“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
US Border Patrol agent Manuel Perez pleads guilty to trafficking cocaine and illegal immigrants in El Paso, facing more than 30 years in prison
Manuel Perez Jr., 33, pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs, illegal immigrants and receiving bribes in cash and kind.
Perez could spend more than 30 years in prison for three charges committed while serving as an agent at international bridges.
Perez allowed cars carrying illegal immigrants and drugs to pass through. He is believed to have received more than $37,000 in bribes, Rolex watches and other gifts since 2019.
His revelations expose a chain of drug traffickers in Juarez.
Perez is not the only one. Several officers are under investigation in connection with the case.
