Customs Officer Arraigned On Drug Charges
POSTED: 4:07 pm PDT October 3,
2008
SAN DIEGO -- A Customs and Border Protection officer assigned to the Calexico Port of Entry, who is accused of helping to smuggle heroin and cocaine into the United States, was arraigned Friday on federal bribery and drug charges.Jesus Velasco Esparza, 22, was arrested Thursday by the Imperial County Public Corruption Task Force. He will return to court Wednesday for a detention hearing.The criminal complaint alleges that Esparza was paid a fee by someone he believed to be a narcotics trafficker to access the Treasury Enforcement Communications System database to check the license plates of vehicles that would be used to smuggle drugs into the United States.
The complaint also alleges that Esparza demanded and received bribe money in exchange for helping smuggle substances containing detectable amounts of heroin and cocaine across the border.
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