Texas Court Sets Sentencing Date on Customs Broker's Guilty Plea on FCPA Charge
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas set sentencing for Jan. 8 in a case against a customs broker for conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Cardone referred the case for sentencing in an Oct. 24 order after accepting the guilty plea from the individual, Carlos Leopoldo Alvelais (USA v. Carlos Leopoldo Alvelais, W.D. Tex. # 3:25-02512).
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Alvelais owns a customs brokerage based in Mexico and a freight forwarding business in El Paso, Texas. The defendant waived the requirement that an indictment be filed in the case.
Attorneys at Thompson Hine said the case represents a resumption in FCPA enforcement after the Trump administration halted such enforcement action after the President took office. However, in June, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche outlined in a memorandum DOJ's enforcement priorities with the FCPA, telling prosecutors to prioritize national security interests, such as customs fraud.