A United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer and supervisor is facing charges after it was found that he was harboring his immigrant niece, whom he was also allegedly dating.
As the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas detailed in a news release on Wednesday (Feb. 11), 52-year-old CBP supervisor Andres Wilkinson has been charged with harboring an illegal alien. Wilkinson, who has served with CBP since 2001 and was promoted to a supervisor position in 2021, remains in custody pending a detention hearing. The woman entered the country on a temporary visa in August 2023.
He has been accused of providing her with “financial support, including housing, credit cards, assistance with financial obligations and access to vehicle.” The Justice Department added that Wilkinson was “aware of her unlawful immigration status yet maintained a romantic relationship with her.”
According to the criminal complaint, per CBS News, officials looked further into the background of the woman and found information “indicating” that she is his niece, although she’s married to another man. Her husband filed an application for a green card on her behalf in January 2024, but later canceled the petition last year.
Investigators discovered that the woman, who has not been identified, was the daughter of J. Santos Garcia-Moreno, who was listed as Wilkinson’s brother in a 2023 investigation into his background. When she spoke with CBP Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) investigators, she admitted she had lived with him since at least August 2024. The complaint also showed that the woman’s minor child lived with them.
If convicted, Wilkinson could face up to ten years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.