Prosecutors charge CBP Officer with smuggling immigrants into U.S.

A veteran El Paso Customs and Border Protection supervisor has been arrested and charged with attempted alien smuggling.

Fifty-three-year-old Lawrence Madrid has been working as a supervisor at the Paso del Norte bridge in Downtown El Paso. But on Monday afternoon Madrid found himself in handcuffs and shackles before federal Judge Robert Castaneda, facing a charge of attempted alien smuggling, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

In a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday, prosecutors charged Madrid with smuggling immigrants into the United States on two separate occasions at the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso.

Homeland Security investigators accused Madrid of allowing three Mexican nationals to pass the station he was manning without proper documents on Aug. 10, 2010. Then, in September 2011, Madrid is alleged to have allowed another Mexican national to pass his permit window and subsequent inspection lanes after the man wrote his name on a piece of paper.

The complaint says payments were made to an intermediary named by his initials.

CBP issued this statement on Madrid’s arrest: “CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission, and has zero tolerance for corruption and misconduct within our ranks. CBP will fully cooperate with any criminal or administrative investigation of alleged misconduct by any of our personnel, on or off duty. Madrid has been with the agency since 1995 and was assigned to the El Paso port of entry.”

Madrid has hired criminal defense attorney Robert Ramos. Ramos would not comment when ABC-7 approached him in the courtroom. ABC-7 expects to learn more Tuesday, when the criminal complaint is unsealed.

Madrid’s next hearing is scheduled for Friday in front of Judge Anne Berton.