Gypsy Jan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4275
Registered: 1-27-2004
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Mood: Depends on which way the wind is blowing
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Corrupt border officer faces lengthy prison term
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."
“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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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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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.
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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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
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| 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.
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