A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was arrested recently, facing allegations of holding and transporting an undocumented individual claimed to be his niece.
If found guilty, Andres Wilkinson III, a CBP supervisor employed since May 2001, could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
In April 2025, the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility received a tip from Homeland Security Investigations regarding Elva Edith Garcia-Vallejo. According to reports, she, identified as the daughter of the man Wilkinson referred to as his brother in a 2023 background check, was thought to be living with him in Laredo, Texas.
Investigators raised concerns about Garcia-Vallejo’s legal status, noting that she lacked proper authorization to remain in the country, which Wilkinson was allegedly aware of, as argued by federal prosecutors.
It was reported that Garcia-Vallejo entered the U.S. in August 2023 on a nonimmigrant visa, receiving an I-94 travel permit for temporary tourism in San Antonio, which lapsed on February 4, 2024.
Garcia-Vallejo had briefly lived in Laredo with her husband, Juan Rodriguez, who had first applied for her legal residency but later withdrew the application.
By May 2025, eight months after entering the U.S. on her B1/B2 visa, and two months following the expiration of her travel authorization, CBP OPR observed Garcia-Vallejo and her daughter meeting Wilkinson outside a local school in Laredo.
They tracked the pair, who reportedly did not have any pending immigration applications, back to Wilkinson’s home. At that time, Garcia-Vallejo was driving a Toyota RAV4 registered to him.
Over the following months, CBP OPR allegedly monitored the residence, noticing Garcia-Vallejo’s activities and that she was driving another vehicle registered under Wilkinson’s name.
Eventually, on February 5, CBP OPR arrested Garcia-Vallejo. She reportedly confessed to living with him since at least August 2024, stating that he had been financially supporting her through various means, including credit cards and assistance with her medical bills.
Garcia-Vallejo also acknowledged navigating through several U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints in a car operated by Wilkinson.
Interestingly, the criminal complaint described Wilkinson as his niece’s “boyfriend,” with the Justice Department noting they were allegedly in a “romantic relationship.” Yet, the documents didn’t provide detailed evidence supporting the nature of their relationship, and it remains unclear how closely they are actually related.
Attempts to reach CBP for comments went unreturned, as did inquiries from the court to the attorneys representing both Garcia-Vallejo and Wilkinson.
