Former CBP officer sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug smuggling bribes

A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for accepting payment in exchange for allowing smugglers to transport vehicles filled with drugs into the U.S. through the southern border.

Diego Bonillo, 31, was charged with conspiracy to import controlled substances and importation of controlled substances.

“This sentence holds Bonillo accountable for betraying the public trust,” Adam Gordon, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, said in a statement. 

“He weaponized his badge for personal profit, funneling deadly narcotics through a port of entry and putting communities at risk. Corruption like this will be met with the full force of the law, and we will not hesitate to pursue and punish those who trade duty for dollars.”

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Bonillo admitted to working for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization and agreeing to accept payment to allow drug-laden vehicles into the U.S. without inspection, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The former officer confessed to allowing at least 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 11.7 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than one kilogram of heroin into the country. Prosecutors said he allowed at least 15 vehicles to enter the country without inspection from October 2023 to April 2024.

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Bonillo was using a second phone unknown to law enforcement to communicate his lane assignments to drug smugglers so they would know from which lane and what time he could ensure their entry.

He used the money from the scheme to travel internationally, purchase luxury items and tickets to a boxing match, attempt to purchase property in Mexico and spend time at the Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club in Tijuana, Mexico.

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“Former CBP Officer Diego Bonillo allowed massive amounts of drugs into the U.S. without regard for the deadly consequences it could have on our communities,” Mark Dargis, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office, said in a statement.

“He disgraced the badge and violated his oath to protect the American people,” he continued. “This conduct betrays the public’s trust and is contradictory to the values and standards expected of a federal law enforcement officer. FBI San Diego and our partners will not tolerate such dishonorable behavior. This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable anyone who corrupts their role at the expense of our citizens’ safety.”