Thread: Ex-border agent, wife held in smuggling case

Ex-border agent, wife held in smuggling case
Web Posted: 01/11/2008 10:09 PM CST
Lynn Brezosky
Express-News Valley Bureau

LAREDO — A former Border Patrol agent and his wife were ordered held without bond along with a third defendant Friday, accused of transporting and harboring 25 undocumented immigrants, federal prosecutors said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested David Cruz, 32, and his wife, 35-year-old Susana Lopez-Portillo de Cruz, at their home Thursday.

The third defendant, 39-year-old Bertha Alicia Esquivel, also known as "La Güera," was arrested Wednesday.

Investigators say the three harbored and transported groups of between seven to 10 undocumented immigrants on Jan. 23, July 21 and Sept. 7 of 2007.

All three are charged with three counts of conspiring with one another to transport and harbor groups of illegal immigrants for the purpose of financial gain.

Each charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The three will return to federal court for a hearing Jan. 17.

Cruz resigned in September. He was the second current or former Customs and Border Protection employee in Laredo arrested for immigration crimes this month.

Sergio Garza, a 32-year-old Customs officer, was arrested Jan. 4 on suspicion of aiding and abetting an undocumented immigrant.

The immigrant was caught by other inspectors, who saw that he did not have documentation to enter the United States. He said he said he had paid a smuggler $600 and been told to go through Garza's inspection lane.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/crime/ ... 07aad.html

• The United States Attorney's Office
  Southern District of Texas
  New Release
  
  Jan. 8, 2008

CBP OFFICER ARRESTED FOR AIDING AND ABETTING UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN

(LAREDO, Texas) – Customs and Border Protection Officer, Sergio Garza, 32, was arrested Jan. 4, 2008, for his suspected role in aiding and abetting an undocumented alien entering the United States, U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today. Garza appeared in federal court before Magistrate Judge Diana Saldaña Jan. 7, 2008. Saldaña set a $100,000 bond and a preliminary hearing date for Jan. 17, 2008.

According to the complaint, on Jan. 4, 2008, Garza, then on-duty with Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-Customs and Border Protection (CBP), was working his assigned lane at the primary inspection area at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge, Port-of-Entry No. 1 in Laredo, Texas. At approximately 7:30 p.m., a 25-year-old Mexican national without permission to enter the United States, entered Garza’s lane and was allowed by Garza to enter the U.S. without any valid immigration authorization. At secondary inspection, the Mexican national admitted to other CBP agents he had no permission to enter, travel through or remain in the U.S. According to the Mexican national, he paid $600 to smugglers to be smuggled into the U.S. and was instructed to cross into the U.S. through Garza’s inspection lane. Once he arrived at Garza’s lane, the Mexican national told Garza he lacked any entry documents into the U.S.. Nevertheless, Garza allegedly allowed him to enter the country.

This case was investigated by DHS-Office of Inspector General and the Laredo office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diana Song.

A criminal complaint is an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.


houston.fbi.gov

Seems they need some serious screening for where their priorities lie. Kind of like the fox guarding the hen house to me.