Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
4h ago

Former El Paso CBP Officer Pleads Guilty to Bribery, Human Smuggling and Drug Trafficking

Prosecutors say the yearslong scheme exploited the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso.

Paso del Norte International Bridge (KFOX)
El Paso CBP officer arrested, charged with migrant smuggling, drug trafficking (credit: Fitfam)
Image
Image

Overview

  • Manuel Perez Jr. entered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court on Thursday, and a sentencing date has not been set.
  • Prosecutors say he accepted more than $700,000 and valuables, facilitated the smuggling of over 250 migrants, and conspired to move more than 32 kilograms of cocaine.
  • Court filings describe a conspiracy running from November 2019 to February 5, 2025, including repeated crossings by a gray Nissan Pathfinder in 2023 and 2024; he was arrested at the Paso Del Norte Bridge in February.
  • Perez pleaded to conspiracy to bring in aliens for financial gain, three counts of bringing aliens for financial gain, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and bribery of a public official.
  • He faces a potential sentence of up to about 45 years in prison, and DHS leadership condemned the conduct while CBP emphasized that most officers serve with integrity.