Two U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have been charged with accepting bribes to allow undocumented migrants to enter the United States without inspection at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, one of the nation's busiest border crossings.
Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez, both assigned to immigration inspection booths, were arrested following an investigation into their involvement with human traffickers. The charges came after investigators uncovered phone evidence showing the officers exchanged messages with smugglers in Mexico, and discovered unusual deposits into their bank accounts.
According to federal prosecutors, the officers were paid thousands of dollars to wave through dozens of vehicles carrying undocumented migrants, as The Associated Press reports. Surveillance footage revealed at least one instance where a vehicle stopped at a checkpoint had only the driver documented as entering the country, while a passenger went unreported.
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The investigation was triggered by the arrests of three migrant smugglers who disclosed that they had been coordinating with CBP officers to facilitate the entry of undocumented individuals.
Almonte and Rodriguez allegedly provided smugglers with information about their work schedules and the lanes they were assigned to at the border crossing, enabling the traffickers to strategically pass vehicles through inspection lanes. As a result, dozens of cars containing undocumented immigrants were allowed to pass through the port without scrutiny.
Federal agents also seized nearly $70,000 in cash from Almonte's romantic partner, who was reportedly attempting to move the money to Mexico. Prosecutors have suggested that additional charges, including money laundering and obstruction of justice, could be brought against Almonte.
Rodriguez's attorney, Michael Hawkins, told Fox 5 San Diego that his client, a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Dominican Republic, had never been arrested prior to this incident and that they were exercising their full due process rights:
"Ricardo's a guy that, obviously, has never been arrested before, never been to jail before, so we're going through a lot. This is a guy who's quite shellshocked"
The director of field operations for CBP's San Diego office, Sidney Aki, expressed disapproval of the officers' actions through a statement shared with The San Diego Union-Tribune:
"The alleged actions of these individuals are deeply troubling and do not reflect the values of CBP or the vast majority of our dedicated personnel who serve with integrity every day. We are fully cooperating with the investigation and will take all necessary steps to ensure accountability. The public's trust is paramount, and we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct"
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