A former Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officer has pleaded guilty after he was accused of smuggling illegal immigrants in the United States and accepting bribes.
The former CBP officer, Emanuel Isac Celedon, 36, worked at the Lincoln Juarez Port of Entry in Laredo, Texas, according to the Department of Justice. There, Celedon reportedly told human smugglers which lane he was assigned to in advance to let them through without the proper inspection or documentation of the passengers.
Reportedly, this occurred at least nine times between September and November 2023.
During at least two of these instances, Celedon input false information into a CBP database to avoid sending the drivers to a mandatory secondary inspection.
At the time of his arrest, law enforcement seized $1,980 in cash from Celedon. He admitted the proceeds came from human smuggling.
In addition, Celedon admitted to bribery and attempted importation of cocaine for taking money to allow what he thought was cocaine to cross into the United States from Mexico (via Justice.gov):
Celedon sought contacts within the cartels who would pay him to smuggle cocaine through the POE. The undercover investigation revealed Celedon expressed his interest in smuggling cocaine for payment, provided his duty schedule and instructed others to direct vehicles to his lane so he could allow them to safely cross into the United States.
Celedon was paid a total of $6,000 after the vehicles with sham cocaine safely crossed the POE.
Celedon faces up to 10 years on two counts and 15 years on the other two counts in the smuggling case as well as another 15 years for the bribery and 40 years for the drug charges. He also faces hundreds of thousands in possible fines, the DOJ noted.
In 2022, Townhall covered how a former Border Patrol agent, his wife, and another man were charged with unlawfully hiring illegal immigrants to work as drivers at their trucking company and obtaining fraudulent immigration documents. The DOJ noted that he “utilized his knowledge, training and experience to facilitate the employment of undocumented individuals and obtaining I-94 permits.”