1. Radio
 / Modified sep 9, 2016 12:25 p.m.

Ex-Customs Officer Sentenced in Smuggling Bribery

Judge in El Paso imposes maximum term of 7.5 years on former officer.

border immigration fence spotlight A U.S. Border Patrol vehicle on the American side of the border fence in Nogales, Ariz.
Fernanda Echavarri, AZPM

By Monica Ortiz Uribe, Fronteras Desk

A U.S. customs officer convicted of immigrant smuggling in El Paso received the maximum sentence of seven and a half years in federal prison Friday.

U.S. District Judge David Briones sentenced Lawrence Madrid after he was found guilty of allowing immigrants to enter the country illegally at an El Paso port of entry. Testimony showed that Madrid accepted bribes of up to $2,500.

Prosecutors said the scheme took place in 2010 and 2011 and involved Madrid's wife, Odet, who is currently a fugitive.

Briones ignored the defense's request for leniency, saying Madrid was a disgrace to the uniform he once wore.

MORE: Border, Immigration, Law Enforcement, News
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona