A Mexican citizen who illegally crossed the U.S. border more than a week ago was reportedly arrested Thursday after he handed Border Patrol agents a driver’s license identifying him as a fellow agent.
At the Falfurrias, Texas, checkpoint, Orlando Castaneda-Diaz, 24, handed Border Patrol agents a driver’s license identifying himself as David, a 34-year-old man from Edinburg, a local CBS affiliate reported.
Only problem was the Border Patrol agents knew David, a fellow agent assigned to the Falfurrias area, the station reported.
Mr. Castaneda-Diaz was hauled off the Houston-bound passenger bus he was riding and detained, later admitting to Border Patrol agents that he is a Mexican citizen who illegally crossed the border on April 12, according to the criminal complaint.
Mr. Castaneda-Diaz also had a birth certificate and a Social Security card identifying him as David. He said he bought the documents from a man in Matamoros, Mexico, for $2,000, and even shaved his hair to look more like the agent’s, the criminal complaint said.
He said he had never met the real David, who asked the CBS affiliate to be identified by his middle name to protect his privacy.
Border Patrol agents arrested Mr. Castaneda-Diaz, who was charged with making a false claim to United States citizenship. A detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, the station reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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