A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was sentenced in federal court in Texas to 51 months in prison and 80 hours of community service for his involvement in bribery and alien smuggling.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Omar Moreno, 46, of Horizon City, was sentenced after being convicted of one count of bribery of a public official and one count of bringing in certain aliens for financial gain.
According to court documents, in December 2022, investigating agents received information indicating that Moreno was smuggling illegal aliens into the United States while working as a CBP officer. He was allegedly receiving $4,000 per alien from a smuggling organization.
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The investigation revealed that on February 1, 2024, video footage captured Moreno escorting two illegal aliens, including a foot guide, into the U.S. through the Ysleta Port of Entry without subjecting them to inspection.
On February 23, 2024, authorities conducted a sting operation using two undercover officers posing as illegal aliens. A confidential human source acted as a foot guide to facilitate their entry from Mexico. Moreno again allowed the smuggling to occur through the port of entry. Following his shift, Moreno was paid $8,000 and subsequently arrested.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
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