Border Officer Indicted
for Allowing Illegal Aliens and Marijuana to be
Smuggled into United States
A Customs and Border
Protection Officer for the Department of Homeland Security
was indicted today on federal charges of being part
of a conspiracy that smuggled illegal aliens and marijuana
into the United States.
Luis Francisco Alarid, 31, of San Diego , was named
in a six-count indictment that charges him with one
count of conspiring to smuggle more than 100 kilograms
of marijuana into the United States, one count of conspiring
to bring illegal aliens into the United States, three
counts of bringing illegal aliens into the United States
for financial gain and one count of bribery. The indictment
also seeks the forfeiture of approximately $200,000
in bribe payments that Alarid allegedly received, as
well as several electronic items purchased with funds
related to the scheme.
Alarid is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment
this afternoon in United States District Court.
The indictment and a criminal complaint filed last
month allege that over the past several months Alarid
admitted into the United States a series of vehicles
that contained illegal aliens or loads of marijuana.
Alarid allegedly allowed the vehicles into the United
States while he was working as a border officer at
the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. One vehicle that contained
18 illegal aliens and more than 170 pounds of marijuana
was allegedly driven by Alarid’s uncle in March.
One individual said she was charged a $5,000 fee to
be smuggled into the United States, according to the
criminal complaint.
Agents from the Border Corruption Task Force arrested
Alarid on May 16 after he allegedly attempted to admit
vehicles containing illegal aliens into the United
States.
On May 27, after filing the criminal complaint, the
United States Attorney’s Office in San Diego
requested to be recused from the Alarid prosecution.
The recusal request was approved by the Department
of Justice in Washington. The United States Attorney’s
Office in Los Angeles was then assigned to handle the
case.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant
has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed
innocent until and unless proven guilty.
If convicted of the six counts in the indictment,
Alarid faces a statutory maximum penalty of 90 years
in federal prison. The of charge of conspiracy to smuggle
more than 100 kilograms of marijuana carries a mandatory
minimum penalty of five years in prison, and the alien
smuggling counts each carry a mandatory minimum sentence
of three years.
This case against Alarid was investigated by the Border
Corruption Task Force, which includes the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Customs and Border Protection-Internal
Affairs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s
Office of Professional Responsibility, U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Investigations,
the Department of Homeland Security’s Office
of Inspector General, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
During this investigation, the Border Corruption Task
Force received substantial assistance from the Drug
Enforcement Administration, the Chula Vista Police
Department, the San Diego Police Department and the
United States Border Patrol.
CONTACT: Assistant United States Attorney Gregory
W. Staples (714)338-3535
Release No. 08-076
