Citizen Staff Report

A former U.S. Border Patrol agent was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison and fined $13,000 for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of bribery of a public official.

Hector Hugo Esquinca, 30, of Nogales was caught in more than 50 taped conversations with a government informant between Aug. 9, 2000, and Sept. 21, 2000, in which he agreed to accept bribes to let cocaine through a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 19 near Amado, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release.

On Sept. 4, 2000, Esquinca allowed through the checkpoint a vehicle that was later found to contain about 50 pounds of cocaine, the release said.

Esquinca took $13,000 for allowing the drugs to pass through, the release said.