A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was found guilty earlier this week of accepting bribes from criminal organizations seeking to bring drugs and illegal migrants across the southern border. Leonard Darnell George was convicted of charges including receiving bribes by a public official, conspiracy to import controlled substances, and bringing in certain aliens for financial gain.
Prosecutors revealed that George, who was working for two separate criminal organizations, allowed vehicles containing meth and other illicit drugs as well as vehicles with illegal migrants to cross through his lane at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego over a six-month period. It was determined that approximately 19 crossings were facilitated by George during this time.
Witnesses testified during the trial that George would notify members of a drug trafficking organization of the lane he was working at the border crossing, giving them an hour to reach him. In one instance, a vehicle carrying 222 pounds of meth was flagged by law enforcement agents, leading George to send it to secondary inspection. However, he allowed a second drug-filled vehicle to cross the border with over 200 pounds of drugs inside. George received $13,000 the next day for this illegal act, which he used to purchase a luxury car as a gift for an associate of the drug trafficking organization.
Text messages presented in court showed that George charged the criminal organizations $17,000 per vehicle to allow them to pass through his lane. He reportedly received $68,000 after permitting four vehicles from one organization to cross in June 2022. Witnesses also testified that George spent the bribe money on vehicles, motorcycles, jewelry, and lavish trips to Tijuana, where he frequented a gentleman's club and spent thousands of dollars on dancers and gifts.
U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath emphasized the seriousness of George's actions, stating that trading integrity for cash and engaging in drug trafficking conspiracy leads to criminal conviction. George is set to be sentenced on September 13 and faces a maximum of life in prison with a mandatory 10-year minimum sentence.
