Three CBP Officers Indicted for Allowing Undocumented Individuals to Enter the U.S. Through Their Inspection Lanes; Two Accused of Taking Bribes

SAN DIEGO - U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Farlis Almonte, Ricardo Rodriguez and Kairy Stephania Quiñonez are charged in an indictment with allowing vehicles with undocumented individuals to pass through their lanes into the U.S. without inspection while working at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

The indictment alleges that Almonte, Rodriguez, and Quiñonez revealed their lane assignments and hours they were scheduled to work the primary inspection booths at the San Ysidro Port of Entry so that co-conspirators would know when it was safe to transport undocumented individuals across the border with impunity - sometimes using code words to gain admittance.

According to the indictment, the defendants falsely reported in the Transportation Enforcement Communications System - a database known as "TECS" that is used by CBP officers - the number of occupants in co-conspirators' vehicles to conceal the fact that those vehicles contained undocumented individuals.

Almonte and Rodriguez are also charged with receipt of bribes by a public official. The indictment alleges that in exchange for money, they failed to enforce the immigration laws of the United States by allowing vehicles with undocumented immigrants to enter the United States.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco Nagel and Bianca Calderon-Peñaloza.

DEFENDANTS Case Number 25-CR-1502

Farlis Almonte Age: 38 San Diego, California

Ricardo Rodriguez Age: 34 Tijuana, Mexico

Kairy Stephania Quiñonez Age: 31 Imperial Beach, California

SUMMARY OF CHARGE

Conspiracy to Bring in Aliens for Financial Gain - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371 and Title 8, U.S.C. Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii)

Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison

Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain, Aiding and Abetting - Title 8, U.S.C. Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) and Title 18, U.S.C. Section 2

Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison with a five-year mandatory minimum

Receipt of Bribes by Public Official - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 201(b)(2)(C)

Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations

United States Border Patrol

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).