BajaNomad

Corrupt border officer faces lengthy prison term

Gypsy Jan - 9-15-2012 at 12:33 PM

From The San Diego Union Tribune

Written by Greg Moran Sept. 14, 2012

SAN DIEGO - A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer based in Imperial County has been convicted of taking bribes from people he believed were drug smugglers to allow supposedly drug-laden cars into the U.S.

A federal jury in San Diego deliberated less than a day before convicting Oscar Ortiz Martinez late Wednesday of bribery and conspiracy to smuggle drugs.

Ortiz, who worked at the Calexico ports of entry, now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison on the drug charge alone. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 16 before U.S. District Chief Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz.

A co-defendant, Victor Silva, had pleaded guilty earlier to the drug charge and agreed to testify against Ortiz. Silva is expected be sentenced next month.

Ortiz was charged with accepting $52,000 in bribes from a man he believed was a drug smuggler but who was actually a confidential informant for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

In June 2010, Ortiz allowed a car be believed was carrying cocaine through his inspection lane and received $20,000, prosecutors said. In September, he again let through a car he believed was carrying methamphetamine and was arrested two days later when he went to pick up a $30,000 payment from the informant.

Ortiz's conviction is the latest in an embarrassing string of arrests of Border Patrol and customs officers on corruption charges. Ortiz had worked for the agency since 2008. About 140 border law enforcement officers and agents have been charged with corruption and other offenses nationwide since 2004."

DENNIS - 9-15-2012 at 12:49 PM

He should have just said he was a Muslim and blamed it all on the movie. Then they wouldn't dare prosecute him. In fact, they'd probably apologize.

sancho - 9-15-2012 at 01:53 PM

D, I'm glad to see you are back in form. A couple
weeks back, I camped at Villarino's for the weekend,
took the hike up to the dirt rd. a little past Vonny's
to the P Banda ridgeline over to the blowhole, I think
that that looks down on your place? Nice view, turned
a 4 mi walk into a 6 mi., saw the Booze Cruise
Shippers at the blowhole. A little odd to see Pharmacy
vendors at the blowhole, I'm old enough that they
immediately try to sell me Viagra. Hows that for
wandering off thread

DENNIS - 9-15-2012 at 02:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by sancho
D, I'm glad to see you are back in form. A couple
weeks back, I camped at Villarino's for the weekend,
took the hike up to the dirt rd. a little past Vonny's
to the P Banda ridgeline over to the blowhole, I think
that that looks down on your place? Nice view, turned
a 4 mi walk into a 6 mi., saw the Booze Cruise
Shippers at the blowhole. A little odd to see Pharmacy
vendors at the blowhole, I'm old enough that they
immediately try to sell me Viagra. Hows that for
wandering off thread.


Yeah....You walked right through "Puerto Escondido"....a bunch of houses that look "gringo" on the hill top and from there you look right down on my place on the bay side.
That's a nice walk. I used to do it every day.
I wouldn't count on that Viagra to revitalize your life. It's probably counterfeit.