The United States Department of Justice is investigating a former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer as one of the key contacts that facilitated Joaquin’s illegal entry El Chapo Guzmán to that country’s territory.
According to an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Arizona District, to which MILENIO had access, Officer José Rosalio Fuentes allowed the passage of the Mexican capo, as well as other drug traffickers and undocumented migrants.
Audio and WhatsApp messages from US authorities, which are part of the investigation against Fuentes, show that he acknowledged that while in charge of the access bridge through the Nogales, Arizona area, he allowed the cartel leader to pass from Sinaloa.
According to sentencing memorandum CR 18-02068-RM-EJM, the statements of the border agent drew the attention of US judicial authorities because “it shows a reckless disregard for who and what he was willing to enter the United States in exchange for bribes. … the suspect allegedly helped several drug traffickers enter the United States illegally and even enter illegally at one point El Chapo, former leader of the Sinaloa cartel ”.
The file does not state the date on which the agent admitted Guzmán Loera illegally.
El Chapo he remained on the run from justice until 1993, when his first arrest took place. He then managed to escape from prison in 2001 and remained free until 2014. A year later he escaped again; He was arrested and extradited in 2017.
José Rosalio Fuentes is currently serving a 2 and a half year prison sentence, he must also remain in freedom under supervision for 3 years and pay a fine of 6 thousand dollars.
The Arizona prosecution file against the former officer. (Special)
This verdict was handed down to him after a first case of accepting bribes in exchange for allowing the illegal passage of a man wanted by US law enforcement was upheld.
The incident took place on February 10, 2018, when the bribe plan of the former agent was discovered, which that day allowed Juan Carlos González-Villa, a criminal previously deported to Mexico, to return illegally to the United States.
The border port’s security cameras recorded Fuentes receiving two men, scanning only the identification of one, but allowing entry for both.
All this led to a detailed investigation of the former agent. For example, it was discovered that he had previously allowed undocumented migrants to enter the United States, many of whom had indicated that they had links to drug trafficking.
According to Department of Justice investigations, Fuentes earned about $ 4,000 per person.
Authorities found that the former agent was negotiating to allow imports of methamphetamine into the US, although his arrest on October 24, 2018, prevented this.
In González-Villa’s case, Fuentes pleaded guilty and entered into a cooperation agreement with the United States government, which continues to investigate how to prevent illegal access to El Chapo.
Escape by jumping off a first floor
A drug dealer which operates in the vicinity of the Morelosbuurt, area of influence of the organization The Union Tepito, escaped from the FGR facilities on the outskirts of Miguel Hidalgo by jumping off the first floor. The fugitive, identified as Jesús Guillermo Escareño Andrade, was arrested during a search of a building on Jesús Carranza Street; He was in possession of more than 20 kilos of marijuana with two accomplices.