A U.S. Department of Agriculture employee was paid to allow tick infested and diseased cattle to enter the country, according to an indictment filed in a Laredo federal court.
Authorities arrested Roberto Adams in Laredo, Tex., on March 3, 2022, charging him with bribery of a public official. Court documents identify Adams as a USDA Lead Animal Health Technician.
The indictment states that Adams accepted bribes from about March 2019 to about November 2021, in the Southern District of Texas, for acts in violation of his official duties, specifically for allowing tick infested and diseased cattle to enter the U.S. without inspection or quarantine.
Last year the U.S. imported 1.128 million feeder cattle from Mexico. That was a decline of 21% from 2020 when 1.441 million were imported.
If convicted, Adams faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the case.
