A former US border official who took bribes to admit drug-laden vehicles gets a 23-year sentence

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Authorities say a former U.S. border inspector has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for taking bribes to allow people and drug-laden vehicles to enter the country. Witnesses testified at trial that 42-year-old Leonard Darnell George agreed to allow the vehicles through his lane in late 2021 at the San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego, the nation’s busiest port of entry. Prosecutors say the then-U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer received $17,000 per vehicle and, in June 2022, $68,000 for four vehicles. Friday’s sentencing in San Diego follows a jury conviction in June.