Border agent accused of being in Cartel

 Blaze:

A United States Customs and Border Protection agent stands accused of being a Mexican drug cartel member who exploited his position to smuggle illegal aliens into the country.

CBP officer Manuel Perez Jr., 32, was terminated from the agency when he was arrested on federal human- and drug-smuggling charges on February 8, according to the El Paso Times.

Perez, a U.S. citizen born in California, was stationed at the Paso del Norte International Bridge in El Paso, Texas.

If found guilty, he could face up to a decade in prison.

A special agent with the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility testified that Perez was a member of a drug cartel.

“Multiple witnesses said he belonged to La Linea cartel in Mexico,” the special agent stated.

The agent explained that intercepted phone calls from smugglers promised a “100% guaranteed” border crossing, claiming that they had “the officer in their pocket.”

Perez’s lawyer, Ruben Ortiz, claimed that the alleged co-conspirators could be lying about his client’s involvement. He accused them of “pointing fingers, perhaps to gain favor from the government in their own cases.”
...

I am not sure how the agent's attorney can ignore the intercepted phone calls.  The government is probably also able to trace a flow of funds into the agent's account.  They also appear to have several witnesses they can call.