INS INSPECTOR PLEADS INNOCENT TO DRUG, IMMIGRANT SMUGGLING

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- An immigration inspector has pleaded innocent to
accepting $350,000 to allow thousands of pounds of marijuana and 20 illegal
immigrants to enter the United States over the course of a year.

Richard Pineda, 41, was arraigned Monday in federal court on charges of
racketeering, drug and immigrant smuggling. He faces life in prison if
convicted.

Authorities have also charged two Mexican nationals, one of whom is a
Tijuana police officer, with participating in the smuggling ring, but
neither man is in custody.

Pineda was arrested Friday as he left his job at San Ysidro, where he has
worked as an inspector for the Immigration and Naturalization Service since
1987.

"Everybody is very upset because one of our officers has violated the
public trust," said INS spokesman Bill Strassberger.

This is the third arrest in less than two months for corruption at San
Ysidro, 15 miles south of San Diego just over the border from Tijuana, Mexico.

Last week, authorities accused Keith Johnson, a former INS inspector, with
smuggling three illegal immigrants through a pedestrian checkpoint at the
port, the world's busiest border crossing.

In early June, another former immigration inspector, Daniel Goodrum, was
charged with stealing and selling green cards -- two of which were later
used by drug smugglers to enter the United States, authorities said.

Pineda, who faces life in prison if convicted, is a Navy veteran who is
married and has two children, ages seven and eight. He has lived in San
Diego for 23 years and earned a base salary of about $43,000 from the INS,
but received about $75,000 total annually after overtime during the last
two years, officials said.

In all, authorities allege Pineda allowed 20 migrants to enter the United
States illegally in five groups between Jan. 14, 1994 and Feb. 11, 1999.

He is accused of waving through five loads of marijuana, totaling 3,546
pounds, between May 31, 1998 and Feb. 11, 1999.

All of the drug shipments were later intercepted, but far enough away from
the port that Pineda wouldn't become aware of the surveillance, authorities
said.

The two Mexican nationals allegedly earned at least $175,000 in the
enterprise, while Pineda received $350,000 in payments, according to the
indictment.