Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Posing as Border Patrol Agent with Fake ID
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
A Mexican man in the United States has pleaded guilty to impersonating a Border Patrol agent and following federal immigration officers to distract them during operations in Southern California. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, Jaime Ernesto Álvarez-González admitted to tailing a Border Patrol agent on January 8 as the agent drove through a San Diego neighborhood. Prosecutors revealed that Álvarez-González was driving a black Ford F-150 truck, a model often used by undercover federal agents, with a license plate frame that read 'federal truck' in small letters—though the word 'federal' was misspelled. The truck also had a Border Patrol decal on the windshield, non-functional radio antennas on the roof, and handcuffs hanging from the rearview mirror. The agent aborted his mission after noticing Álvarez-González following him, mistakenly believing other agents were responding. When confronted by actual agents, Álvarez-González reportedly shouted obscenities and demanded they leave the Linda Vista community. At one point, three additional vehicles arrived in the area and began harassing the agents, even pursuing them onto the highway. Prosecutors stated that Álvarez-González had recorded himself actively searching for federal agents involved in immigration operations and claimed he had brought 'reinforcements.' A fake FBI badge was also found in his possession. Álvarez-González pleaded guilty to one count of impersonating a federal agent and three counts of illegal firearm possession. His federal public defender did not respond to an emailed request for comment.