HOUSTON – A deportation officer was taken into custody after being accused of transporting nearly $700,000 in what he believed to be drug proceeds, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced Thursday.
Christopher Washington Toral, 48, of Spring, was an employee of Department of Homeland Security (DHS), working as a deportation officer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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On April 9, a federal grand jury returned the indictment, which was unsealed upon Toral’s arrest.
What happened
On three occasions in 2023, Toral allegedly transported a total of approximately $700,000 in exchange for cash payments. In each instance, he believed the monies were proceeds from drug transactions, according to the indictment.
Toral transported $200,000 between Feb. 9 and 28, 2023, from Dallas to Houston, according to the charges. In early March 2023, he allegedly traveled from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston with $300,000 in U.S. currency.
If convicted, Toral faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine.