Former Border Patrol Agent Sentenced to More Than 12 Years on Bribery, Firearms, and Narcotics Charges

Ramon Antonio Monreal-Rodriguez, 36, of Vail, Arizona, was sentenced on December 14, by United States District Judge James A. Soto, to 152 months in prison and ordered to pay $151,000 in restitution to the U.S. Border Patrol for salary drawn while engaged in criminal activity. Monreal-Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to Bribery, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana, Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms, and Conspiracy to Provide Firearms to a Convicted Felon, for his role in three separate conspiracies in two federal criminal cases. Between July and August 2018, Monreal-Rodriguez, a former agent, was involved in two firearm-related conspiracies wherein he both unlawfully purchased firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers on behalf of other individuals and provided firearms to felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms.

While the investigations into the firearms conspiracies were ongoing, Monreal-Rodriguez also conspired to import narcotics into the United States from Mexico. Monreal-Rodriguez would retrieve the narcotics and take them past the checkpoint several miles from the border. He admitted to distributing 116 kilograms of cocaine and 107 kilograms of marijuana as part of the conspiracy. Additionally, he received cash proceeds from narcotics sales totaling at least $1.2 million. This case was investigated by the Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force.