56 Border Agents Under Investigation in Tijuana

Almost half of Tijuana’s border agents are under investigation by the local office of the Mexican immigration service after being accused of acts ranging from corruption to discourtesy to tourists, the agency’s Tijuana director said this week.

Alfredo Alvarez Cardenas, who last week became Tijuana director of immigration for Mexico’s Federal Immigration Service, has already fired 10 border inspectors and is investigating 56 others. He said charges include extortion as well as less serious offenses such as mistreating people at the border. The inquiry includes agents in both Tijuana and Tecate.

Alvarez said a few agents suspected of corruption have been suspended without pay. Those being investigated for departmental infractions remain on duty pending the outcome of the inquiry.

Agents found guilty of crimes will be dropped from the service and turned over to Mexican authorities for prosecution, Alvarez said. Those found guilty of lesser crimes or departmental infractions will either be suspended or transferred, he added.

“The object is to treat people well so that they will continue to come. We want to guard our image,” Alvarez said.

No breakdown is available on the precise number of agents accused of criminal acts and those accused of lesser acts of mistreatment, Alvarez said. He also would not estimate when the investigation will be completed.

Alvarez, 28, a University of Mexico-trained lawyer, plans to open a legal office within the immigration service in Tijuana. He said he also plans to modernize the department “so that people can get better service.”

“I am going to give more responsibility to capable people, and am going to reorganize the offices and their functions to make the procedures work faster,” Alvarez said.

He said he doesn’t plan to increase the size or salaries of the 120-person staff, but will institute more thorough training so that “it can all go faster.”

Alvarez also said agents who leave will be “replaced with people who have more formal education and, more important, experience as well as good reputations.” Interviews have begun for replacement of the 10 inspectors who have been fired, he said.

The principal reason for the investigation, Alvarez said, was to “clean up. Now the goal is to make our services more efficient.”