LAPD Officer Arrested For Trying To Smuggle Immigrants Across Border

[lockedout]

SAN DIEGO (CBSLA) — A Los Angeles police officer has been arrested on federal charges alleging he tried to smuggle two illegal immigrants into the United States this week in southeastern San Diego County.

Mambasse Koulabalo Patara has been charged with violating immigration laws, according to a federal complaint filed Wednesday.

He was arrested early Tuesday morning at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Pine Valley, located about 12 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

According to the complaint, at 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, Patara drove up to the checkpoint with two male passengers in a 2006 Toyota Corolla.

While being interviewed by Border Patrol agents, Koulabalo showed them his LAPD badge and stated he was off-duty, the complaint states. Agents later patted him down and found his service-issued gun in his waistband, the complaint reads.

Koulabalo reportedly told border agents his two passengers were U.S. citizens. The men, identified as Herman Lopez and his nephew German Ramirez Gonzalez, eventually admitted they were in the country illegally.

One of the men said they had known Koulabalo for years and had worked for him at his Fontana home. He added they had decided to go to a casino in Alpine in southern San Diego County, before heading to another one in Campo and ending up at the border checkpoint near Pine Valley.

All three men were transported to the Campo Border Patrol Station and arrested at around 1:30 a.m.

Back at his home in Fontana, neighbors were in disbelief.

“I heard what happened, and I’m really shocked,” said one woman. “They’ve always just been a really nice family ever since my husband and I have lived here. […] There’s always multiple sides to every story, so I think that’s important for everyone to keep in mind […] before jumping to conclusions on these types of things.”

“I just don’t believe that he’s doing that,” another neighbor told CBS2. “I don’t believe at all that he’s capable of doing something like that.”

An LAPD spokesperson confirmed to CBS2 that Patara has been placed on paid administrative leave.

If convicted, Koulabalo faces up to five years in prison.



http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2018/...grants-border/

[Deleted]

Now that should serve as a rallying cry for the cop hating liberals. But of course when a cop breaks federal immigration law he's a hero to them.

[Magman]

Moral of the story: Don't break the law.

[The Stormbringer]

Now that should serve as a rallying cry for the cop hating liberals. But of course when a cop breaks federal immigration law he's a hero to them.

He would be a hero (albeit a criminal) if he was, I dunno, saving people from terrible hardship and/or the threat of death, sure. If he's just sneaking people across the border for money, then no, he's just just a greedy criminal. And yes, I consider myself pretty liberal, and the only cops I dislike are the ones who use excessive force, lie about what happened during a crime, or are corrupt.

[Independent voter]

Probably his gardener and they became friends.

There is a custom called "professional courtesy" where if they know you're a cop they'll just wave you through the border checkpoint. It's kind of assumed that if you're in law enforcement you're low risk.

The cop being black probably had something to do with it, he could've been really nervous and aroused suspicion too.

[Coolthulhu]

A maximum of five years? How disturbingly lenient.

[Antiganon]

OP: Somebody committed a crime, but because it was a black police officer aiding and abetting illegal immigration the leftists are gonna be so triggered lulz.

This is the part where I say that law enforcement should be held to a higher standard, that what he did was clearly wrong, and that he deserves the consequences of his actions, if found guilty.

[Stop Pretending]

Now that should serve as a rallying cry for the cop hating liberals. But of course when a cop breaks federal immigration law he's a hero to them.

If only he shot an unarmed minority, then you'd be supporting him.

[I Push Buttons]

Probably his gardener and they became friends.

There is a custom called "professional courtesy" where if they know you're a cop they'll just wave you through the border checkpoint. It's kind of assumed that if you're in law enforcement you're low risk.

The cop being black probably had something to do with it, he could've been really nervous and aroused suspicion too.

A different article says the federal complaint notes that he "appeared to be nervous and was visibly shaking" when the vehicle was stopped.

[NED funded]

He should've smuggled more people.

[Ghostpanther]

A maximum of five years? How disturbingly lenient.

This. Only would be more fitting if it was 5 years of hard labor in a real prison.

[Wyrt]

Now that should serve as a rallying cry for the cop hating liberals. But of course when a cop breaks federal immigration law he's a hero to them.

It's almost like shooting an unarmed man in the back 6 times is worse than smuggling people across the border.

[Themius]

A maximum of five years? How disturbingly lenient.

getting into the country illegally is a misdemeanor

[lockedout]

getting into the country illegally is a misdemeanor

That's not what happened here.

[Deleted]

Guess he wanted to earn a little on the side?

[lockedout]

Guess he wanted to earn a little on the side?

I can't see any other reason he would risk a decent job.

[enragedgorilla]

California's borders are so "open" I am rather curious as to why his friends just didn't come on over on their own.
Oh well, one less bad cop on the force.(Bad because he knowingly broke the law, he could be the nicest most stand up person ever, still doesn't change the fact, broke the law)
He should have just had an Uber / Lyft sticker on his car. No issue. (SARCASM)

[Alydael]

It happened in Cali- he won't serve any time. They will probably tear down a Columbus statue and enact a statue in this mans honor.

[Mormolyce]

I find it hard to imagine a crime I give less of a shit about than assisting illegal immigration.

Now that should serve as a rallying cry for the cop hating liberals. But of course when a cop breaks federal immigration law he's a hero to them.

Yeah I can't imagine why they hate it when cops kill people, but not when they help them.

Madness, right Taft?

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It happened in Cali- he won't serve any time. They will probably tear down a Columbus statue and enact a statue in this mans honor.

Oh what a horrible thought, because illegal immigration is the worst crime imaginable. Except all the other ones.

[Themius]

That's not what happened here.

He aided someone committing a misdemeanor, my point is crossing illegally isn't a huge deal to begin with.