Ex-INS Inspector Guilty of Corruption

A former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service inspector was convicted of official corruption Thursday in San Diego federal court.

Ricardo Nunez Felix, 35, of El Centro was convicted of four felony counts, including corruption, aiding and abetting the import of 3,121 pounds of cocaine, conspiring to launder money and aiding and abetting money laundering, Assistant U.S. Atty. Cynthia Millsaps said.

The cocaine came through Felix’s inspection station at the Calexico Port of Entry on Feb. 8, Millsaps said. For allowing it to pass, he expected a $60,000 kickback, Millsaps said.

Felix was arrested Feb. 11. It turned out, Millsaps said, that he had been accepting bribes for two years, between $400,000 and $500,000 total.

Felix used $25,000 of that to buy a new Chevrolet Suburban in March, 1991, Millsaps said. That purchase led to the money-laundering charges, Millsaps said.

Felix is due to be sentenced April 12 by U.S. District Judge Earl B. Gilliam.