A former Customs and Border Protection officer in El Paso is headed to federal prison for a decade after admitting he took hefty bribes to wave through undocumented migrants and help move cocaine across the border. The 10-year sentence, handed down March 2 in U.S. District Court, includes concurrent prison terms and orders to give up assets tied to the scheme, which prosecutors say revolved around the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry from late 2023 into early 2025.
According to federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas, an indictment accused Manuel Perez Jr. of letting vehicles driven by undocumented noncitizens pass through the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry and of conspiring to possess at least five kilograms of cocaine for distribution. The charges cover alleged conduct from Dec. 21, 2023, through Feb. 5, 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In court filings and an amended information, Perez admitted guilt to three counts. He was ordered to serve 120 months on the drug conspiracy and bribery charges and 60 months on the human smuggling count, with those terms running at the same time. Once out of prison, he will be on supervised release for five years on the most serious charge and three years on the remaining counts, as reported by KFOX.
Perez was arrested Feb. 8, 2025, at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in downtown El Paso. Prosecutors say the timeline began in December 2023, when a gray Nissan Pathfinder was allowed through the port multiple times while carrying undocumented migrants. The arrest and detention drew public comment from federal officials, and Perez was fired from CBP and held without bond, as reported by KVIA.
In court, prosecutors said Perez raked in more than $700,000 in bribes and did not stop at cash. They say he also took luxury items, including a Rolex watch, assorted jewelry, and a black massage chair, plus about $3,884 in cash, while helping smuggle more than 250 migrants and conspiring to move over 32 kilograms of cocaine bound for North Carolina and Louisiana. The judge ordered forfeiture of the massage chair, the jewelry, the Rolex and the cash, imposed a $200,000 money judgment, added a $300 special assessment and recommended that Perez serve his time at a federal medical facility to address his health needs, according to KFOX.
Sentence, forfeiture and legal penalties
Under federal law, the drug conspiracy charge alone can carry a potential sentence of 10 years to life in prison, depending on the amount and circumstances, while human smuggling statutes generally come with lower maximum penalties. When this case was first filed, prosecutors highlighted that exposure in explaining the seriousness of the charges. The 120-month concurrent term, the six-figure money judgment and the forfeitures reflect both the statutory framework and the negotiated plea agreement that resolved the case.
Investigation and local reaction
The investigation was handled by the FBI El Paso West Texas Border Corruption Task Force, with help from the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. Prosecutors say those agencies worked together to build the corruption case against Perez.
FBI El Paso's special agent in charge said Perez's behavior "tarnished the badge" and undercut public trust in law enforcement, according to KVIA. While Perez has been sentenced, options in federal court remain available to the defense. Prosecutors, meanwhile, frame the case as part of a larger, multiagency push to root out corruption at border crossings, and local and federal officials say they expect more investigations tied to transnational smuggling networks.
