CBP officer sentenced to 20 months for slamming U.S. citizen’s head into a barrier, lying on official report

COLUMBUS, New Mexico (KVIA) -- A federal court just sentenced a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer to 20 months in prison for violating the civil rights of a U.S. citizen and falsifying investigation records.

Court documents state that 38-year-old Oscar Orrantia became angry at a 63-year-old U.S. citizen when the man complained about the heat while waiting at the Columbus Port of Entry. The incident happened on June 18, 2019, federal prosecutors explain.

The prosecutors say that Orrantia "unjustifiably" extricated the man from his car and "performed a take-down," throwing the man into a barrier. The man hit his head and his body was bruised in the incident, officials say.

Orrantia then put the man in handcuffs, justifying the action to another officer by calling the man insulting names, federal prosecutors say.

"Following the incident, Orrantia wrote an official report filled with false statements in an attempt to evade accountability for his actions," the prosecutors explained.

The man then sought legal counsel from the ACLU and filed a lawsuit against Orrantia, the prosecutors say.

"This lawsuit prompted the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility to review the incident and consult with the U.S. Attorney's Office regarding potential criminal charges."

The investigators say they then found evidence of "a troubling pattern of misconduct by Orrantia. At least two other individuals made allegations of improper behavior during inspections at the Columbus Port of Entry, occurring in August 2019 and June 2020. Additionally, Orrantia was involved in a separate incident at a Border Patrol checkpoint in August 2018, where he disregarded proper procedures and his colleagues' authority."

In December 2023, a federal jury convicted Orrantia on one count of deprivation of rights and one count of falsifying records.