SAN DIEGO (CNS) — Two San Diego-based U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are facing federal charges for allegedly accepting bribes to let vehicles containing undocumented migrants across the U.S.-Mexico Border.
Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez are accused of allowing certain vehicles through while they manned inspection booths at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in exchange for cash. The pair allegedly informed co-conspirators when they would be scheduled to work and what lanes they were assigned to in order to facilitate the illegal entries, according to a complaint unsealed this week in San Diego federal court.
Prosecutors say it happened on numerous occasions involving "dozens of cars" between August of last year until January.
The men were arrested last week. Though a judge ruled that bail could be set for both men, they remain in custody while prosecutors appeal the judge's order.
Court documents state that part of the evidence against the men came from the arrests of people caught during smuggling attempts, who told investigators their smuggling group was working with CBP officers.
One alleged smuggler's cell phone contained a screenshot of a message thread that included one person named "Farli USA" who was sharing his work shift times, court documents state.
Prosecutors allege Rodriguez was connected to numerous "highly suspect crossings" in which he would only record a driver in a vehicle that clearly contained a passenger or would process a driver who was using someone else's identification.
The men also made larger-than-usual cash deposits during the period of the alleged scheme, prosecutors said.
They face charges that include conspiracy to bring in aliens for financial gain and receipt of bribes by a public official.
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