What are you think about the Hired by Customs, but Working for Mexican Cartels Article?”
At first, Luis F. Alarid seemed well on his way to becoming a customs agency success story. He had risen from a childhood of poverty and foster homes, some of them abusive, earned praise and commendations while serving in the Army and the Marines, including two tours in Iraq, and returned to Southern California to fulfill a goal of serving in law enforcement. Skip to next paragraph Enlarge This Image Michael Stravato for The New York Times Security on the border with Mexico has been beefed up. Traffic streamed across the bridge linking El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. War Without Borders This series examines the impact of Mexican drug cartels on both sides of the border. Previous Articles in the Series » Enlarge This Image Department of Homeland Security Margarita Crispin, a former customs inspector in El Paso, pleaded guilty in one of the more egregious corruption cases. But, early last year, after just a few months as a customs inspector, he was waving in trucks from Mexico carrying loads
At first, Luis F. Alarid seemed well on his way to becoming a customs agency success story. He had risen from a childhood of poverty and foster homes, some of them abusive, earned praise and commendations while serving in the Army and the Marines, including two tours in Iraq, and returned to Southern California to fulfill a goal of serving in law enforcement. But, early last year, after just a few months as a customs inspector, he was waving in trucks from Mexico carrying loads of marijuana and illegal immigrants. He pocketed some $200,000 in cash that paid for, as far as the government could tell, a $15,000 motorcycle, flat-screen televisions, a laptop computer and more.
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- What are you think about the Hired by Customs, but Working for Mexican Cartels Article?"
