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Houston Bail Bondsmen and ICE Officer Arrested in Immigration Bribery Case

Prosecutors say the scheme ran from April 2023 through March 2024 to free detainees in exchange for bribes

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File Photo: FBI

Overview

  • A federal grand jury returned the indictment on June 24 and it was unsealed on July 2, leading to arrests in Houston and La Porte
  • The indictment names bondsmen Leopoldo Perrault Benitez, his son Anthony Benitez, and Isaac Sierra alongside ICE officer Jose Angel Muniz
  • Authorities allege the trio of bail agents paid Muniz to lift 48-hour immigration detainers so detainees could post bond without ICE transfer
  • All four made initial appearances before Magistrate Judge Peter Bray and remain in federal custody pending further proceedings
  • If convicted, each faces up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 or the value of the bribes, based on an investigation by ICE’s OPR, the FBI and DHS-OIG