Man tried to pay ICE officer to deport his wife – it didn’t end well

PORTLAND, Ore. – Antonio Oswaldo Burgos, 48, of Portland, was sentenced to four months in prison, Monday for attempted bribery of a public official after trying to bribe a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer.

“The sentence announced against Antonio Burgos is another example of the Office of Professional Responsibility’s (OPR) commitment to holding individuals, both internal and external, accountable for attempting to infiltrate, entice, or interfere with our workforce,” said Resident Agent in Charge Shawn Fallah.  “This is an important step toward restoring public trust. Burgos will face the justice he deserves because of the coordinated efforts of the Department of Justice, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and our state law enforcement counterparts.”

According to court documents, on May 24, 2018, Burgos followed an ICE deportation officer in his vehicle from the ICE office in Portland until the officer stopped in a parking lot in Vancouver, Washington. The defendant offered the officer money to deport his wife who he had met in El Salvador and was in the process of divorcing. The officer declined Burgos’ offer and reported the event to the OPR.

On May 31, 2018, the officer made a recorded call to Burgos with the assistance of an OPR investigation team. Burgos offered to the pay the officer $3,000 to remove his wife from the U.S. On June 5, 2018, the officer and OPR team made a second recorded call on which Burgos again offered to pay the officer for his wife’s removal. Burgos and the officer proceeded to discuss logistics for an in-person meeting.

On June 6, 2018, Burgos met the officer in a pre-determined location and offered to pay $4,000 for the removal of his wife and his wife’s minor child from a previous relationship. Burgos was arrested on June 29, 2018.

“Criminals who attempt to disrupt and dismantle our operations by attempting to bribe public officials will not be tolerated, said Brad Bench, special agent in charge, HSI Seattle.  Yesterday’s verdict is an excellent example of both HSI and the OPR’s dedication to ending these type of brazen acts and reinforcing the public’s trust in our officers.”