United States Customs Officer Charged With Lying About Citizenship Relating To His Federal Employment

     TUCSON, Ariz. – On March 7, 2018, the grand jury returned an indictment charging Marco Antonio De La Garza Jr., 37, of Hereford, Ariz., with three counts related to passport fraud and false statements on his federal law enforcement background application. Specifically, it is alleged that De La Garza is a Mexican citizen who knowingly used a fraudulently obtained Texas birth certificate to apply for a United States passport. Additionally, the indictment charges he knowingly and willfully used the same fraudulently obtained birth certificate to assert United States citizenship on his five-year background check to maintain employment as a United States Customs and Border Protection Officer.

     An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

     The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Department of State-Diplomatic Security Service and the Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General. The prosecution is being handled by Lori Price and Heather Siegele, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona.

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CASE NUMBER:            CR-18-00353-TUC-RCC

RELEASE NUMBER:    2018-024_Franco

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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