An Arizona Federal Motor Carrier Border Inspector has been indicted on bribery charges after allegedly accepting cash from a suspected drug trafficker.
According to court documents, Claudio Estrada accepted a $1000 bribe when he was working at the Naco Port of Entry on or around December 17, 2012. Investigators say that in exchange for the $1000, Estrada “provided assistance with illegal smuggling operations through the Naco, Arizona, port of entry.”
Estrada was arrested on July 29, 2016. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Tucson on August 1 and later entered a plea of “not guilty.”
His trial is scheduled to begin on November 15, 2016. Estrada has been suspended from his job pending the results of his trial.
DOT conducted the investigation into the incident with assistance from the FBI.
Sources:
Office Of Inspector General
The Douglas Dispatch