A 53-year-old San Diego man pleaded guilty Tuesday to impersonating a U.S. Border Patrol agent as part of an effort to disrupt deportations, according to authorities.
Jaime Ernesto Alvarez-Gonzalez, who authorities said is an undocumented Mexican citizen, pleaded guilty to one count of impersonating a federal agent and three counts of illegally possessing firearms, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office.
He faces a maximum sentence of up to 18 years in prison, as well as fines of as much as $500,000, prosecutors said.
On Jan. 8, Alvarez-Gonzalez allegedly followed a real Border Patrol agent while they were both driving black Ford F-150 trucks, authorities said.
Alvarez-Gonzalez’s truck looked like an undercover Border Patrol vehicle — with an agency sticker on its windshield, radio communications antennae on the roof, a lightbar on the dashboard, a license plate bearing with the words “Ferderal Truck” and handcuffs hanging from the rear-view mirror, according to prosecutors.
Alvarez-Gonzalez also allegedly was dressed like a Border Patrol agent, including wearing a face mask and “thin green line” baseball cap, authorities said.
The real Border Patrol agent thought that Alvarez-Gonzalez was also a federal officer, so he diverted from his deportation mission and “deconflicted” for safety reasons.
“Deconfliction” is when law enforcement agencies or officers try to avoid working simultaneously in the same area by sharing information about their operations, including surveillance and execution of warrants, authorities said.
Alvarez-Gonzalez allegedly yelled obscenities and demanded Border Patrol agents leave the community of Linda Vista. Three more cars also drove to the Border Patrol agents’ location and started chasing them on the highway.
On Jan. 14, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Alvarez-Gonzalez due to his immigration status and he was allegedly found with an FBI badge.
Alvarez-Gonzalez was also allegedly in possession of three illegal firearms — a Glock 26 9mm pistol, an Aero Precision Model X15 Multi-Caliber AR-style rifle and an Interarms Hellpup 7.62×39 AK-style pistol — and authorities also seized ammunition from his place of business.
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