuana. He could now face additional charges for money laundering and obstruction of justice.
Ricardo Rodriguez’s lawyer, Michael Hawkins, said the case was still in its early stages and reminded the public that his client remains innocent until proven guilty.
“We look forward to working through the current situation,” Hawkins said in an email, describing Rodriguez as “hardworking and loyal”.
It is yet unclear if Almonte has an attorney to represent him.
Acting US attorney Andrew Haden condemned the alleged actions, “any customs and border protection agent who aids or turns a blind eye to smugglers bringing undocumented immigrants into the US is betraying their oath and endangering our national security.”
This case marks the latest in a string of corruption scandals involving border officers in the San Diego area. Over the past two years, five officers have faced similar charges.
In another case last year, former inspector Leonard Darnell George was sentenced to 23 years in prison after accepting bribes to allow undocumented migrants and drug-laden vehicles through the same San Ysidro crossing.
