Federal prosecutors said two customs and border guards pleaded guilty this month to permitting vehicles filled with illegal drugs to enter the United States from Mexico.
The pair texted “secret emoji-based codes” to let Mexican traffickers know which inspection lanes they are guarding at the Tecate and Otai Mesa border crossing, the U.S. Attorney General said in a statement. Prosecutors said officers would swing them around when vehicles containing drugs arrive.
Jesse Clark Garcia, 37, and Diego Bonillo, 30, each pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to import controlled substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, the statement said.
As part of the plea agreement, Bonillo has confirmed that at least 165 pounds (75 kilograms) of fentanyl has entered the country, prosecutors said.
The defendant “will benefit from the handsome, fund both domestic and international travel, and try to buy luxury items and buy real estate in Mexico,” the statement said.
Garcia’s sentence is scheduled for September 26th, and Bonillo will be sentenced to prison on November 7th. They each could face the largest life sentence in prison, prosecutors said.
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