Texas deportation officer arrested for money laundering
HOUSTON - A Texas deportation officer was arrested for allegedly transporting nearly $700,000 in what he believed to be drug proceeds, says U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Spring resident Christopher Washington Toral, 48, was scheduled to appear for his initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison after being indicted by a federal grand jury on April 9.
Toral worked with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a deportation officer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to the indictment, Toral is alleged to have transported approximately $700,000 in total on three separate occasions in 2023, believing the funds to be proceeds from drug transactions.
The charges specify that Toral transported $200,000 between Feb. 9 and 28, 2023, from Dallas to Houston. Additionally, in early March 2023, he allegedly traveled from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston with $300,000 in U.S. currency.
In the event of conviction, Toral could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a potential fine of up to $1 million.
The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI and the DHS Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Ferko is leading the prosecution.