Former Border Patrol agent convicted of drug trafficking and bribery

A former U.S. Border Patrol agent who admitted to taking bribes to smuggle meth and people across the U.S.-Mexico border while on duty has been sentenced to more than seven years from prison, authorities announced Wednesday.

Hector Hernandez, 55, pleaded guilty in January, admitting that he agreed to use his official position to open border barriers and allow illegal immigrants to enter the United States from Mexico, according to the spokeswoman Kelly Thornton of the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Hernandez also agreed to move methamphetamine and other controlled substances from the Southern District of California further north to other locations in the United States.

Hernandez was sentenced Friday.

“In his plea agreement, Hernández admitted to taking Mexico-based smugglers to tour the U.S.-Mexico border, showing them the best places to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States,” Thornton said . “He also provided information about the locations of surveillance devices and cameras – information that he is only privy to because of his position as a Border Patrol agent.” Hernandez admitted to repeatedly opening restricted border barriers to allow people to enter the United States illegally in exchange for cash payments of $5,000 per opening.

DEA Acting Special Agent Anthony Chrysanthis said Hernandez “dishonored his badge when he chose to smuggle drugs and people across the border.” His sentence reflects the harm he caused to his colleagues and his country. As law enforcement, we are held to a higher standard and we must be held accountable for our actions. »

According to court records, Hernandez admitted that on May 9, 2023, he met with someone who, unbeknownst to him, was an undercover federal agent, and agreed to retrieve a bag full of narcotics that would be hidden near the border fence. in exchange. for $20,000, Thornton said. Once the deal was made, agents loaded the bag with 10 kilograms of fake methamphetamine, one pound of real meth and a tracking device, before placing the bag in a storm drain near the border fence.

Later that evening, Hernandez drove his official vehicle to the storm drain while on duty and retrieved the bag. He drove the bag to his residence in Chula Vista and left it there for the remainder of his shift, Thornton said.

On May 10, 2023, after his shift ended, Hernandez returned home, retrieved the bag and drove to meet the undercover agent. Upon arrest, officers confirmed that the bag still contained both the fake meth and real meth.

After Hernandez's arrest, officers searched his residence and found $131,717 in cash and 7.7 grams of cocaine, Thornton said. Hernandez admitted that at least $110,000 in cash represented proceeds he received in connection with his drug trafficking and corruption activities.

As part of his plea agreement, Hernandez forfeited his personal vehicle used to deliver the drugs to the undercover agent, $110,000 of the seized money and his interest in his residence where the drugs were kept.

–City press service