A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, Diego Bonillo, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking scheme at the Southern Border.
Bonillo accepted payments to allow vehicles carrying illicit substances to pass through U.S. ports of entry without inspection.
Between October 2023 and April 2024, Bonillo, 31, facilitated the entry of at least 15 vehicles into the United States. These vehicles contained approximately 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 11.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, and over one kilogram of heroin.
He communicated with smugglers using a secondary phone to provide lane assignments and times for their illicit passage. Bonillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import controlled substances and importation of controlled substances.
Prosecutors highlighted that he "weaponized his badge for personal profit, funneling deadly narcotics through a port of entry and putting communities at risk." His ill-gotten gains were used for international travel, luxury items, and property in Mexico. Authorities emphasized that this sentence holds him accountable for betraying public trust and corrupting his role at the expense of public safety.
