Former US customs officer convicted of letting in drug-filled cars from Mexico

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former U.S. customs agent has been convicted of accepting bribes to let drug-filled vehicles from Mexico into the United States, giving traffickers a window of opportunity. an hour to reach his lane at a San Diego border crossing and pocket at least $13,000 per vehicle, officials said Thursday.

Prosecutors say Leonard Darnell George, a Customs and Border Protection agent working for two separate criminal organizations, authorized at least 19 crossings between late 2021 and June 2022. The vehicles contained several hundred pounds of methamphetamine as well as small amounts of cocaine, fentanyl and heroin. , as well as people brought into the country illegally, according to court documents.

Text messages obtained by investigators showed George agreed to let cars pass for $17,000 per vehicle, and one message showed he received $68,000 after letting four drug dealer vehicles pass in June 2022, according to the press release.

George's attorney, Antonio Yoon, did not immediately respond to emails and voicemails seeking comment.

George was convicted Monday by a federal jury in U.S. District Court in San Diego of accepting a bribe from a public official, conspiracy to import controlled substances and two charges for allowing vehicles carrying unauthorized persons to enter the country.

“Abandoning the integrity of the uniform for drug trafficking conspiracy is a path to a criminal conviction,” U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath said in a statement.

Witnesses said George used the money to buy vehicles, motorcycles and jewelry, and also spent lavishly at a strip club in Tijuana, according to the press release.

His sentencing hearing is set for September 13. The maximum sentence for his charges is 10 years to life in prison.