SAN DIEGO – A Mexican woman has pleaded guilty to bribing a U.S. border inspector in San Diego with cash and sexual favors for allowing people to enter the country illegally.
Miriam Juarez's plea agreement, disclosed Thursday in federal court, says she helped smuggle at least 10 people in cars from November 2015 to September 2016 at San Diego's San Ysidro border crossing, charging them $15,000 each. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Jose Luis Cota has pleaded not guilty to charges of smuggling and receiving bribes.
Also Thursday, Gilberto Aguilar of Mexico pleaded guilty to smuggling charges for providing transportation after customers entered the country through Cota's inspection lane.
Sentencing for the 35-year-old Juarez and 31-year-old Aguilar is scheduled for April 7.
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