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A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer from El Paso made his appearance in federal court Friday after he was indicted on charges related to alleged false reporting of excessive use of force at a border checkpoint in El Paso.
Court documents revealed that while 52-year-old Jesus Espinosa was acting as a federal law enforcement officer in 2021, he allegedly used excessive force to detain an individual, including a chokehold that resulted in bodily injury.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas reported that Espinosa claimed the individual he detained was aggressive and non-compliant, which caused an incorrect official report of assault on a federal officer rather than a true report detailing excessive use of force.
Espinosa was indicted July 15 and arrested two days later. He faces one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of false statement to a U.S. government agency. On Friday, a federal judge set Espinosa’s bond at $10,000.
He was released July 20 from the El Paso County Jail.
Espinosa appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert F. Castaneda of Court One. If convicted, he could face up to a total of 15 years for both charges.
The FBI, along with other agencies, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Wisniewski is prosecuting the case.
A CBP spokesperson referred GVM to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas for a statement.
Source: U.S. Attorney Office
ID: SFO5535165TAG200TPA