Johnny G. Acosta, a former United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer at the Douglas Port of Entry, was sentenced to eight years in prison by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson this week. Acosta, who began working in 2008 at the Port, previously pleaded guilty to felony charges of conspiracy to import more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and accepting bribes as a public official.
Acosta, a lifelong resident of Douglas, spent his entire career with CBP at the Douglas Port of Entry. The investigation led to the indictment of Acosta and five other individuals on an array of drug-related charges. On October 20, 2015, Acosta was arrested by the FBI at the International Border in Nogales, Ariz., as he attempted to flee into Mexico to avoid prosecution.
Two of the co-defendants in the case have pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the conspiracy to import marijuana into the United States. One of those defendants, Ricardo Peralta-Cuevas, was previously sentenced to 37 months in prison. The other defendant is pending sentencing. A third defendant is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on February 22, 2016. The remaining two defendants in the Indictment remain fugitives.