Baltimore Man Facing Federal Indictment for Attempted Bribery of Port Official

Baltimore, Maryland - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland announced, today, that a Baltimore man is facing indictment in connection with public-corruption crimes. This prosecution is part of the Trump Administration's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

Zen Aljufri, 61, is charged with two counts of bribing a federal official. The charges stem from Aljufri's attempt to bribe U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Maryland, Joseph V. Cuffari Ph.D., Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG), and Matthew S. Davies, Director of Field Operations, CBP Baltimore Field Office.

According to the indictment, Aljufri corruptly offered to pay a CBP officer to release goods from a hold at a port of entry. Aljufri did so with the intent to influence the public official to aid in defrauding the United States, a violation of his official duty.

As detailed in court documents, Aljufri attempted to pay a bribe to ensure a shipment of "mithragyna speciosa," which is related to kratom, could enter the country. The shipment was placed on hold because it was the subject of a hold by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "Red List" pursuant to FDA Alert 54-15

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

If convicted, Aljufri faces a maximum of 15 years in prison for each count of bribing a federal official.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

These actions are also in furtherance of the Department of Justice Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort involving the Criminal Division's Fraud Section, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Attorney's Offices nationwide, including the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who subvert import processes and seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. These efforts leverage all the department's tools and authorities to fight fraud on the federal government and recover funds for the public fisc.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, DHS OIG, and the CBP for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Rigney who are prosecuting this federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.

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