Former Border Patrol Officials Extradited to U.S.

Mexico City | March 12, 2009

Today the Government of Mexico assisted the United States in holding corrupt officials accountable for their actions. Raul Villarreal and Fidel Villarreal, along with co-defendants Armando Garcia and Claudia Gonzalez, were extradited by Mexico to the United States to stand trial in the Southern District of California for federal crimes relating to alien smuggling, money laundering, corruption of public officials, and obstruction of justice.

“The United States does not tolerate officials who flout the law and use their position for personal, and illegal, profit,” commented Chargé d’Affaires Leslie Bassett. “We do our best to investigate and prosecute corruption, and we thank Mexico for its part in helping to bring these four individuals to justice.”

U.S. citizens Raul Villarreal and Fidel Villarreal are former United States Border Patrol Agents who allegedly took bribes from an organization that illegally smuggled people into the United States for profit. Armando Garcia and Claudia Gonzalez are accused of having worked for the alien smuggling organization. In 2006, when the Villarreal brothers learned of the investigation against them, they abruptly resigned from the United States Border Patrol and fled the United States. Raul and Fidel Villarreal, Armando Garcia and Claudia Gonzalez were arrested by Mexican authorities on October 18, 2008.