MCALLEN, Texas — A federal judge in South Texas sentenced a former customs officer to prison for his role in a failed human smuggling scheme. The law enforcement officer used his position at an international port of entry to allow an illegal immigrant to enter the country.
This week, former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer Sabas Salinas, 55, appeared before U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez. The judge sentenced the former officer to two years in prison for his role in the human smuggling scheme. Salinas pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to transport aliens in November.
According to information released to Breitbart Texas by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, the case that led to Salinas’ conviction began on August 14, 2017. Salinas worked at the international port of entry in Progreso, Texas. He agreed to help 48-year-old San Juana Sifuentes move an illegal immigrant through his inspection lane.
Sifuentes arrived at one of the inspection booths where Salinas tried to help her smuggle 46-year-old Asiano Uresti Segundo, a previously deported illegal immigrant from Reynosa. The scheme failed when other CBP officers learned that Uresti Segundo was in the country illegally and arrested him and Sifuentes.
The investigation into the failed smuggling attempt led authorities to arrest Salinas 30 days later. Sifuentes pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and is awaiting sentencing. Uresti Segundo pleaded guilty to one count of illegal re-entry and is also awaiting sentencing.
Salinas has remained in federal custody since his arrest. He is waiting to be transferred to the U.S Bureau of Prisons.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.