Two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have been charged with taking bribes to let people enter the country without showing documents at America’s busiest border crossing.
CBP Officers Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez worked at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and prosecutors say they let dozens of vehicles carrying illegal immigrants pass through without proper checks in exchange for thousands of dollars.
According to court documents unsealed Thursday, investigators found phone messages between the officers and human smugglers in Mexico. They also found large unexplained cash deposits in the officers’ bank accounts.
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In one case caught on surveillance video, a car stopped at a checkpoint with two people inside, but only the driver was officially recorded as entering the U.S., prosecutors said.
A checkpoint before crossing into the United States at San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana, Mexico (Francisco Vega/Getty Images)
When Almonte was arrested, investigators also allegedly seized nearly $70,000 in cash they believe his girlfriend was trying to take to Tijuana. Prosecutors say he may face more charges, including money laundering and trying to hide evidence, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
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“Any Customs and Border Protection agent who helps smugglers is breaking their oath and putting our national security at risk,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden.
Vehicles queue at the San Ysidro crossing port in Tijuana, Baja California State, Mexico. (Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images)
Rodriguez’s lawyer, Michael Hawkins, said the case is still in the early stages and reminded the public that Rodriguez is presumed innocent. “We look forward to working through the current situation,” Hawkins said, calling Rodriguez “hardworking and loyal.”
It’s not yet clear if Almonte has a lawyer. In the past two years, five CBP officers in the San Diego area have faced similar corruption charges.
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The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents CBP officers, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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