EL PASO, TEXAS — Manuel Perez Jr., 33, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, has pleaded guilty in federal court to bribery, human smuggling, and drug trafficking charges.
Arrested in February, Perez admitted exploiting his position to illegally smuggle people across the border, accept bribes, and traffic cocaine. Prosecutors say his criminal activities began in November 2019.
Investigators revealed that Perez allowed a gray Nissan Pathfinder to cross the Paso Del Norte Bridge multiple times between December 2023 and August 2024, each time transporting undocumented migrants for payment. In November 2024, he permitted the same vehicle to enter with three migrants, including a minor.
Authorities say Perez accepted more than $700,000 in bribes, along with a Rolex watch, assorted jewelry, a black massage chair, and $3,884 in cash.
He also helped smuggle over 250 migrants and conspired to distribute more than 32 kilograms of cocaine, which reached North Carolina and Louisiana.
The penalties Perez faces are severe:
Drug trafficking: 10 years to life
Human smuggling: up to 5 years
Bribery of a public official: up to 15 years
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem condemned the actions, emphasizing the seriousness of public corruption and threats to border security.
