SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A former U.S. Border Patrol agent was sentenced to 87 months in prison Friday after his previous conviction on drug distribution and bribery charges.
“The level of the betrayal here is a reflection of Mr. Hernandez’s greed, of his individual betrayal," said Tara McGrath, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.
55-year-old Hector Hernandez admitted he took bribes to smuggle narcotics and people across the U.S./Mexico border while on duty.
“Public servants take an oath, and when we take that oath, we honor it and we stand by it,” said McGrath.
Earlier this year, Hernandez pleaded guilty to receiving bribes and attempted distribution of methamphetamine. He admitted to using his official position to open restricted border fences to allow people to illegally enter the United States in exchange for cash payments of $5,000 per opening. In March of 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began a months-long investigation involving undercover federal agents.
“Later on, he was offered $20,000 to move narcotics, and in that particular instance, he picked up a bag of methamphetamine from the United States/Mexico border and carried it to his residence," said Sean Van Demark, Assistant U.S. Attorney. "After work, he went back to his house, got the methamphetamine, and took it to an undercover agent where he was arrested.”
Federal agents then conducted a search of his Chula Vista home, finding cash and cocaine, which he admitted was for personal use.
“They found 7.7 grams of cocaine in a gun box in his closet, and then in various areas of the master bedroom, they located a little over $131,000 dollars of U.S. currency,” said Van Demark.
Hernandez admitted at least $110,000 of that cash was from proceeds he received in connection with his narcotics trafficking and bribery activities. In his plea agreement, he acknowledged he took Mexico-based smugglers on a tour of the southern border, showing them the best places to sneak people into the U.S., while also advising them how best to evade surveillance cameras.
“You are dealing with individuals who understand what investigative procedures and techniques we would use to root out corruption and to investigate narcotics,” said Van Demark. “It’s much easier sometimes when you’re dealing with someone who is less sophisticated and less aware of the methodology, so when we’re doing this with law enforcement, we have to be very careful and surreptitious with our methodology.”
According to McGrath, Hernandez’s corruption is not a reflection on the nearly 2,000 Border Patrol agents serving in the San Diego sector.
“They put their lives at risk by going into the snake-infested heat of the sector and the area where they patrol," said McGrath. "The vast majority of those people act with honor and integrity.”
As part of his plea agreement, Hernandez forfeited his personal vehicle used to bring the drugs to the undercover agent, $110,000 of the seized cash, and his ownership interest in his home where the drugs were maintained.
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