Alamdar Hamdani U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A former deportation officer has admitted to laundering money while employed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Christopher Washington Toral, 49, from Spring, Texas, who began his tenure with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2008 at a processing center in Conroe, pleaded guilty to the charges.
During a two-month period in 2023, Toral agreed to transport $700,000 in drug proceeds under the guise of his federal law enforcement position. In February 2023, as part of an undercover operation, he transported a black bag containing $200,000 in cash from Dallas to Houston, believing it was from illegal narcotics sales. He repeated this trip later that month with another $200,000.
In March 2023, Toral agreed to carry $300,000 from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston on a commercial flight. The money was represented as drug trafficking proceeds. Exploiting his law enforcement status allowed him to bypass airport security and Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
U.S. Attorney Ganjei stated: “Christopher Toral swore to protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threatens our national security….but he betrayed that oath.” He added that the guilty plea reflects their commitment to holding accountable those who choose corruption over faithful service.
FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams remarked: “In choosing greed over duty, former ICE officer Christopher Toral disgraced the badge he vowed to uphold.” He noted that Toral's actions betrayed those who serve their communities with integrity and praised the partnership with DHS-Office of Inspector General (OIG) for exposing Toral’s activities.
DHS-OIG Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari PhD emphasized: “Today’s plea sends a clear message that federal employees who violate the trust of the public and break the law will be prosecuted.” He expressed gratitude for ongoing partnerships with law enforcement agencies fighting corruption.
U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted Toral's plea and scheduled sentencing for May 15. Toral faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible maximum fine of $1 million.
The investigation was conducted by FBI and DHS-OIG with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and John Marck prosecuting the case.
