San Diego (AP) – Two American border inspectors in South California are charged with taking thousands of dollars in bribes to enable people to enter the country through the busiest port of the nation 'arrival without documents, said public prosecutors.
American customs and border protection officers Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez were assigned to immigration inspection cabins in the San Ysidro port of the entry. They were charged after researchers found telephone evidence that showed that they had exchanged messages with human traffickers in Mexico and inexplicable cash deposits on their bank accounts, according to a Thursday of the criminal complaint.
Surveillance video showed at least one copy in which a vehicle with a driver and a passenger stopped at a checkpoint, but only the driver was documented when the country had entered, said prosecutors.
Public prosecutors said the officers waved dozens of vehicles that wore people without documents. They said that both men were paid for thousands for every vehicle they waved through.
It was not immediately known whether Almonte has a lawyer who can speak on his behalf. The National Border Patrol Council, the trade union that represents border patrol officers, did not immediately send an e -mail back to request comments.
Rodriguez's lawyer, Michael Hawkins, said that the case was still in the “baby phases” and that Rodriguez has the suspicion of innocence.
“We look forward to going through the current situation,” said Hawkins in an e -mail in which he described Rodriguez as hardworking and loyal.
The investigation into Almonte and Rodriguez started after three migrant smugglers who were arrested last year told federal researchers that they had worked with American border inspectors, the federal prosecutors said.
While Almonte was in custody, researchers reportedly seized almost $ 70,000, they believe that his romantic partner was trying to move to Tijuana. Public prosecutors wrote in a court that Almonte may be confronted with additional charges for money laundering and obstruction of justice, the San Diego Union Tribune reported.
“Every customs and border protection agent who helps or climb an eye for smugglers who bring immigrants without papers to the US is betraying their oath and endangering our national security,” American lawyer Andrewen had the newspaper in a statement.
Five American customs and border protection officers have been assigned to the San Diego area to experience comparable accusations of corruption over the past two years.
Last year, former American border inspector Leonard Darnell George was sentenced to 23 years in prison for taking bribes to allow people and drugs loaded vehicles to enter the country through the border crossing of San Ysidro. Two other former border officers in the Ports of Entry ports of Otay Mesa and Tecate were charged with comparable costs last year. They are expected to try this summer.
