A senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer whose job was to help enforce immigration law is now accused of violating it in his own home.
Andres Wilkinson III, a CBP supervisory officer who has worked for the agency since May 2001, was arrested and charged this week with allegedly harboring and transporting an illegal alien whom prosecutors say is his niece.
If convicted, Wilkinson faces up to 10 years in prison and a potential $250,000 fine.
According to federal authorities, the case began unfolding in April 2025, when the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility received information from Homeland Security Investigations. The tip alleged that Elva Edith Garcia-Vallejo — identified as the daughter of a man Wilkinson listed as a brother in his 2023 background investigation — was living with the officer at his residence in Laredo, Texas.
The issue was not a technical paperwork oversight. Prosecutors say Garcia-Vallejo is a foreign national who lacks legal authorization to remain in the United States — something they claim Wilkinson knew.
Garcia-Vallejo entered the U.S. in August 2023 using her nonimmigrant visa number and obtained an I-94 travel permit as a temporary visitor for pleasure/tourism to San Antonio. That permit expired on Feb. 4, 2024.
After arriving, she temporarily lived north of the border with her Laredo-based husband, Juan Rodriguez. Rodriguez filed an immigration petition seeking legal residency for her — then later withdrew it.
According to the criminal complaint, Garcia-Vallejo’s last known entry into the United States using her B1/B2 nonimmigrant visa occurred eight months before May 2025, and her travel authorization had already expired two months earlier.
In May 2025, CBP OPR agents allegedly observed Garcia-Vallejo and her daughter meeting with Wilkinson outside the Harmony School of Science in Laredo. Investigators followed the pair back to a residence. At the time, Garcia-Vallejo was reportedly driving a Toyota Rav4 registered to Wilkinson.
Surveillance continued for months. Investigators claim they observed Garcia-Vallejo regularly coming and going from the residence. They also allegedly saw her driving another vehicle registered to Wilkinson.
On Feb. 5, CBP OPR detained Garcia-Vallejo. According to the complaint, she admitted she had been living with her “uncle” since at least August 2024. She also allegedly stated that Wilkinson had “financially supported her by providing his credit cards, housing, and assistance with her financial obligations, including medical debt, and by adding her to his vehicle insurance.”
She further admitted to allegedly crossing U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints multiple times in a vehicle driven by Wilkinson.
The criminal complaint refers to Wilkinson in one instance as his supposed niece’s “boyfriend,” and the Department of Justice noted in its release that the two were “romantically involved.” Neither document provided additional supporting detail for that characterization. While the complaint indicates Garcia-Vallejo is the daughter of the officer’s brother, it does not specify whether they are blood relatives.
The allegations strike at the heart of the agency’s mission. CBP officers are tasked with securing the border, enforcing immigration laws, and ensuring compliance with federal regulations. Supervisory officers, in particular, are expected to set the standard for integrity and adherence to the law.
Instead, prosecutors allege that Wilkinson knowingly harbored someone who had overstayed her visa and had no pending immigration applications. They claim he allowed her to reside in his home for more than a year, supported her financially, and transported her through checkpoints.
The case now moves forward in federal court, where Wilkinson will have the opportunity to respond to the charges.
If the allegations are proven, it would represent a stark example of a federal officer entrusted with enforcing immigration law choosing to disregard it in his personal life.
For now, the accusations remain allegations — but the potential penalties underscore the seriousness of the case.
