Four Houston Residents Charged with Immigration-Related Scheme

Four individuals from Houston are now facing allegations of exchanging funds to facilitate the release of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) detainees held in Harris County Jail. Among those implicated are employees of a bail bond company and former ICE enforcement personnel.

Nicholas J. Gunjay, a U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, reported that Leopold Perla Benitez, 53, Anthony Benitez, 32, and Jose Angel Muniz, 51, appeared before Magistrate Judge Peter Bray when the charges were made confidential. Judge Bray has ordered their detention as they await further legal action.

The group was indicted on June 24, with the indictment claiming that Leopold Benitez owns A Way Out Bail Bonds in Houston, while his son, Anthony, is an employee there. Muniz, also named in the allegations, reportedly worked for an international bond company and had previously been an immigration enforcement officer.

According to authorities, between April 2023 and March 2024, the bail bonds offered payments to Muniz in his official role to release undocumented immigrants from ICE custody. The plan allowed these immigrants to secure their release without fearing re-incarceration by ICE officers once they were out.

In a press release announcing the indictment on Wednesday, Gunjay emphasized the seriousness of corruption claims, particularly involving federal officers responsible for border security. He insisted, “There is absolutely no room for bribery or side jobs when it comes to immigration enforcement.”

If found guilty, all four could face up to 15 years imprisonment and fines amounting to the value of the bribes exchanged or $250,000, whichever is higher. The investigation was led by the ICE Bureau’s Professional Responsibility office in collaboration with the FBI.

This incident isn’t the first for the Harris County bail bond sector; in July 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that 53 residents from the Houston area were prosecuted for their involvement in a wire fraud scheme tied to fraudulent documents used to secure bail for individuals facing criminal charges. In that case, it was alleged that false financial records were created to help defendants who wouldn’t normally meet the necessary conditions for their bonds.