Smugglers use whatever method they can to get drugs, weapons and people into the United States, from tunnels to unsecured border fences to secret compartments in vehicles.

But there is an even safer way, known in smuggling circles as a “guaranteed method”: bribe a border officer who will either wave the illegal load through a port of entry or perhaps even carry the goods into the U.S.

Incidents of bribe-taking border officers — including recent cases in San Diego — continue to raise alarms, prompting the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to create a campaign asking for the public’s help to catch corrupt officers.

“If you live near, work at or cross the border, you can be our eyes and ears when you witness public corruption. Don’t turn a blind eye, report it to the FBI,” Sergio Galvan, chief of the FBI’s Public Corruption Unit at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., urges in a new public service announcement.


The campaign targets frequent border crossers, people who work at the border, truck drivers and even law enforcement who might notice odd behavior or lax security. But the signs can be subtle and not easy for most to spot.

It’s the people who have “consistent contact, going through enough times to realize this doesn’t look typical,” said FBI Supervisory Special Agent Todd Hemmen, who supervises San Diego’s Border Corruption Task Force. “Those are the people who are in the best position to come from a place of experience.”

Tipsters are urged to report suspicions to tips.fbi.gov, where the reports will be picked up by one of the more than 250 officers from the FBI and other federal agencies who work on border corruption task forces nationwide.

The campaign will include bulletin boards, a video, social media outreach and posters with the catchphrase “Don’t turn a blind eye. Report border corruption.” The campaign will be rolled out in English and Spanish in 10 border regions, including San Diego; El Paso, Texas; Buffalo, N.Y.; Miami; Phoenix; Detroit; and Fargo, N.D.


It is not certain how the campaign will take shape in San Diego specifically.

Task force investigations into potential corruption in San Diego and Imperial counties remains steady, Hemmen said. He declined to give specific tallies on the number of open or completed cases.

A New York Times report in December found that almost 200 employees and contract workers of the Department of Homeland Security have taken nearly $15 million in bribes over the past 10 years. That includes authorities who patrol the borders, guard the ports of entry, screen passengers at airports, provide immigration documents and investigate smuggling crimes.

The number is less than 1 percent of the 250,000 or so employees at the agency, but it is still troubling considering the massive amount of drugs being imported, as well as what Hemmen calls the worst case scenario — allowing terrorists to infiltrate the country.


Task force investigators often rely on tips from the public to open cases against officers, as well as intelligence that comes from other investigations, Hemmen said.

The investigation into U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Jose Luis Cota in San Diego began in 2013 with a tip from an unauthorized immigrant, who told authorities the officer offered to help smuggle her across the border.

The FBI investigation found Cota had partnered with a woman and allowed her to repeatedly drive undocumented immigrants into the United States through Cota’s lane at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, in exchange for sexual favors and cash bribes, according to court documents.

While the investigation was secretly underway, a co-worker also reported suspicious behavior by Cota, specifically that he was texting while on duty and looking at the agency’s internal database on his phone, court records show.


Cota was arrested in September and pleaded not guilty.

Federal investigators also received tips to look into the activities of Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Tyrone Duren, accused of stealing cash that he seized from drug couriers and then laundering the money. He quit his job amid the investigation. He was arrested Nov. 30 and has pleaded not guilty.

Most recently, a man who told authorities he met Border Patrol Agent Noe Lopez at a party tipped off U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents to suspected corruption. The tipster said Lopez offered to help him smuggle backpacks full of drugs left at strategic spots along the border fence in San Diego, prosecutors said.

Lopez was arrested earlier this month following an undercover sting that included $10,000 in bribes, according to the complaint. He has also pleaded not guilty.


kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis