Leonard Darnell George, 42, of San Diego and a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer, was sentenced Friday to 23 years in prison for accepting bribes to allow unauthorized migrants and drug-laden vehicles to cross into the U.S.
The sentence was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
“What’s important to remember about the story of Leonard George is that his corruption was discovered and defeated.” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath in a statement. “Our commitment to the integrity of the badge brought justice to a corrupt officer in this case who will spend decades behind bars.”
According to court documents and witness testimony, George began permitting drug-laden vehicles to pass through his assigned lane in late 2021, alerting members of a drug trafficking organization of his work schedule, assigned lane, and providing them a one-hour window to cross into the U.S.
In February 2022, however, a vehicle flagged by law enforcement entered George’s path, compelling him to send it to secondary inspection, where officials uncovered approximately 222 pounds of methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.