– Former US Border Patrol agent sentenced for offering migrant immigration papers
– Former Border Patrol agent sentenced for selling immigration documents.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
Originally Published: 09 MAY 24 20:31 ET
Updated: 09 MAY 24 21:24 ET
By Rosa Flores and Sara Weisfeldt, CNN
(CNN) — A former US Border Patrol agent working at a processing center in Texas has been sentenced to 1-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to a bribery of a public official charge, according to the court docket.
Fernando Castillo, aged 42, who worked in El Paso as a US Border Patrol agent, solicited a bribe from a migrant from El Salvador and Mexico in exchange for immigration paperwork that would allow the individual to stay in the US, according to federal prosecutors. Castillo also falsified entries in the individual’s immigration file and produced a fraudulent document, prosecutors stated.
“A federal officer who abuses his position for personal gain undermines public trust in government officials,” said United States Attorney Jaime Esparza in a news release. “Unfortunately, Castillo’s actions unfairly tarnish the reputation of the honest officers who serve the public with dedication. We will hold officers like Castillo accountable for their actions.”
Two additional charges faced by Castillo, including “alien smuggling” and “wire fraud and deprivation of the right to honest services,” were dropped, according to court records.
Castillo entered a plea agreement in mid-January, and two weeks later, he pleaded guilty to the bribery of a public official charge. The specifics of the plea agreement are not publicly available electronically.
Randolph Ortega, Castillo’s attorney, declined to provide a copy of the plea agreement or comment on the case.
Castillo’s service with Border Patrol, a division of US Customs and Border Protection, ended in July of the previous year.
“CBP takes all allegations of misconduct seriously,” said CBP Office of Professional Responsibility Acting Special Agent in Charge Rosa P. Mendez-Mier in a news release.
Castillo’s sentence also includes one year of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
Surveillance video crucial in investigation
A probable cause affidavit from 2023 supporting Castillo’s arrest warrant detailed how the unnamed migrant, identified as a victim of Mexican and Salvadoran descent with no criminal record, reported Castillo’s alleged actions to border patrol agents, leading to an investigation.
The migrant, scheduled for return to Mexico, said Castillo offered to provide immigration papers for $5,000 during a journey to a port of entry in El Paso. Castillo assured the migrant that the papers would not be traceable in the system after a few days, allowing them to stay in the US.
Surveillance footage at a processing center confirmed Castillo’s involvement, showing a border patrol agent matching his description escorting the migrant into the facility.
Following the incident, the migrant received calls from a blocked number believed to be Castillo, discussing the exchange of money for the immigration papers. Investigators also found that Castillo had altered the migrant’s file in the immigration system to grant them a legal reason to enter the US.
Investigation uncovers call records and agent’s rendezvous with migrant
Authorities recorded calls between Castillo and the migrant discussing the exchange of money and the provision of immigration papers. Castillo was charged with wire fraud in connection with these calls.
Audit of the migrant’s immigration file revealed that Castillo had tampered with the file to change the status from voluntary return to a legal notice to appear in the US.
In June, federal agents observed Castillo meeting the migrant at an El Paso port of entry, where he attempted to finalize the exchange of money for the fraudulent immigration papers. During questioning, Castillo admitted to altering the file, forging signatures, and carrying the false document to meet the victim.
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Former US Border Patrol agent
Migrant immigration papers.
