Former Border Patrol supervisor admits harassing man who accused his brother-in-law of child sexual abuse

A former supervisory Border Patrol agent from Chula Vista pleaded guilty this week in federal court to abusing his authority to intimidate and repeatedly detain a man who accused the agent’s brother-in-law of molesting his young son.

Martin Rene Duran, 49, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, officials said. He also was convicted by a federal jury in February on eight weapons charges for buying guns in Arizona with an Arizona driver’s license despite living in Chula Vista.

According to the plea agreement submitted in U.S. District Court, Duran was a supervisory agent at the Imperial Beach Border Patrol station in May 2013 when he created false warnings in a government computer system for a man identified in court documents only as R.C.

The alerts — entered into the principal database used by officers to screen border-crossers — included notations that Duran knew to be false against R.C., a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. with no known criminal background.

One of the first alerts claimed R.C. was a mechanic who worked on drug-smuggling vehicles and was known to carry guns. Another alert said R.C. had made threats against Customs and Border Protection officers.

The warnings prompted customs officers to stop R.C. several times as he crossed from Mexico into the U.S., sometimes with his family, including once when he and his wife were arrested and separated from their young children for more than two hours.

According to prosecutors, at least one alert directed border authorities to contact Duran if they stopped R.C., and that’s what they did in May 2013 when R.C. tried to enter the country at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Duran went to where R.C. was detained and began questioning him “regarding the personal matter involving R.C. and [Duran’s] brother-in-law,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Colin McDonald wrote in the plea agreement.

According to court documents, R.C. had accused Duran’s brother-in-law, Raymundo Estrada Figueroa, of child sexual abuse. Estrada was reportedly having an affair with R.C.’s wife, who was the mother of the boys Estrada was accused of molesting.

Estrada has been indicted on six counts of sexual abuse of two children under 12 years old. His case is pending.

R.C. told investigators he believed Duran was trying to pressure him into dropping his accusations against Estrada. On Thursday, Duran admitted as much in court, prosecutors said.

“This agent … targeted a law-abiding citizen because of a personal vendetta, and for that, he will pay a price,” U.S. Atty. Adam Braverman said in a statement.

In February, a jury convicted Duran on seven counts of illegal transportation of firearms and one count of possession of a short-barreled rifle. The guns in that case were discovered in 2015 at his Chula Vista home during the investigation into the case he pleaded guilty to Thursday.

Duran is scheduled to be sentenced in both cases next month.

According to the plea agreement, he and his attorney will recommend a federal prison sentence no shorter than six months, while federal prosecutors will recommend a sentence no longer than three years and eight months.

Riggins writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

alex.riggins@sduniontribune.com