Customs officer, others indicted on smuggling charges

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer assigned to the San Luis, Ariz., port of entry and four others face various immigrant smuggling charges in a 22-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury.

The officer, Jose Carmelo Magana of Yuma, is accused of accepting bribes from four others to allow illegal immigrants to be smuggled through the port of entry from October 2007 through May of this year.

Also charged are Ana Calderon, 28, of San Luis, Ariz., and four residents of neighboring San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., identified in the indictment as Jesus Gastelum-Rodriguez, 41, Guadalupe Milan de Gastelum, 38, and Brenda Covarrubias, 39.

Magana is charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into the country, nine of attempting to smuggle aliens into the country and six of accepting a bribe.

Calderon also faces 16 counts: one of conspiracy to smuggle, nine of attempted smuggling and six of bribery. She faces prison terms of three to 15 years.

Covarrubias and Gastelum-Rodriguez each face one of count of conspiracy to smuggle, eight of attempted smuggling and five of bribery.

Milan de Gastelum is charged one count of conspiracy, six of attempted smuggling and four of bribery.

The five face prison terms ranging from three to 15 years on each of the counts.

According to the indictment, Magana accepted bribes as a participant with the four other defendants in a conspiracy to allow illegal aliens with fraudulent documents to pass through his inspection lane at the port of entry.

The indictment was returned Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Phoenix.

The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General and the FBI with assistance from Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Joseph E. Koehler, assistant U.S. attorney in Phoenix.