Former fed officer sentenced for smuggling illegsl aliens and getting paid by cartel

LAREDO, Texas – A former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in federal prison for two separate crimes: letting undocumented immigrants and cocaine cross the U.S. border, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Emanuel Isac Celedon, a 37-year-old from Laredo, admitted guilt on March 11, 2024, for illegally helping undocumented immigrants enter the U.S. through the Lincoln Juarez Port of Entry in Laredo. He also confessed to taking bribes and trying to smuggle cocaine by accepting cash to let what he believed was cocaine come into the U.S. from Mexico.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana sentenced Celedon to a total of 117 months (just under 10 years) in prison for both crimes, followed by four years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $17,980. During the hearing, the judge pointed out that Celedon’s job was to stop drugs and unauthorized people from entering the U.S., but he failed at both. She noted that he was heavily involved in the criminal group and seemed eager to get even more involved.

“Anyone who helps or works for the cartel will end up facing serious federal charges,” Ganjei said. “This case is especially disturbing because of the trust the defendant was given in his role. His actions are the opposite of the brave work CBP officers do every day to keep our borders and ports safe.”

In 2023, while working as a CBP officer in Laredo, Celedon reached out to the Cartel del Noreste, a Mexican criminal group, to smuggle drugs and people through his inspection lane for money. During a secret police operation, he showed interest in smuggling cocaine for cash, shared his work schedule, and told a driver with a loaded vehicle to use his lane at the border crossing. He then let the vehicle enter the U.S. without trouble.

Using his position, Celedon allowed several kilograms of what he thought was cocaine into the U.S. on two occasions in October 2023, earning $6,000 in return. Investigations also showed he worked with at least three others to sneak undocumented immigrants into the country without proper checks. Celedon gave his lane assignment to Homero Romero-Hernandez, a 32-year-old Mexican national, who passed it to Jose Osvaldo Zapata-Vasquez, a 25-year-old with cartel connections. Zapata-Vasquez then hired Beatris Guadalupe Martinez, a 22-year-old from Cotulla, to drive.

Zapata-Vasquez gave Martinez directions based on Celedon’s tips about when to pick up immigrants in Mexico and which lane to use at the border. Evidence showed Martinez drove people through Celedon’s lane at least nine times between September and November 2023. Each time, Celedon let them in without checking the passengers. On at least two occasions, he even entered fake information into a CBP system to avoid sending Martinez for a required second inspection.

Celedon also asked Zapata-Vasquez and Romero-Hernandez to tell smugglers in Mexico that he was doing his part to help the cartel’s efforts. When he was arrested, police found $1,980 in cash on him, which he admitted came from smuggling people.

Judge Saldana had already sentenced Zapata-Vasquez to 46 months, Romero-Hernandez to 36 months, and Martinez to 42 months in prison. Celedon will stay in custody until he’s moved to a federal prison, which will be decided soon.

The investigation was carried out by several agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), and CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, with help from other law enforcement groups.

This case is part of a larger effort called the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which targets major criminal organizations threatening the U.S. It also ties into Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a Department of Homeland Security program focused on stopping cartels and human smuggling networks in Mexico and Central America that affect U.S. border security.

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