Arrested El Paso CBP Officer Was Allegedly a La Linea Cartel Member

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat
From an El Paso Times Article by Daniel Borunda

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer allegedly involved in migrant smuggling on the El Paso border was allegedly a member of a Mexican drug cartel, a federal agent testified.

A federal magistrate judge ordered CBP Officer Manuel Perez Jr., 32, of El Paso, to remain jailed without bond at a detention hearing Thursday, Feb. 13, in federal court in Downtown El Paso. Perez is allegedly a member of the La Linea drug cartel.

Perez was fired from CBP after his arrest on federal human and drug smuggling charges on Feb. 8 by the FBI El Paso West Texas Border Corruption Task Force following a multi-agency investigation, court officials said. If convicted, he could face 10 years up to life in prison.

Read More

El Paso CBP Officer Arrested for Allowing Smugglers & Trafficking into Texas

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Customs and Border Protection officer Manuel Perez, Jr. was arrested in El Paso, Texas on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle undocumented noncitizens for financial gain and alleged drug trafficking activity.

Perez Jr. is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States for financial gain, three counts of bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain, and one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

Read More

Hikers Shot & Robbed by Suspected Cartel Members Near Mexican Border in Jacumba, California

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

From a CBP Press Release

A U.S. citizen and a Canadian citizen were robbed and attacked by armed suspected Mexican cartel terrorists, in the Jacumba Wilderness.

On Wednesday at approximately 11:00AM., El Centro Sector Communications received a call from the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office 911 Dispatch with information a man had been shot and needed assistance in the El Centro Sector area of responsibility. 

U.S. Border Patrol agents were dispatched to an area of the Jacumba Wilderness approximately 1,000 feet north of the U.S.-Mexico International Border, where they encountered a group of hikers who reported part of their group had been attacked by armed individuals.

Read More

CBP One App Goes Offline, Asylum Appointments Cancelled

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Effective January 20, 2025, the functionalities of CBP One™ that previously allowed undocumented aliens to submit advance information and schedule appointments at eight southwest border ports of entry is no longer available, and existing appointments have been cancelled.

Read More

Two CBP Agents in San Diego Arrested for Working with Mexican Cartel

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat
With Contributions from "HEARST"

From a San Diego Tribune Article by Alex Riggens

Before their arrests in May of this year, two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers appeared to be living large, according to prosecutors.

One had dropped thousands of dollars on luxury items from Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Burberry, owned a stake in a horse racing stable and was building a large home on a Mexican ranch.

The other had taken multiple European vacations and was about to attend a pricey boxing match in Las Vegas when he was arrested.

Prosecutors allege that it wasn’t their federal government salaries funding those lavish lifestyles. Instead, Jesse Clark Garcia and Diego Bonillo are accused of working for an unnamed Mexican drug trafficking organization to allow vehicles loaded with fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine to pass unchecked through their inspection lanes at the Otay Mesa and Tecate ports of entry.

Read More

CBP Announces Record Fentanyl Seizure Near Tucson, Arizona

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Lukeville recently seized approximately 4 million blue fentanyl pills, weighing more than 1,000 pounds (over 450 kilos), in the largest singular fentanyl seizure in CBP history.

On July 1, a 20-year-old Arizona man, who is a U.S. citizen, arrived at the Port of Lukeville driving a 2011 pick-up truck which was hauling a sport recreational vehicle on a utility trailer. CBP officers performing the inspection for entry to the U.S. sent the driver and vehicles aside for a more intensive inspection.

Read More