A U.S. District Judge in El Paso has sentenced Fernando Castillo, a 42-year-old U.S. Border Patrol agent, to 18 months in prison for attempting to smuggle a female migrant from El Salvador into Texas. Castillo pleaded guilty in February to one count of bribery of a public official.
The criminal complaint states that Castillo encountered the woman, who was also a citizen of Mexico, at a migrant processing center in El Paso. He offered to help her obtain immigration papers for $5,000 which would allow her to stay in the country indefinitely.
Fernando Castillo offered a migrant an “immigration benefit” in exchange for $5,000, and
also “made false entries in the individual’s immigration file and printed the fraudulent document,” prosecutors said. pic.twitter.com/qgzsr5vHD4— CRLINY1 #BIE/ADOS/FBA/B1 👀🔥💯 (@rutledgecharle1) May 10, 2024
After the woman declined and was removed to Mexico, she discovered that Castillo had stolen $500 from her belongings. She reported the incident to authorities at the port of entry, prompting an investigation into Castillo’s actions.
Federal investigators had the woman agree to Castillo’s offer while they continued their investigation. Castillo was arrested a few days later after he accessed a computer system and altered the woman’s file to obtain fraudulent documents for her entry into the country.
National Security. IMHO: Please join USA FedGovt c/o CBP and c/o CoastGuard if you are sincere about securing SBorder&NBorder, WCoastline&ECoastline. Example: Mr.Fernando Castillo c/o CBP Officer was allowing anyone paying him USD5K bribe into country, sentenced to 18M prison. pic.twitter.com/NcThUZtkfS
— Sriram M. Peddibhotla, PhD (@rxp113895) May 10, 2024
The case shows exactly how important it is that integrity is maintained within the ranks of the U.S. Border Patrol and how dangerous it can be to the nation if corrupt individuals are allowed to buy and sell citizenship to pad their government salary funded by U.S. taxpayers.
