Thread: More corruption seen among border agents

More corruption seen among border agents

Web Posted: 11/28/2006 12:05 AM CST

Angela Kocherga
KENS 5 Border Bureau Chief

Agents fighting crime on the border are dealing with increasing corruption in their ranks. Among those facing charges are immigration, customs and border patrol agents.

All were caught working for smugglers in El Paso who are supposed to protect our border are increasingly taking bribes instead.

They're the agents who guard our borders and decide who and what gets past nearby checkpoints leading to highways that double as lucrative smuggling routes.

It was at a checkpoint in far West Texas that four agents who were supposed to protect the border switched sides.

"We're disappointed when any agent violates the trust that was given upon them. We will investigate any allegations of misconduct," said Asst. Chief Patrol Agent Robert Fuentes.

The men were convicted last year for waving vehicles filled with illegal immigrants and drugs through the Sierra Blanca checkpoint in exchange for bribes.

Corruption has existed as long as there has been a border, but there's been a spike in cases since 9/11.

"As it becomes more difficult to cross the border, it becomes more important to the drug type organizations and alien smuggling organizations to try to recruit officers," said FBI supervisory agent Jay Abbott.

In the few couple years, dozens of customs, immigration and border patrol agents have been caught working for smugglers, including 10 in Texas.

The bribes from traffickers can easily top an average agent's salary about $50,000 a year.

Criminal organizations also know how to exploit close-knit border communities. Places where it's not unusual for agents and smugglers to grow up together or for extended families to include relatives on both sides of the border — and the law.

The Sierra Blanca checkpoint case involved two brothers: one worked for the border patrol and the other for smugglers.

Critics, including members of the Border Patrol Agents Union, are calling for more thorough background checks as the agency beefs up it's forces.

The border patrol academy is under a presidential mandate to graduate 6,000 new agents in the next couple of years.

We've learned traffickers are hoping to use this to their advantage.

"Some of these drug organizations which are very sophisticated are actually placing people into the border patrol or into ICE in order to assist their efforts," Abbott said.

ICE is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, but new recruits are not the only concern. Veterans are also vulnerable.

Santiago Efrain Valle was a supervisor at the immigration detention center in El Paso when he was arrested in March.

According to court documents, he took a bribe of $20,000 to release an immigration agent from Mexico in custody for smuggling people across the border.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/ ... 4cf61.html

Bush's plan continues to move along without a hitch.

Arrest the agents doing their job and give them severe prison sentences, then replace them with criminals.

Apr 18, 2007

Immigration And Customs Enforcement Agent Accepts Bribe
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent is convicted of taking a $20,000 bribe to drop charges against a Mexican immigration official.

An El Paso federal jury convicted Santiago Valle, 43, of bribery and extortion under color of law on Tuesday.

He faces up to 18 years in prison.

Sentencing is set for July.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/12449109/det ... p&psp=news

Former ICE agent sentenced for seeking bribes

02:59 PM CDT on Thursday, July 12, 2007

Associated Press

EL PASO, Texas—An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent convicted of accepting a bribe has been sentenced today to more than three years in prison.

A federal judge in El Paso sentenced 44-year-old Santiago Efrain Valle (VY’-yay).

Prosecutors say Valle took a 20-thousand dollar bribe and was arrested last year.

Agents learned about the deal from a lawyer for an illegal immigrant who was arrested in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Valle in April was convicted of one count each of bribery and extortion under the color of law.

He’s denied offering to have an immigration charge dropped and the risk classification changed for the Mexican national.

Valle was sentenced to 44 months on the bribery charge and 36 months on the extortion count. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Valle, who must report to prison September 14th, is appealing. Valle is on indefinite leave without pay.

http://www.khou.com/news/state/stories/ ... 291af.html