Jorge Alonso, a Border Patrol agent stationed in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, has been arrested on charges of human smuggling. Alonso’s alleged scheme involved helping illegal immigrants enter the United States using fake documentation and bogus asylum claims. Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz announced the arrest on May 22.
According to Saenz, Alonso attempted to assist an undocumented immigrant in entering the U.S. through a Port of Entry by coaching them to claim legal status and providing a fraudulent U.S. birth certificate. The broader goal was to establish a method for other foreign nationals to enter the country illegally using similar fraudulent means arrested.
“Alonso allegedly encouraged and coached an undocumented immigrant to enter into the U.S. via a Port of Entry and make a claim to legal status,” Saenz explained in a Facebook post. “Alonso also allegedly provided a fraudulent U.S. Birth Certificate. The goal of the conspiracy was to establish a basis for further illegal crossings based on the fraudulent U.S. Birth Certificate.”
The investigation into Alonso’s activities was a collaborative effort involving the district attorney’s office, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Office of Professional Responsibility. The charges Alonso faces are classified as a special third-degree felony, which carries a minimum prison sentence of 10 years.
CBP confirmed the arrest, stating, “A CBP employee assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Sector was arrested on an outstanding warrant with charges of smuggling and conspiracy to commit smuggling. The incident is under investigation by the Cameron County Attorney’s Office with the assistance of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility and DHS Office of Inspector General.”
This incident is part of a broader issue within the Border Patrol, where agents have previously been implicated in similar schemes. In June 2023, Fernando Castillo was caught soliciting a $5,000 bribe from a citizen of El Salvador and Mexico to provide paperwork allowing her to remain in the U.S. Castillo received an 18-month prison sentence.
Additionally, former Border Patrol agent Hector Hernandez was sentenced to 87 months in prison for accepting bribes to smuggle migrants and meth across the U.S.-Mexico border while on duty, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Alonso’s arrest highlights the ongoing need for vigilance and strict oversight within border enforcement agencies to prevent and address corruption and illegal activities.
