A former US Border Patrol agent has been given a 1.5-year prison sentence for attempting to sell immigration documents to a migrant for $5,000.
10 May
A former Border Patrol agent in Texas received a 1.5-year prison sentence on Thursday after admitting guilt to a bribery charge involving a public official, as stated in court documents.
Fernando Castillo's conviction originates from a 2023 federal case where he allegedly offered a migrant an "immigration benefit" in return for $5,000.
The 42-year-old agent, stationed in El Paso, solicited this bribe from migrants from El Salvador and Mexico in exchange for immigration paperwork facilitating their stay in the US.
He also falsified entries in the migrant's immigration file and produced a fraudulent document.
United States Attorney Jaime Esparza expressed concern over how such actions erode public trust in government officials. Castillo, who initially faced other charges like "alien smuggling" and "wire fraud and deprivation of right to honest services," ultimately pled guilty to the bribery charge as part of a plea agreement.
His sentence includes one year of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
The $5,000 exchange did not happen as Castillo allegedly instructed the migrant to hold onto the money until they were in a vehicle together. During interrogation, Castillo denied taking the $500 but admitted to altering the migrant's file, forging signatures, and carrying the fake document to meet the victim.
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