Emanuel Isac Celedon, a 37-year-old former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, has been sentenced to 117 months in federal prison for smuggling illegal aliens and cocaine into the U.S. through Laredo’s Lincoln Juarez Port of Entry.
Celedon pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024, to bribery, attempted cocaine importation, and human smuggling charges, earning a $17,980 money judgment and four years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana condemned Celedon’s betrayal of his duty to protect the border, noting his deep involvement with the Cartel del Noreste. “Anybody who aids the cartel will face a federal indictment,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, highlighting the contrast with CBP’s dedicated workforce.
In 2023, Celedon collaborated with the cartel, allowing vehicles he believed carried cocaine through his lane for $6,000 in bribes during an undercover sting.
He also worked with Mexican nationals Homero Romero-Hernandez and Jose Osvaldo Zapata-Vasquez and driver Beatris Guadalupe Martinez to smuggle aliens on nine occasions between September and November. Celedon falsified records to avoid inspections, pocketing $1,980 seized at his arrest.
The investigation, led by the Department of Homeland Security, DEA, ICE-HSI, and CBP, with support from Joint Task Force Alpha and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, resulted in prison terms for his co-conspirators: 46, 36, and 42 months, respectively. Celedon awaits transfer to a federal prison.
This case, part of Operation Take Back America, underscores efforts to combat border corruption and cartel activity. Celedon’s sentencing reinforces that exploiting a position of trust for criminal gain carries steep consequences.