Former US Border Patrol agent sent to prison for corruption, drug trafficking

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A former U.S. Border Patrol agent was sentenced Friday to 87 months in prison following his previous conviction on drug distribution and bribery charges.

“The level of betrayal here is a reflection of Mr. Hernandez’s greed, his individual betrayal,” said Tara McGrath, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.

Hector Hernández, 55, admitted to accepting bribes to smuggle narcotics and people across the U.S.-Mexico border while on duty.

“Public servants take an oath, and when we take that oath, we honor it and we respect it,” McGrath said.

Earlier this year, Hernandez pleaded guilty to receiving bribes and attempting to distribute methamphetamine. He admitted to using his official position to open restricted border barriers to allow people to enter the United States illegally in exchange for cash payments of $5,000 per opening. In March 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a months-long investigation involving undercover federal agents.

“Later, he was offered $20,000 to transport narcotics, and in this particular case, he picked up a bag of methamphetamine at the U.S.-Mexico border and transported it to his residence ” said Sean Van Demark, Assistant United States Attorney. After work, he returned home, retrieved the meth and took it to an undercover agent where he was arrested.

Federal agents then conducted a search of his Chula Vista home, finding cash and cocaine, which he admitted was for personal use.

“They found 7.7 grams of cocaine in a gun box in his closet and then in various areas of the master bedroom they found a little over $131,000 U.S. dollars,” Van Demark said.

Hernandez admitted that at least $110,000 of that money came from proceeds he received as part of his drug trafficking and corruption activities. In his plea agreement, he admitted to taking Mexico-based smugglers on tours of the southern border, showing them the best places to smuggle people into the United States, while advising them how best to evade surveillance cameras.

“You're dealing with individuals who understand what investigative procedures and techniques we would use to root out corruption and investigate narcotics,” Van Demark said. “It's sometimes a lot easier when you're dealing with someone who is less sophisticated and less aware of the methodology, so when we do this with law enforcement, we have to be very careful and surreptitious with our methodology .”

McGrath said Hernandez's corruption is not a reflection of the nearly 2,000 Border Patrol agents serving in the San Diego sector.

“They are putting their lives at risk by going into the snake-infested heat of the area and the area where they patrol,” McGrath said. “The vast majority of these people act with honor and integrity.”

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

WATCH RELATED: Nonprofits battle surge as Border Patrol drops off hundreds of migrants in Southern California city.