A former US Border Patrol agent working at a processing center in Texas was sentenced to 1-and-a-half years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to a bribery of a public official charge, according to the court docket.
Fernando Castillo’s sentence stems from a 2023 federal criminal case that alleged the former agent offered a migrant an “immigration benefit” in exchange for $5,000, according to court records.
The 42-year-old, who worked in El Paso as a US Border Patrol agent, solicited the bribe from a migrant from El Salvador and Mexico in exchange for immigration paperwork that would permit the individual to remain in the US, according to federal prosecutors. Castillo also “made false entries in the individual’s immigration file and printed the fraudulent document,” prosecutors said.
“A federal officer who sells his office for personal gain shatters public trust in government officials,” said United States Attorney Jaime Esparza in a news release. “Unfortunately, Castillo’s crime unfairly tarnishes the honest officers who serve the public with dedication day in and day out. We will eagerly hold officers like Castillo accountable.”
Two other charges Castillo originally faced, including “alien smuggling” and “wire fraud and deprivation of right to honest services” were dismissed, according to court records.
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