CBP Officer Accused of Alien-Smuggling Denied Bond

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On Tuesday, Ricardo Manuel Cordero, 48, and his lawyer asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Mesa to set a bond so Cordero could get a chance to be with his family. But, Mesa granted a request from federal prosecutors that Cordero stay in jail after listening to evidence of the alleged acts.

A Special CBP Agent with Internal Affairs, Jesus Lowenberg testified that from Sept. to Dec. 2010, Cordero and another man, Jaime Sergio Quintana, 40, facilitated the crossing of undocumented immigrants into the U.S.

Lowenberg testified that {snip} on Oct. 28, Quintana met the informant and an undocumented immigrant on the south side of the Bridge of the Americas. The three approached the pedestrian crossing where Cordero was assigned to that day and was able to facilitate the crossing of the immigrant. He testified that the informant paid $5,000 in advance.

Lowenberge also testified that the second crossing happened on Dec. 9 and that the informant was asked to pay $6.500.

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Lowenberge also testified that Cordero has two birth certificates, one from El Paso County and another from the state of Chihuahua.

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