A former U.S. Border Patrol agent who was released from federal supervised probation 18 months early after serving time in prison for falsifying various government documents is now facing multiple drug charges in Cochise County.
Oscar Cornejo was booked into the county jail April 7 on suspicion of transportation of a dangerous drug for sale, possession of a dangerous drug for sale, and possession or use of a dangerous drug. The next day he was released from custody pending trial after posting a $15,000 bond.
Cornejo, 43, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 6 at the Douglas Justice Court to determine whether there is probable cause for the drug charges to move forward to Cochise County Superior Court. Two of the counts are Class 2 felonies which carry stiff prison terms under Arizona’s sentencing guidelines.
In 2017, Cornejo pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to making false statements about his travel to and from Mexico, and guilty to concealing assets during a bankruptcy proceeding. He had come under investigation when federal officials flagged some of the answers Cornejo provided during a routine five-year security review for his job as a USBP supervising agent.
Court records show Cornejo reported only traveling into Mexico twice between 2011 and 2016, along with occasional quick trips across the border to Agua Prieta to dine at local restaurants. However, government records revealed Cornejo actually went into Mexico “over 1,200 times” in that five year period.
In addition, he often crossed into Agua Prieta, Mexico and stayed there with his wife, a Mexican national, until his next work shift. It was with his wife, Maria, that Cornejo filed a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition in 2014.
Federal investigators also came to suspect the couple had not truthfully reported their financial status to the bankruptcy court, including omitting details of their real estate interests in Mexico. It was alleged that nearly $500,000 was deposited into accounts controlled by Cornejo and his wife between May 2016 and March 2017; Cornejo’s USBP salary at the time was about $9,000 a month.
As part of the plea deal, Cornejo admitted he “transferred or concealed cash” in 2016 and 2017, and had acted fraudulently “with the intent to deceive the bankruptcy trustee and creditors” by hiding unreported money in Mexico
A federal judge could have sentenced Cornejo to up to five years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons but ended up imposing a three-month term. Cornejo was discharged in December 2018 to begin three years of federal supervised probation.
However, Cornejo’s probation was terminated in May 2020 after only 1.5 years.
“Oscar Cornejo has complied with the rules and regulations of supervised release and is no longer in need of supervision,” U.S. Probation Officer Joseph Moses wrote to Senior U.S. District Judge Cindy Jorgenson. “It is accordingly recommended that Oscar Cornejo be discharged from supervision.”
Specifics about Cornejo’s recent arrest were not available as of press time, although he was booked into jail by special agents with the Douglas Office of Homeland Security Investigations. More information about the current charges is expected to be released at next month’s hearing.
