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Ex-CBP Officer Sentenced to 15 Years for Letting Drug-Laden Vehicles Bypass U.S. Inspection

Prosecutors say he used a clandestine phone to relay lane assignments to a Mexico-based trafficking group.

Overview

  • Diego Bonillo, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import and importation of controlled substances in the Southern District of California.
  • Investigators say his scheme allowed at least 15 vehicles to pass uninspected between October 2023 and April 2024.
  • Prosecutors attribute the passage of roughly 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 11.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, and more than 1 kilogram of heroin to his actions.
  • U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon and FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis said the sentence reflects accountability for betraying public trust.
  • Sentencing materials state he spent illicit proceeds on international travel, luxury items, an attempted property purchase in Mexico, and entertainment in Tijuana.