Former CBP Officer Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy
Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer Diego Bonillo has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in San Diego for using his official position to allow drug-laden vehicles carrying fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine to enter the United States from Mexico without inspection. The sentence underscores the severity of corruption at the southern border.
Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Diego Bonillo, 31, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to import controlled substances for his role in a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization. Prosecutors confirmed that Bonillo intentionally allowed multiple vehicles carrying massive quantities of deadly drugs to bypass inspection at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and the Tecate border crossings between October 2023 and April 2024. In his plea agreement, Bonillo acknowledged accepting payment to misuse his federal authority, admitting that as part of the criminal conspiracy he facilitated the smuggling of at least 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 11.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, and over one kilogram of heroin into the United States.
The investigation revealed that Bonillo actively communicated with members of the drug trafficking organization using a secret phone to transmit his work schedule and specific lane assignments. This allowed the smugglers to know precisely when and where to send their drug-laden vehicles to ensure uninspected entry into the country, a betrayal of public trust that prosecutors warned put communities at extreme risk. While Bonillo’s defense attorney argued his client was coerced into the scheme out of fear for his family’s safety, prosecutors countered that an investigation yielded no evidence of threats, asserting that Bonillo was instead motivated by greed and used his illicit proceeds for international travel, luxury gifts, and attempts to purchase property in Mexico. U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon stated that the sentence holds Bonillo accountable for weaponizing his badge for personal profit and affirmed that corruption of this nature will be met with the full force of the law, setting a firm precedent for officers who compromise the security of the nation’s ports of entry.
This video from the Department of Justice provides official context on the
