Summary

On July, 27, 2016, Claudio Estrada, a border inspector with the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, was indicted in U.S. District Court, Tucson, AZ, on charges of bribery.

The investigation revealed that in 2012 Estrada accepted $1,000 from a man he suspected of being a drug trafficker and in exchange provided assistance with illegal smuggling operations through the Naco, AZ, port of entry. On July 28, 2016, Estrada was arrested for accepting the bribe. He has been suspended from work pending the outcome of his trial, which is set for November 15, 2016.

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Note: Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints are only accusations by the Government. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.