A U.S. Border Patrol agent from Chula Vista pleaded guilty June 22 to attempted smuggling of methamphetamine and cocaine while on duty in exchange for cash.
Sentencing for Noe Lopez, 37, is set for Sept. 8 before U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego. Lopez remains free on $200,000 bond with a Global Position System device and he observes a 10 p.m. daily curfew.
Lopez faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison and a $10 million fine. Charges of accepting two bribes for a total of $10,000 will be dismissed at sentencing.
The informant met Lopez at two parking lots in Chula Vista and both times he gave Lopez backpacks that contained meth and cocaine, according to court records. Lopez met with the informant Dec. 7 at an Eastlake restaurant and was given $3,000 for smuggling the drugs.
“Mr. Lopez’ action is a stain on the agents and employees of the Border Patrol who perform their duties with honor and distinction, working diligently day-to-day to keep our country safe,” said Chief Border Patrol agent Richard Barlow.
“We do not tolerate corruption within our ranks, and are grateful to the hard work of the Border Corruption Task Force and other agencies that rooted out Mr. Lopez’ atrocious behavior,” said Barlow.
Lopez, who worked out of the Imperial Beach station, was arrested Dec. 14 following a two month undercover sting in which an informant represented himself to Lopez as a drug trafficker. Lopez offered to smuggle narcotics for between $1,000 to $2,000 per kilogram in backpacks.
Lopez drove the informant to multiple locations along the international border and suggested how the drug smuggling could be done. On Nov. 23, 2016, the informant secretly recorded Lopez agreeing to accept $500 in cash per pound of meth for the pickup and delivery of the backpacks.
Lopez called the informant on Nov. 30, 2016, saying he was at Walmart purchasing backpacks for the transactions. Lopez used his vehicle to illustrate to the informant how he could smuggle drugs, although in one transaction Lopez used his patrol vehicle to transfer a backpack of drugs.
The first drop contained six pounds of mostly simulated methamphetamine that Lopez had agreed to smuggle. The second backpack contained a backpack with seven pounds of simulated cocaine. There was some illegal substances in both backpacks, but agents did not want to risk using large amounts of illegal drugs in a sting operation. This is why the charges Lopez admitted to attempted drug smuggling.
Lopez dropped off both backpacks at pre-determined locations, one of which was Goat Canyon in Imperial Beach. The U.S. Attorney’s office is seeking forfeiture of $10,700 plus his own 2011 vehicle to the government.
“It’s an audacious thing for an on-duty Border Patrol agent to transport what he believes to be methamphetamine and cocaine in his official vehicle on behalf of drug traffickers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson.
“While there are a relatively small number of them, corrupt Border Patrol agents are a national security threat, and for that reason they are a very high prosecutorial priority,” said Robinson.
“This type of corruption of our San Diego borders strikes at the heart of government and erodes public confidence,” said FBI Special agent Eric Birnbaum. “Therefore, the investigation of public corruption is one of the FBI’s top criminal priorities.”
