Gypsy Jan
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Registered: 1-27-2004
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FBI arrests federal border officer
From The San Diego Union Tribune
By Dana Littlefield and Debbi Baker Sept. 10, 2012
SAN DIEGO - "A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer accused of illegally allowing his felon brother-in-law into the country has been arrested,
joining about 140 members of border law enforcement agencies who have been charged in corruption cases since 2004.
Thomas Paul Silva, 33, was taken into custody about 8:30 a.m. Friday at the San Ysidro Port of Entry by agents with the Border Corruption Task Force,
FBI special Agent Darrell Foxworth said today.
Silva, who has been with the agency since 2002, is accused of allowing Julio Cesar Landaverde Valdez, a federal fugitive, to enter the U.S. from
Mexico in April, Foxworth said. He said Silva knew his brother-in-law was a fugitive.
Valdez was convicted in 2006 on immigrant smuggling charges. That case stemmed from Valdez and an associate trying to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro
border crossing with an undocumented immigrant in a dashboard compartment of their vehicle, Foxworth said.
Silva appeared in federal court this afternoon and was told he faces two charges: concealing a person to prevent arrest and wire fraud. A defense
attorney was appointed to represent him.
In addition to illegally allowing his brother-in-law into the country, Silva is accused of defrauding Farmers Insurance Co. by falsely claiming that
his vehicle was stolen and receiving about $7,300 as a result, Foxworth said.
A Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman issued a statement via email, saying the agency stresses honor and integrity in its mission.
"CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe," the statement
said. "We do not tolerate abuse within our ranks, and we fully cooperate with investigations of alleged misconduct by any of our personnel, on or off
duty."
An affidavit filed in the case said federal agents were alerted to Silva's alleged criminal activity in November 2010 after reports accused him of
allowing people with phony immigration documents to pass through the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
Silva ran computer searches in a Customs and Border Protection database under Valdez's name in March, the affidavit says. Then, on April 19, cameras
recorded a Volkswagen sedan entering the inspection lane that Silva was monitoring.
Silva failed to properly enter the Volkswagen's license plate number into a computer system and did not provide any personal information about anyone
in the car.
The male driver of the Volkswagen had a tattoo, part of which could be seen on his neck above the collar. Investigators viewed photos on Valdez's
Facebook page, which showed he has a tattoo that covers part of his left shoulder, neck and upper chest.
An arrest warrant was issued for Valdez's arrest in June 2011 after failing to show up at a residential re-entry program. He remains a fugitive.
Silva was booked Friday into the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown San Diego.
His wife and three supporters were in court today but declined to speak to reporters afterward.
Magistrate Judge William V. Gallo scheduled a detention hearing for Wednesday to discuss what Valdez's bail should be.
The Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection have been dogged in recent years with agents and officers having been arrested in corruption cases
related to their jobs. Most of them took money to allow drugs or undocumented immigrants into the United States.
Last month, a federal jury convicted two brothers, both former Border Patrol agents, for running a human smuggling ring. Prosecutors said Raul
Villarreal, who had been a media spokesman for the Border Patrol in San Diego, was accused of hatching the idea and later recruiting his brother,
Fidel.
T.J. Bonner, the former longtime head of the national union for Border Patrol agents, was indicted last month by a federal grand jury in San Diego on
charges he defrauded the union out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. He's accused of using the union's money for personal business, including
visiting a mistress in Chicago.
Bonner maintains his innocence, calling the wire fraud and conspiracy charges "groundless." He has said he was targeted because he was a frequent
critic of policies by Republican and Democratic presidents during the 22 years he served as head of the National Border Patrol Council.
Hector Rodriguez, who worked four years as an officer with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, was arrested in July while on duty at the San Ysidro
Port of Entry. He is accused, along with two other defendants, of conspiring to smuggle undocumented immigrants into the U.S. and receiving bribes,
such as luxury vehicles and rent on an apartment."
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18400
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Online
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
From The San Diego Union Tribune
By Dana Littlefield and Debbi Baker Sept. 10, 2012
SAN DIEGO - "A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer accused of illegally allowing his felon brother-in-law into the country has been arrested,
joining about 140 members of border law enforcement agencies who have been charged in corruption cases since 2004.
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...and the "140" is truly distressing if you realize that only a small fraction get caught. number of bad apples is probably 10 or 20 times larger
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BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13197
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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and they sometimes give us such a hard time ....
such a shame that this corruption is going on.
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
...and the "140" is truly distressing if you realize that only a small fraction get caught. number of bad apples is probably 10 or 20 times larger
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Agree with that, along with the corruption is the rudeness
I've experienced with CBP, nothing outlandish though.
Not like this woman, saw a bit on CNN a couple weeks back. A 20 yr old
Latino woman who crosses regularly, can't remember the
crossing, was experiencing this crass sexual harassment
by the CBP. Obviously at the hands of several of these
guys. She mounted a camera in her vehicle to record
these clowns manners, they pull her into secondary,
where they are going to run her car thru the xray
machine, this one goofball laughing asks her "are you
pregnent? Do you want to be? I'm just playing with you".
This was said twice to the woman. VERY lack of
prefessionalism among this force
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Rainer
Junior Nomad
Posts: 65
Registered: 1-16-2007
Location: Las Cruces, NM
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Mood: Missing Baja
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Really? 2800 bad apples?
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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Yes...most are d***heads. Must be a personality common personality trait.
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surfer jim
Super Nomad
Posts: 1891
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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I hope this is the guy who took our firewood and 3 Corona beers.
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J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
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Mood: Easy Does It
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Marc
Yes...most are d***heads. Must be a personality common personality trait. |
It, a learned reactiom
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Bajafun777
Super Nomad
Posts: 1103
Registered: 9-13-2006
Location: Rosarito & California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Enjoying Life with Wife In Mexico, Easy on The Easy
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Actually, Customs officers are different from Border Patrol officers in assignment and training. Having established that to say such things as a
large majority are dishonest or A-holes is a little over the top. I have also had good and bad experiences but have had those at local businesses
too! People in all professions have the ones that try to take advantage and they also face the music when caught. It seems like it is a bad human
trait that some dishonest people just can't get away from. So, if you have dishonest thinkings and actions, then chances are you will do dishonest or
criminal things if you think you can get away with it. May all the crooked ones be caught and may all the caught crooked ones get plenty of prison
time for their misdeeds!
WE need Customs and Border Patrol Officers but we need them to be honest and professional. which most are however "bad apples" are again in every
profession unfortunately. We seem to over state things when something bad comes up just like those that over state how unsafe Mexico is. Thus, we
all need to keep things as real as possible,LOL! Happy border crossings now! Take Care & Travel Safe------"No Hurry, No Worry, Just FUN"
bajafun777
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