A former US border inspector has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for accepting bribes to allow individuals and drug-laden vehicles to enter the country. Leonard Darnell George, 42, was found guilty of agreeing to let vehicles pass through his lane at the San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego, the busiest port of entry in the United States.
According to witnesses who testified during the trial, George permitted vehicles to enter his lane in late 2021. In February 2022, a suspect vehicle triggered an alert, leading to the discovery of 222 pounds (100 kilograms) of methamphetamine. Prosecutors revealed that the former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer also allowed another vehicle carrying 200 pounds of drugs to enter the country.
Text messages presented as evidence showed that George received $17,000 per vehicle and collected $68,000 after permitting four vehicles to pass through his lane in June 2022. A jury convicted him of receiving bribes and other related charges in June.
Elizabeth Cervantes, the special agent in charge of the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility in San Diego, emphasized that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not tolerate misconduct within its ranks.
