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Former CBP Officer Sentenced for Bribery

Last week, a former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was sentenced to 30 months in prison for bribery. Jose Rosalio Fuentes, 58, of Nogales, Arizona, was found guilty of bribing a public official.

According to court documents, in early 2018, Fuentes, who was assigned to canine duty at the Nogales Port of Entry, agreed to allow an illegal alien into the United States in exchange for a $6,000 cash bribe. The alien, a convicted felon, was set to enter the country through the port of entry during Fuentes’ shift.

Surveillance footage shows Fuentes, on-duty and in uniform, pretending to swipe the alien’s identification at the port of entry, and then waiving the alien through the pedestrian gate and into the United States. Fuentes later met up with the alien and another individual to receive the $6,000 cash bribe.

In addition to 30 months in prison, Fuentes is required to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $6,000 fine. Fuentes is also prohibited from holding a position of trust with the United States in the future.

The Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force, composed of members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, Immigration and Custom Enforcement-Office of Professional Responsibility, Customs and Border Protection-Office of Professional Responsibility, Tucson Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, conducted the investigation in this case.

The Public Integrity Section of the United States Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution. The case, 4:18-cr-02068-RM-EJM, is a stark reminder of the corruption that can plague our nation’s borders.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona urges anyone with information about public corruption to come forward. For more information, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az and follow them on Twitter at @USAO_AZ.