LAREDO, TX – A former officer of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), who was stationed at a Texas port of entry, has admitted to smuggling migrants into the country and accepting bribes to let in what he believed to be cocaine, according to officials on Monday.
Emanuel Isac Celedon, 36, was an officer at the Lincoln Juarez Port of Entry in Laredo. Prosecutors have stated that Celedon informed smugglers of his assigned lane ahead of time, allowing them to pass through without inspection or passenger documentation at least nine times between September and November 2023, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
On at least two occasions, it was reported that Celedon entered false information into the CBP database to prevent the driver from being sent to a mandatory secondary inspection.
It was discovered during the investigation that Celedon had encouraged others to promote his involvement in the human smuggling operation to Mexican smugglers, assuring them that he was playing his part.
At the time of his arrest, Celedon was found with $1,980 in cash, which he claimed was payment for his involvement in human smuggling.
In a separate case concerning narcotics, Celedon had agreed to smuggle what he believed to be kilograms of cocaine from Mexico through his assigned lane at the Laredo Port of Entry on two occasions in October 2023.
An undercover investigation revealed Celedon’s interest in smuggling cocaine into the U.S. for payment. He provided his duty schedule and instructed others to direct specific vehicles into his lane, ensuring their safe passage.
Celedon reportedly received $6,000 after the vehicles carrying the counterfeit cocaine crossed the port of entry.
Celedon now faces up to 80 years in prison on four counts of bringing an undocumented alien to the U.S., along with the bribery and drug charges.