A 68-year-old Laredo, Texas, man has admitted to accepting bribes while employed by the Department of Agriculture.
The U.S. Justice Department this week (April 25, 2022) announced Roberto Adams pleaded guilty to accepting more than $40,000 in bribery payments while working as a USDA lead animal health technician. Adams inspected cattle entering the United States to determine if they met the necessary health requirements to enter the country. Over the course of at least 14 months, Mexican cattle brokers paid Adams to allow cattle into the country without proper quarantine or legitimate inspection.
Adams will be sentenced in August and faces up to 15 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the USDA Office of Inspector General.
Data shows that U.S. annual cattle imports from Mexico average more than 1.25 million head per year.
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