Former LAPD Officer, Girlfriend Plead Guilty in Human Smuggling Case

SAN DIEGO, CA: A former Los Angeles police pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in San Diego to charges that he attempted to smuggle a Mexican citizen into the United States in the spare tire well of his car.

Carlos Curiel Quezada, Jr., who was a 10-year LAPD veteran at the time of his March 2015 arrest at the Otay Mesa border crossing, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego.

Court documents state that Quezada drove his 2014 Nissan Juke, with his girlfriend Angelica Godinez as the front-seat passenger, into the Otay Mesa Port of Entry about 6:30 p.m. on March 14, 2015.

"They presented their U.S. passports and told a Customs and Border Protection Officer they had nothing to declare," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Lasater. "The officer decided to refer them aside for a more intensive inspection."

During the inspection, officers examined the car with the Z-Portal, a non-intrusive imaging device similar to an X-ray, and detected something unusual in the rear cargo area of the vehicle, court records show.

Antanasio Perez Avalos, a 26-year-old Mexican national, was found in a compartment in the spare-tire area, prosecutors said.

In addition to prison time, Quezada, 34, also faces a maximum $250,000 fine as part of his sentence.

Godinez, 31, has also pleaded guilty — to lying on an application for court-appointed counsel. 

Both are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 26 in San Diego.

The LAPD said at the time of his arrest that Quezada, who worked out of the Hollywood Division, would be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.