Officer(s) Involved: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez.
Synopsis: Both officers have been charged with taking bribes to allow people to enter the United States without proper documentation through the San Ysidro Port of Entry, one of the busiest land border crossings in the world.
According to the criminal complaint unsealed today, investigators found evidence that the two officers exchanged messages with human traffickers in Mexico and made unexplained cash deposits into their bank accounts.
Surveillance video captured instances where vehicles with multiple passengers were waved through the checkpoint, but only the driver was documented as having entered the country. Both officers are alleged to have waved dozens of vehicles carrying undocumented immigrants into the country for financial gain.
During Almonte’s arrest, investigators seized nearly $70,000 in cash that his romantic partner was allegedly trying to move to Tijuana. Almonte is potentially facing additional charges for money laundering and obstruction of justice.
The investigation into Almonte and Rodriguez began after three migrant smugglers who were arrested last year informed federal investigators that they had been working with U.S. border inspectors.
Outcome: At time of publication, no additional information related to the officers’ employment or bail could be found.
