Two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have pleaded guilty to charges of allowing drug-laden vehicles to enter the United States from Mexico, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
CBS News’ Matt Piper reports that the officers used a secret emoji-based code to notify Mexican drug traffickers which inspection lanes they were assigned to near the Tijuana border crossing. When the smugglers arrived in those designated lanes, the officers would wave them through without inspection.
As part of the plea agreement, one of the officers admitted to allowing at least 165 pounds of fentanyl to be smuggled into the U.S. in exchange for significant cash payments. The pair now faces the possibility of life in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for September for one officer and November for the other.
WSB’s Ashley Simmons contributed to this story
