Former Border Patrol agent pleads guilty in Del Rio fraud case

Ramon Heriberto Cerda Jr., a 41-year-old former U.S. Border Patrol agent from Eagle Pass, pleaded guilty in federal court in Del Rio to wire fraud after prosecutors said he spent duty hours running his private business while still collecting government pay. The case, handled by the Del Rio Border Corruption Task Force, puts a hard number on the cost of the scheme: Cerda received about $17,724.74 in pay tied to hours he claimed but did not work as required.

Court records say Cerda owned and operated El Eagle Mail while he was employed by the Border Patrol. Investigators said he submitted bi-weekly timecards showing he worked from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and claimed 399.58 hours between April 22 and June 28, 2025. But surveillance told a different story. The FBI installed two cameras beginning April 22, 2025, one at his residence and one at the business, which was about 15 to 20 minutes away. From April 22 through June 28, investigators said Cerda was seen at home until about 2 p.m. on weekdays and then at El Eagle Mail until after 4 p.m.

Federal agents also used cell site location data from Cerda’s government-issued phone and his personal phone, which they said placed him at or near his residence during work hours and not on the road to the Eagle Pass USBP station to pick up a government vehicle as his job required. Prosecutors said the evidence showed a pattern, not a one-time lapse, and tied together surveillance, phone records and payroll documents.

Cerda was indicted in October 2025 on four wire fraud counts, four false statement counts and three counts of receiving stolen government money or property. He pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and now faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal judge will set his sentence.

The case lands close to home in a sector that reaches across Del Rio and much of the border region. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the Del Rio Sector covers 245 miles of the Rio Grande River and Lake Amistad, about 55,063 square miles of Texas across 47 counties, and that Border Patrol has served Del Rio since July 1, 1924. Federal officials said the prosecution is part of a broader push to target corruption inside law enforcement ranks, not just outside them, and to rebuild trust where public authority is supposed to be most closely watched.