22-year-old Texas border patrol agent charged with aiding cocaine smuggling, feds say

MCALLEN, Texas – A U.S. Border Patrol Agent was arrested Friday on charges that allege the 22-year-old was helping to smuggle cocaine through a checkpoint in Falfurrias.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Oberlin Cortez Peña Jr. allegedly accepted $1,000 in exchange for helping a vehicle through the checkpoint that contained at least five kilograms of cocaine.

Peña is accused of helping serve as a scout and providing information about inspection lanes, including which lanes to utilize.

A criminal complaint against Peña states that he gave detailed instructions on the best way to conceal the cocaine and tactics border patrol uses to find them. He also allegedly gave advice on various ways to distract K-9 units.

This isn’t Peña’s first brush with the law this year. He was also arrested on a DWI charge on March 25 in Alamo, Texas. His bond was set at $15,000 for that charge.

He was allowed to return to work as a border patrol agent despite the charge.

Peña faces a minimum of 10 years to life in federal prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine if he’s convicted.

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