San Diego

Martin Adam Nava, a Border Patrol agent accused of alien smuggling, was indicted Friday by a federal grand jury on 10 felony charges, including escape.

Nava is accused of twice helping Mexican women sneak into the United States after he initially had caught them and ordered them to leave the country. He was arrested June 25 with one of the women, but escaped while he was being processed for arrest by another Border Patrol agent.

Nava, 27, surrendered to U.S. marshals on July 17.

The officer, who had just completed his probationary period with the Border Patrol, is free on $100,000 bond. He faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison and $2.5 million in fines.