Two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are facing charges for allegedly taking bribes to allow people to enter the country illegally.
Prosecutors say CBP Officers Farlis Almonte and Ricardo Rodriguez worked at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and would let people in without having them show any documentation. They're accused of letting dozens of vehicles carrying illegal immigrants pass through in exchange for thousands of dollars.
According to court documents, investigators found phone messages between the officers and human smugglers in Mexico. They also discovered large cash deposits in their bank accounts. Almonte could face more charges including money laundering and trying to hide evidence.
Prosecutors described one instance that was caught on surveillance video where a car was stopped at a checkpoint with two people inside, but only the driver was officially recorded as entering the United States.
There have been five CBP officers in the San Diego area face similar corruption charges in the past two years.