Ex-Customs and Border Protection officer gets 12 years for smuggling

An ex-Customs and Border Protection officer was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison after being convicted of conspiring to smuggle cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S.

Oscar Ortiz-Martinez, 33, who worked at the Calexico port of entry, was convicted of accepting $22,000 in bribes and attempting to collect $30,000 — all from someone he believed was a drug cartel operative.

Instead, the person was an undercover federal agent, prosecutors said.

Victor Silva, 33, a co-defendant, pleaded guilty and testified against Ortiz during the trial in San Diego federal court.

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tony.perry@latimes.com