The U.S. Department of Justice reported that two Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents pleaded guilty in the Southern District Court of California to allowing the entry of drugs into the United States.
According to judicial authorities, the two officers were Diego Bonillo and Jesse Clark García, ages 30 and 37, who conspired with a Mexican drug cartel to allow vehicles loaded with narcotics into the United States without inspection.
“The multinational drug trafficking organization (DTO) sent the drug-laden vehicles through the García and Bonillo lanes, knowing they would not be inspected,” the statement read.
Information released by the Star-Spangled Banner indicates that the two CBP agents informed the drug cartel members of the time and lane assigned to them using a secret emoji-based code. Authorities did not reveal further details.
It was reported that Jesse Clark Garcia worked at the Tecate International Port of Entry, located at 405 Tecate Road. Bonillo, meanwhile, was at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in California.
It was reported that Garcia pleaded guilty on July 8, 2025, to nine counts of the indictment, including conspiracy to import controlled substances and importation of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
Bonillo pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, shortly before the start of his trial. He accepted responsibility on three counts of the indictment, including conspiracy to import controlled substances and importation of fentanyl and heroin.
“Bonillo admitted that, as part of the conspiracy, he allowed the entry into the United States of at least 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, and more than one kilogram of heroin.”
Furthermore, it highlights that the Department of Justice states that both defendants “profited generously,” as the profits obtained from allowing the entry of narcotics “funded domestic and international travel,” as well as the purchase of luxury goods. They also attempted to acquire real estate in Mexico.
What is known about the defendants?
Jesse Clark García is originally from San Diego, California, while Diego Bonilla is from Chula Vista, San Diego County, just north of the border with Tijuana, Baja California.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 26 and November 7, 2025, respectively.
Drug Cartels and the Use of Emojis
The use of emojis for drug trafficking-related activities is not new.
An example of this is the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) code guide, which aims to guide parents, guardians, educators, and other influential people on the use of icons related to drug trafficking.
In addition to being used for the purchase and sale of drugs on social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, emojis have also been identified for activities such as recruitment.
This was announced by the Colegio de México (Colmex) through the study “New Frontiers in Digital Recruitment,” which includes an analysis of the content disseminated by various drug cartels on digital platforms.
The study found that some emojis are used interchangeably by these groups to highlight their association with armed incursions and criminal operations.
Source: milenio
