Former Border Patrol agent in Texas pleads guilty to defrauding taxpayers
DEL RIO, Texas - A former U.S. Border Patrol agent stationed in Texas has pleaded guilty to defrauding taxpayers.
The former officer was found to have falsely reported his working hours, effectively stealing tax dollars by claiming pay he was not due, according to a recent U.S. Attorney press release.
Border agent pleads guilty
Ramon Heriberto Cerda Jr., 41, of Eagle Pass, committed the crimes between February and June 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas, said in their Monday release. They say that while Cerda worked on the patrol, he also owned and operated a business known as El Eagle Mail.
In February and March, Cerda was reportedly noticed at his home instead of in the field during hours when he was supposed to be on duty. The FBI began to monitor his home and business with cameras to further observe the suspected behavior, and noticed that he often spent his days at those locations instead of in the field, while simultaneously recording time cards that said he worked for USBP from 6 a.m to 4 p.m.
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Between the end of April 2025 and the end of June 2025, Cerda claimed a total of 399.58 hours of pay worth $17,724.74, the press release says.
What's next:
Cerda pleaded guilty to a charge of wire fraud, for which he faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. He has yet to be sentenced.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas.