SAN DIEGO–Federal authorities arrested a United States Customs and Border Protection officer and two co-conspirators in connection with a human smuggling operation conducted in San Diego.
Authorities filed a six-count federal complaint against United States Customs and Border Protection Officer Jose Luis Cota, 50; Miriam Elizabeth Juarez Herrera, 31, of Mexico; and Gilberto Aguilar-Martinez, 31, of Mexico. The trio were arrested Wednesday in San Diego.
Cota was employed at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, according federal authorities. Herrera, who was deported to Mexico, was charged with smuggling undocumented immigrants into the U.S. from the Mexico. Aguilar-Martinez, also deported, is a two-time convicted felon, charged with assisting with human smuggling.
According to the complaint filed, after approaching Cota’s vehicle primary inspection lane from Mexico at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Cota allowed Juarez-Herrera, Aguilar-Martinez, and other persons without prior official authorization to enter into the United States on November 3, 2015; November 16, 2015; March 15, and September 7. Financial records indicated large sums of cash were deposited into Cota’s bank accounts following the smuggling events.
During an interview with FBI agents, Juarez-Herrera admitted she smuggled people through San Ysidro and paid bribes, in the form of cash and sexual favors, to Cota in exchange for him unlawfully admitting her and undocumented immigrants into the United States through his primary lane at the border. The complaint further alleges that Cota stated that in exchange for him unlawfully admitting Juarez-Herrera and others into the United States, Cota received bribes, in the form of sexual favors, from Juarez-Herrera.
On September 8, Cota, Juerez-Herrera and Aguilar-Martinez were booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego.
A detention hearing for each defendant is scheduled for September 14 before U.S. Magistrate Barbara Major. A preliminary hearing is also scheduled for September 22.
